September 6, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



379 



ter. But no one wants to keep the White Pine always in the 

 background, for when jt is found in ckimps it is easy to grow 

 tall ferns beneath it, with a carpet of Linnsea, Partridge Berry 

 and Blueberry, and it provides itself the clean brown needles, 

 which alone have been enough to endear it to every one. The 

 Hemlock and White Ash are two more trees w^hich are strik- 

 ing together in spring or fall, and at the turn of the leaf the 

 Scarlet Maple seems ablaze near a group of the White and 

 Black Spruces. Here, on the coast of Maine, the Gray Birch 

 (B. populifolia) gets nothing but abuse, as few people seem to 

 remember its brilliant patches of green among the Spruces in 

 spring-time, and in the early autumn how the shiny, fluttering 

 leaves glisten in the sunlight. But once the coloring of the 

 wood-sides is observed the list grows longer, and the stately 

 Yellow and Paper Birches are noticed in damp places, and the 

 Pitch Pine, clinging like a limpet to an impossibly steep rock, 

 looks like a tree on a Japanese fan. 



To give an effect of distance on a small place, why could we 

 not plant a line of dark, thick-foliaged trees on distant points, 

 then to leave a space, planting a second grove of smaller light- 

 foliaged trees ? The space will give distance and depth to the 

 background, while the darker green trees, if placed on the 

 most distant height, are valuable at sunset, as they always 

 seem to keep the last light. If there is to be a large lawn, it is 

 as well to keep in mind that the creeping shadows made by 

 trees planted on the the western edge will be very beautiful in 

 the long summer afternoons. 



It will be noticed that only such trees as grow on the coast 

 of Maine are mentioned, as I am most familiar with that part 

 of the country. r, _. ■ ^ 



Bar Harbor, Me. Beatrix Joiies. 



The Columbian Exposition. 



The Front Esplanade of the Horticultural Building. 



THE extreme front of the Horticultural Building is something 

 over a hundred feet west of the lagoon, opposite the 

 wooded island. The exterior borders of the lagoons, except 

 the extreme north-eastern and southern arms, are bounded by 

 a perpendicular wall some four or five feet high, upon which 

 is placed a heavy balustrade. This architectural feature serves 

 the double purpose of blending the lagoon with the formal 

 environs and of appearing to set the buildings upon a platform 

 or terrace, thereby increasing their height and importance. 

 The spaces between this railing and the contiguous buildings 

 are essentially esplanades, and some of them are very effective. 

 The central and important portion of the esplanade of the Hor- 

 ticultural Building is an area about sixty feet wide and extend- 

 ing the length of the building — 1,000 feet. Upon the east it is 

 bounded by the broad gravel walk skirting the lagoon, and on 

 the west by another thoroughfare. The centre-piece of this 

 esplanade is a Lily-tank with masonry walls, containing forty 

 species and varieties of water-plants, shown by William 

 Tricker, of Staten Island. Nymphaeas predominate, of which 

 the best, at this writing, are Nymphsea Devoniensis superba, a 

 plant with rich bronze leaves and pink-red flowers ; N. gracilis, 

 with its starry, sharp-petaled, white flowers standing a foot or 

 more above the leaves, and N. Zanzibarensis and the varieties 

 rosea and azurea. The Water-poppy, Limnocharis Humboldtii, 

 also makes a show with its saucer-like sulphur flowers. Some 

 good Papyrus-plants break the monotony of the pond. 



Upon either side of this Lily-pond are two nearly square 

 areas of sod, with flower-beds, beyond which, in each direc- 

 tion, a long parterre stretches away nearly 400 feet. These long- 

 areas, which stretch off both north and south, were simply 

 quiet, unornamented lawns early in the season, and it was the 

 hope of the landscape-department that they might be left un- 

 disturbed in order to enforce the effect of the lagoon terrace 

 and add a proper dignity to the great building. But land was 

 needed for parterres, and in June the sod was cut into sev- 

 enty-nine beds, all but three of which are planted to Can- 

 nas. This great display of Cannas, extending over a total 

 length of a thousand feet, is now the most conspicuous fea- 

 ture of the environs of the Horticultural Building. There is 

 some chance for criticism in the arrangement, for the many 

 small beds give a spotty effect. If the same plants had been 

 massed into a broad central avenue, or even into two narrow 

 marginal avenues, the eftect would have been more contin- 

 uous and, I think, more impressive. The plants were late in 

 going into the ground, and the soil is sandy and poor ; yet the 

 display, as a whole, is very bold at the opening of September, 

 and it certainly has great merit. The varieties are not numer- 

 ous, and for that reason the exhibit is all the better. They 

 represent the best of the new French or dwarf Cannas, a class 



of plants which has been greatly improved in very recent 

 years, especially in all the best qualities of bloom. In the two 

 small areas upon either side of the Lily-tank, J. C. Vaughan 

 shows eighteen beds of Cannas — the central bed in the south 

 area being the best single bed in the collection at this writing. 

