SeI'TEMDER II, it 



Garden and Forest. 



437 



least beauty in green-leaved trees, though tlie wide range of 

 greens, from that of the Evergreen Oak to the tender green of 

 the Negundo, is capable ©f producing far more pleasing ef- 

 fects in garden-scenery than a superabundance of bright gold 

 and silver foliage. 



The newest addition to gold and silver-leaved trees is the 

 golden variegated Negundo, shown before the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society last week. Though it did not find general 

 favor with the committee, it is interesting as an ornamental 

 tree because its foliage is less glaring than the common silver- 

 leaved kind. The yellow variegation is good, and blends 

 pleasingly with the green of the leaf, and, no doulit, in habit of 

 growth and vigor, it is identical with the older sort. It has been 

 exhibited three or four times, and on each occasion its merits 

 have been at once compared with its more showy relative. 

 But Mr. George Paul, who showed it, tells me that those who 

 see it in the nursery are much pleased with it, and that it is 

 selling well, which, after all, is the test of the popularity of a 

 novelty. Another new golden variegated shrub of decided 

 value is a variety of Ligiistrmn ovalifoliiim, named Elegantis- 

 simum, which is very different, and much superior, to the 

 older yellow-margined kind. The leaf of the newer variety is 

 larger, of thicker texture, and the broad golden zone is more 

 pronounced. It, moreover, keeps its color throughout the 

 season. It was one of the most striking things shown by 

 Messrs. Veitch in their great collection of ornamental trees and 

 shrubs from their Coombe Wood nursery. Among other 

 trees of this character at Coombe just now is the golden 

 variety of your Hop-tree, Ptelea irifoliata, which is quite a 

 cloud of soft golden-yellow, and, of course, it retains the pic- 

 turesque umbrageous growth of the typical form. This 

 golden variety is different from the golden variegated form, of 

 which the late Charles Hovey sent me some specimens several 

 years ago. In this, the leaflets are in most cases half green and 

 half pale yellow, which, no doubt, would be effective on the 

 tree, but I have not seen this form here yet. 



Of the shrubs in flower at Coombe the most noteworthy, 

 perhaps, are Eucryphia pinnatifolia and Spiraa Buinalda, the 

 first because of its rarity, the other on account of its novelty, 

 for, though it is not absolutely new, it is yet but very little 

 known. The Eucryphia is a Rosaceous shrub from south 

 Chili, introduced about a dozen years ago by Messrs. Veitch, 

 and, like some other Chilian plants, such as Darwin's Barberry, 

 Biiddleia globosa, the Fuchsias and the Pernettyas, has proved 

 quite hardy in these islands. It grows about a yard high, the 

 numerous branched stems being clothed with deep green 

 pinnate leaves. The flowers recall those of the large-flowered 

 Philadelphiis grandiflorus, having four broad, white petals and 

 numerous stamens spreading out like a broad tassel. I do not 

 suppose it would be hardy enough to stand your winters, but 

 it is worth green-house treatment. The little Spiraa Biimalda 

 is quite a gem here among flowering shrubs, and, although it 

 is scarcely different in flower from the common S. callosa, its 

 neat and dwarf growth, rising only about two feet high, tends 

 to make it very popular, and in some of the nurseries it is a 

 difficult matter to maintain a stock equal to the demand. The 

 ordinary form of it has a dense. Hat flower-cluster, pale pink 

 on first opening, getting darker later; but this week Mr. An- 

 thony Waterer sends me a specimen of a new variety he has 

 in his nursery, the flowers of which are a deep crimson, richer 

 even than the Atrosanguinea variety of S. callosa. It is quite 

 worthy of a distinct name, and a good one would be Fulgens. 

 Of other Spiraeas now in flower there is none so pretty as the 

 variety of S. hypericifolia, known as Flagelliformis. It is much 

 more floriferous than the type, as its long and slender, curved 

 shoots are perfectly wreathed with small clusters of white 

 flowers. I rank it among the choicest of flowering shrubs, but 

 it is rarely seen. The plants I saw came from Transon's, of 

 Orleans, where it is largely grown. Another first-rate shrub, 

 in bloom now, is the old Hypericum oblongifoliuin, from the 

 Himalayas, which is quite hardy here, and never fails to assert 

 itself in an attractive way every August. It is a thin-growing 

 plant, about two and a half feet high, and has numerous clus- 

 ters of large cup-shaped flowers of the richest yellow. It 

 is a beautiful companion shrub to the showy Hydrangea pani- 

 C2ilata grandiflora, which is now expanding its huge clusters 

 of snow-white blossom in the open air. The two group well, 

 the Hydrangea as a centre mass, then the Hypericum, and 

 outside that the Rose of Sharon {H. calyciniim), which forms a 

 neat margin to a shrub group. 



The Catalpa is, for the time, the glory of many an old garden. 

