October 4, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



419 



the Azalea, but nearly all the other plants of a Japanese 

 garden are exotic and have been brought into Japanese gardens 

 from China, which long controlled Japan in every phase of its 

 intellectual life; and in later years, since Japan has become 

 semi-Europeanized, the favorite flowers of the fashionable 

 gardener are the bulbs of Holland and the annuals of German 

 and French seedsmen. 



To our thinking, the best parts of Mr. Conder's book are the 

 chapters in which he describes and figures stepping-stones, 

 which in a Japanese garden often take the place of formal 

 gravel walks, and which might often be introduced into our 

 gardens with excellent effect and a great saving in the cost of 

 construction and maintenance ; and of garden enclosures or 

 fences which the Japanese usually make out of bamboos, and 

 which are often delightful in their simplicity and neatness ; and 

 of garden-gates, of which Mr. Conder publishes several in- 

 teresting and suggestive designs. 



There is a chapter on garden vegetation, which appears to 

 have been compiled from two sources — a florist's catalogue 

 and a botanical list of Japanese plants. Careful editing at the 

 hands of some one familiar with the plants which the Japanese 

 really cultivate in their gardens before the appearance of 

 another edition of Landscape-gardening in Japan, will very 

 materially increase the value of this part of the work which, in 

 spite of what seems to us inadequate treatment of the subject 

 and many errors of statement, will be read with profit by 

 students of the garden art and its relation to the artistic and 

 mental character of this remarkable people, who find perhaps 

 in their gardens the truest reflection of their own character 

 and their own limitations. 



The Columbian Exposition. 



Plants around the Lagoons of Jackson Park. 



'T'HE verdurous aspect of the hastily constructed shores of 

 -*■ the lagoons in Jackson Park are a refreshment to many 

 eyes which are weary with sight-seeing and satiated with the 

 architectural splendors of the Fair. In the composition of this 

 improvised bit of Nature, with its pleasing effect of green 

 banks reaching to the water's edge, rare exotics have not been 

 used, but mainly native plants collected in neighboring woods, 

 fields and swamps. The main object was to secure a massive 

 green effect with cheap home material. Among the few 

 foreign trees and shrubs to be detected are the European 

 White Willow, Ailantus, Privet, Tartarian Honeysuckle, 

 Deutzia, Mock Orange (Philadelphus), Forsythia, Tamarix, 

 and very rarely a plant 01 Hibiscus Syriacus or of Hydrangea 

 paniculata grandiflora. But such species as the Honeysuckle, 

 Philadelphus and Hibiscus have made but little growth in their 

 close proximity to the water, and, among the more vigorous 

 development of native plants, they presented rather a forlorn 

 and dusty appearance at the end of August, when these notes 

 were taken. Much of the herbaceous material which was con- 

 spicuous earlier in the season has, in the course of its nature, 

 dwindled away and given place to other and later-developing 

 things. Where Irises once predominated. Sedges, Reeds, 

 Grasses and such plants as Sagittaria are now most conspicu- 

 ous, and serve to connect the water with the shrubbery on the 

 banks. In a few places where the roots of the shrubs are in 

 the water the foliage presents a poor appearance, having 

 largely fallen, as was also the case with the large decom- 

 pound leaves of Aralia spinosa, which is sparingly planted on 

 higher ground. 



Quick-growing, moisture-enduring plants being the great 

 desideratum, the most dependence was naturally placed on the 

 Willows, but one finds it difficult to credit the statement that a 

 hundred thousand healthy plants of this genus alone were 

 used. Several species have been employed, and they furnish 

 a good illustration of what may be accomplished with our na- 

 tive species, and what different contrasting effects are to be 

 obtained in a range of species varying from the slender 

 habit and narrow light green-colored foliage of Salix longifolia 

 to the broad-leaved, stiff, dark and shining verdure of S. lu- 

 cida. The European White Willow has been a little used, and 

 is at once distinguished from its American congeners by its 

 usually more robust growth and different aspect. 



The American red-branched Cornel, Cornus stolonifera, has 

 been quite commonly planted and generally looks very well ; 

 the native Nine-bark, Physocarpus opulifolius, is freely mixed 

 in with the other shrubbery and seems well adapted to its sur- 

 roundings. Occasional plants of Symphoricarpus are to be 

 seen ; here and there the common Elder, Sambucus Cana- 

 densis, shows its dark fruit, and a small percentage of native 

 dwarf Sumachs has been included. The foregoing enumera- 



tion comprises about all the notable native kinds of shrubs to 

 be seen around the borders of the lagoons. Wild Roses, na- 

 tive or introduced, like the Sweet Brier, may also be seen. 