 The central portion of the bed is occupied by a heavy plant- 

 ing of Florence Vaughan, which bears a very large yellow 

 flower, thickly and uniformly spotted with brown. About this 

 is a band of J. C. Vaughan, a dull red flower and dark 

 bronze foliage. This is skirted by George W. Childs, a variety 

 of the Madame Crozy type, but bearing more gold upon the 

 petals. The companion bed in the north area has a centre of 

 the excellent J. D. Cabos, with outer bands of Explorateur 

 Crambel and Florence Vaughan. Among other varieties 

 shown by Vaughan are Egandale, a very darlc-leaved and dull 

 red variety of great merit, and Mademoiselle de Crillon, the 

 nearest approach to a pure yellow Canna upon the grounds. 



The chief interest in the Canna exhibits, however, attaches 

 to the competitive displays of New York and Pennsylvania. 

 New York occupies most of the south parterre, nearly 400 feet 

 in length, and Pennsylvania has its twin upon the north. Much 

 has been said concerning the comparative merits of these ex- 

 hibits, and the competition is certainly close ; yet it is clear 

 that the New York display is ahead at this time in the vigor of 

 the plants and condition of bloom. I do not know if this is 

 due to any difference in soil or to better plants or more care- 

 ful management. The varieties are essentially the sarrie in 

 both. F. R. Pierson & Co. supply all the New York plants. 

 The best single bed in this collection is a large circular mass 

 of Capitaine P. de Suzzoni, one of Crozy's varieties introduced 

 to the American trade in 1892. It is a tall and bold grower, 

 holdingits long clusters of large yellow, brown spotted, flowers 

 well above the leaves. The Pennsylvania plants are furnished 

 by Henry A. Dreer and Robert Craig. Altogether, Madame 

 Crozy is probably the best Canna in the entire collection, espe- 

 cially when one considers its long season of bloom and good 

 constitution. Star of '91, the American variety of this type, 

 does not appear in the collections, except in a small bed shown 

 by Vaughan, an indication that it lacks in staying qualities. 

 The other best Cannas, judging from this collection, are J. D. 

 Cabos, foliage dark bronze, flowers copper-yellow ; Paul Mar- 

 quant, pinkish salmon-red, introduced here last year ; Made- 

 moiselle de Crillon, clear yellow, with a darker throat, but 

 flowers small ; Capitaine P. de Suzzoni, already described ; 

 Frangois Crozy, salmon, very faintly bordered with gold ; 

 Florence Vaughan and Egandale, already described ; Alphonse 

 Bouvier, dark red, tall grower, introduced in America last year, 

 and Miss Sarah Hill, a low plant with very dark, almost ma- 

 roon-red, flowers, also introduced last year. Other prominent 

 varieties are Count Horace de Choiseul, brilliant red ; Paul 

 Bruant, light red ; Explorateur Crambel, dull red ; Charles 

 Henderson, dull red, lowest petal blotched ; Secretary Stewart, 

 rich red ; Enfant de Rhone, salmon-red ; Duchesse de Monte- 

 nard, lemon, spotted red ; Baronne de Renowardy, dull rose- 

 red, introduced last year by Dreer ; Gustave Sennholz, light 

 red; Secretary Nicholas, dark salmon-red ; Statuaire Fulconis, 

 red, introduced in this country last year ; Edouard Michel, 

 bright salmon-red ; The Garden, with large bright salmon-red 

 flowers ; Little Gem, much like Star of '91, except that the flow- 

 ers are smaller and a trifle lighter, with more yellow inside. 

 At the south end of the south parterre Pitcher & Manda show 

 five choice beds of seedlings, and at the north end of the north 

 area H. P. Potter, of Wilmington, Delaware, shows a new 

 American seedling which reminds one of Florence Vaughan, 

 but it has a smaller flower, which is more densely spotted with 

 red. Both ends of this north area are introduced by a large 

 keystone of carpet bedding, and the north end of the New York 

 display has a shield made of succulents. 



At the rear of this central area, lying against the floral cur- 

 tains upon either side of the dome entrance, are the two spaces 

 which were devoted to Pansies early in the season. Some 

 small beds of Pansies still persist upon the inside of the spaces, 

 but the great central beds are filled with Cannas and Ricinus, 

 furnished by Pierson. The soil is dry and poor and the plants 

 are yet small, but they will probably make a great show later 

 on. Upon either end of both of these areas are two small 

 beds of Coleus and Solanum integrifolium, and some carpet 

 beds of Alternantheras, House-leeks and Agaves. Two smaller 

 areas in front of the end pavilions are filled with a large and 

 interesting collection of Cacti, furnished by Mr. Blanc for the 

 Pennsylvania display. 



Along the north-east corner of the Horticultural Building is 

 the display of French Gladioli, shown by \'ictor Lemoine, of 

 Nancy, and Forgeot, of Paris. Lemoine, who is known to 

 Gladiolus fanciers throughout the world, shows over sixty va- 