 I say "old" because you very seldom see it planted in a new 

 garden, except, perhaps, the golden-leaved variety, which, 

 liowever, is generally cut down periodically so as to get large 

 and vigorous foliage. In the old suburljan gardens, such as 



Sion, Claremont, C;enwood and Kew, the Catalpas are wonder- 

 fully fine this year, the great spreading trees being crowded 

 with clusters of white bloom. The common kind is your C. 

 bignonioides, which is hardier than the Japanese C Kceiiipferi 

 which has the finest leafage. C. spcciosa promises to l)e hardier 

 even than C bignonioides, and in some nurseries it is being- 

 propagated in preference. It is quite disdnct enough in growth 

 to enable one to single it out when growing among the com- 

 mon kind. There is-a good deal of talk here about the new 

 hybrid Catalpa of Mr. Teas, described and figured in a recent 

 number of Garden and Forest, in an article which has been 

 copied into English journals. Its rapidity of growth, its vigor 

 and floriferousness indicate a first-rate ornamental tree, and 

 we hope to see it soon on this side. It is so seldom now that 

 a new flowering hardy tree is introduced that it is quite a red- 

 letter event. 



Bulbs are, of course, now engaging the attention of gar- 

 deners, and I am reminded of this by the multitude of trade 

 lists which the mails are carrying. My taljle is strewn with 

 catalogues from all quarters, the Hollanders being particularly 

 attentive in this respect. At one time you rarely saw a Dutch 

 bulb-grower's list, but now each grower seems anxious to im- 

 press upon you the fact that it is folly for English people to 

 buy their bulbs through the seedsmen here when they can get 

 the same from him at wholesale price. The bulb trade with 

 our nurserymen and seedsmen is not as profitable as it used 

 to be, as the auction sales tend to keep prices low, but after all, 

 really fine bulbs are more certainly secured through the best 

 houses at home. The nursery and seed trade naturally resent 

 the innovation of the Dutch grower in sending his catalogues 

 broadcast in this country, but it has had a beneficial effect for 

 those who habitually buy their bulbs from tradesmen at home. 



London. ^V- Goldring. 



Cultural Department, 



Shrubs with Conspicuous Fruit in August. 



IN this latitude the month of August does not aftbrd a great 

 abundance of showy-fruited shrubs and trees. Of the eco- 

 nomical or domestic fruits few are conspicuous in color, and 

 these are chiefly early red and yellow varieties of apples and 

 plums. As the fruit of these early kinds is not left on the 

 plants to be admired, they do not come under the head of 

 ornamental plants. But the coloration of many varieties of 

 fruit in September and October certainly adds much to the 

 autumnal beauty of New England landscapes. 



Among all the handsome-fruited shrubs grown for orna- 

 ment, none can surpass the Cranberry Tree ( Viburnum Opulus) 

 when well laden with fruit. This plant was mentioned as hav- 

 ing noticeable fruit in July, and, as August advances, the ber- 

 ries, or drupes as they are called botanically, become bright 

 red and remain brilliant through the autumn. The fruit of 

 the Arrow-wood ( Viburnum dentattun), of which the birds seem 

 very fond, ripens about the middle of the month. It is blue 

 in color and is borne on erect terminal cymes. This is fol- 

 lowed by Vlrburnum molle which, though a more southern 

 species, is quite hardy here. The plant, as well as the fruit, 

 closely resembles V dentatum in general appearance, but the 

 fruit is usually somewhat larger. 



Vlrburnum pubescens and V. accrifcllum have oval blue- 

 black fruit which is not particularly show\'. The Wayfaring 

 Tree (K Zrt«/rt«rt) holds its ripe yellow or red drupes until 

 near the end of the month, when they lose much of their 

 beauty by becoming dull and black. Towards the end of the 

 month the broad cymes of the common Elder [Sambucus 

 Canadensis) have become fully ripe and dark purple or black, 

 and the branches bend over with the weight. The berries re- 

 main on the plant for a considerable time, and on this account, 

 as well as for its handsome white flowers, it is veiy orna- 

 mental in shrubberies. A yellow or golden-leaved variety is 

 very miich admired by many, and its fruit is lighter in color 

 than the type. 



There are several species of Dogwood which are interesting 

 on account of their fruit during the month. The fruit of 

 Cornus alternlfolla is blue-black and will remain on the plants 

 for many weeks, if not devoured by the birds. It is a shrub 

 more interesting for its succession of horizontally growing 

 branches and neat habit than for beauty of fruit. The bluish- 

 white fruit of Cornus clrclnata is generally too much scattered 

 to be effective. 



Cornus stolonlfera is a handsome and pleasing plant, having 

 deep-blue or metallic lead colored drupes, the color being 

 somewhat faded or paler on the side exposed to the sun. 

 They ripen from the middle to the end of the month, and with 