 Strong young growths of Cottonwood and Balm of Gilead Pop- 

 lars are very noticeable ; the broad leaves of Catalpas are oc- 

 casionally seen ; while the Ailantus is conspicuous by having 

 outstripped the taller shrubs in height, and occasional speci- 

 mens of Honey Locusts and Silver Maples represent trees of 

 less vigorous growth, which are here merely introduced to 

 increase and maintain the verdurous effect desired, and are not 

 planted as permanent trees. No attempt has been made to 

 group the shrubbery with regard to the densit-y of color of the 

 foliage of different species, and no apparent distinction between 

 simple-leaved and conspicuously pinnate or compound-leaved 

 kinds has been made in the planting or grouping. In fact, ex- 

 cept that the taller-growing species are usually in the back- 

 ground, the massing is of a very mixed character. 



In quite a number of places the slirul>bery has proved a par- 

 tial failure, probably owing to excessive moisture, and these 

 spots furnish an interesting object-lesson in the value in such 

 places of plants which we are apt to call weeds. A Knotweed, 

 apparently Polygonum Pennsylvanicum, has come up in large 

 quantities and overgrown the lower almost leafless shrubs, 

 presenting a dense compact mass several feet high, and at this 

 time covered with small oblong spikes of little rose-colored 

 flowers. Pigweeds, too, both Chenopodium and Amarantus, 

 have grown taller than their woody-stemmed neighbors, and 

 the green foliage they contribute would be missed if removed. 

 An occasional Wild Evening Primrose is to be seen, with stem 

 and branches stout and shrub-like and gradually opening its 

 pretty yellow flowers. Wild Verbena, Wild Sunflowers, 

 Bidens, Coreopsis and Golden-rod have grown up with the 

 shrubs, usually in sparing numbers, but in some cases plenti- 

 fully, and at the end of August were in blossom, as were also 

 a few stray examples of Liatris or Blazing-star. In some places 

 the Wild Balsam-apple, Echinocystis lobata, was in full bloom, 

 its long, climbing stems being allowed to grow over every- 

 thing within reach. Besides many Grasses, which have come 

 up among the shrubbery, little clumps of Maize have been 

 planted in spots where undesirable gaps occurred. 



Arnold Arboretum. J. G. Jack, 



BREVITIES. 



Aquatic plants at the World's Fair are shown in four places — 

 the native species in the lagoon borders, in the large tank in 

 front of the Horticultural Building (described on page 379), the 

 small collection shown under the auspices of the New York 

 Florists' Club in the Lord & Burnham greenhouse (see page 

 399), and the tank in the south court of the Horticultural Build- 

 ing. The last is filled by E. D. Sturtevant, of Bordentown, New 

 Jersey. The four corners of the tank contain clumps of Papy- 

 rus, and the Wild Rice, Zizania aquatica, is also prominent. 

 Clumps of Eichornia (or Pontederia)"crassipes and tlie Water- 

 poppy are used with good effect. Limnanthemum Indicum' 

 bears good white flowers freely, and is a desirable plant. 

 Sagittaria Montevidiensis is in bloom, but to most people it 

 will pass for our common Arrow-leaf. The variegated form 

 of Scirpus Tabernaemontanus is very effective. The Nymphneas 

 are especially good, and a mere list of them is useful as an 

 inventory of available species for small ponds : Nympha>a 

 Marliacea, with its varieties, chromatella, rosea, carnea and 

 albida ; N. Sturtevantii, N. rubra, N. dentata, N. Zanzibarensis 

 and varieties azurea, rosea and superba, N. Devoniensis, N. 

 pygmasa and variety helveola, N, candidissima, N. gracilis, N. 

 Breakleyi, var. rosea, N. odorata, var. sulphurea. 



The Begonias of the Rex section, shown by E. G. Hill & Co., 

 at the World's Fair, comprise nearly one hundred varieties, 

 representing the best of those now in cultivation. Among the 

 most meritorious kinds are Count Louis Erdody, Inimitable, 

 Anna Dorner, Minnie Palmer, Madame Leboucq, Bertha 

 McGregor, and a number of distinct seedlings. The plants 

 are large and well arranged, making, altogether, one of the 

 best displays in the Horticultural Building. 



The most exact and scientific pomological exhibit in the 

 Horticultural Building is a collection of grapes shown by T. V. 

 Munson. Every species of American Vhis is shown by photo- 

 graphs of the fruit and seeds ; by herbarium specimens of 

 leaves and usually of inflorescence ; by dried twigs, cut to 

 show the diaphragms at the joints, roots; by fruits preserved 

 in liquids ; by sections of old trunks ; and, finally, by young 

 plants growing in pots. The exhibit comprises a comprehen- 

 sive study of the genus, to which Mr. Munson has given him- 

 self for many years. From time to time he has exhibited fresh 

 grapes, showing the progress he is making in the origination 



