November 7, 188S.] 



Garden and Forest. 



441 



Some plants are valuable because their foliage is al)le to 

 resist frost, and to keep green and bright very late in the 

 autumn. The common Barberry is a conspicuous example of 

 this sort ; others are Akcbia qiiinata, a handsome Japanese 

 climbing plant, related to the Barberries, and the well-known 

 Japan Honeysuckle. The leaves of most of the Japanese 

 plants in cultivation turn in the autumn to the same colors 

 wliich their American congeners assume, but in the case of 

 these two plants, both of which, in more temperate climates, 

 retain their foliage until spring, the leaves remain green mitil 

 killed by severe freezing; and this is true of nearly all 

 European shrubs and of most European trees, Acer platanoiilcs, 

 the Norway Maple, being the only one of the common 

 European trees which assumes here anything like brilliant 

 autumn tints of color. 



Few shrubs are in flower. Flowers may still lie found, 

 however, in considerable profusion upon DapJmc Cneoruin, a 

 plant which remains in bloom almost continuously during the 

 season. Few shrubs produce more attractive or more fra- 

 grant flowers, and were it only a little more hardy and a little 

 less slow to propagate, this Daphne would be one of the most 

 desirable of all low under-shrubs for the garden-border or for 

 the rockery. 



The Japanese Honeysuckle, or that variety which is verv 

 generally known in American gardens as Lonicera Hallii, is 

 still sparingly covered with its deliciously fragrant white flow- 

 ers, which turn yellow in fading, and which nothing' but the 

 most severe freezing ever entirely destroys. 



The latest growths of the Texan Clematis coccinea are still 

 covered with the bright and handsome scarlet, bell-shaped 

 flowers, peculiar to this species — a remarkable fact in the case 

 of a plant of such southern origin, which would hardly be ex- 

 pected to lie hardy in the New England climate. The capacity 

 to bloom late adds very considerably to the really great orna- 

 mental value of this pretty plant. 



Flowers may be found still upon the Japanese Rose {Rosa 

 rugosa), especially upon plants of the white-flowered variety; 

 but this, perhaps, is accidental. This fact, too, increases the 

 value of this plant, which seems to possess all the qualities 

 which make a plant valuable in ornamental gardening. It is 

 hardy, and it grows rapidly ; the handsome and fragrant flow- 

 ers, varying on different individuals from deep dark red to the 

 purest wdrite, are produced almost continuously from early 

 spring to late autumn. The foliage is unequaled among 

 Roses in luxuriance and in the depth and brilliancy of its dark 

 green, which in autumn turns to intense shades of crimson 

 and orange. The large and abundant fruit is not less showy 

 than the flowers, while, more than all other Roses, it is free 

 from the attacks of injurious insects. Care must be taken, 

 however, to select plants of good varieties. Very inferiorones 

 are often sold in nurseries, hybrids probably of this species 

 and Rosa cinainoiiiea, which are not worth planting. 



There is a variety with double or semi-double flowers, which 

 shows traces of the blood of some other species, but it is not 

 worth a place in the garden. The best of a large number of 

 varieties in this collection are one with very dark red, single 

 flowers, a seedling raised bv Mr. Dawson, and the piu'e wliite 

 single-flowei'ed variety. 'J. 



October 21st. 



The Forest. 

 The Forest Vegetation of North Mex 



xico.- 



-IX. 



Juniperus pachyphloea, Toir., one of the noblest of Amer- 

 ican Junipers, not rarely attaining a diameter of three or 

 four feet, and a height of fifty, admirable for its symmet- 

 rical and compact habit and large reddish l)rown fruits, 

 ranging through the mountains of southern Arizona, New 

 Mexico and Texas, is at honte on all the ranges about the 

 divide and throughout the Cordilleras forest as far south, 

 probably, as the state of Jalisco. From the canons of the 

 mountains about Chihuahua to the highest summits of the 

 Cordilleras, it ranges through nearly 5,000 feet of eleva- 

 tion. Attaining its fullest development in rich and water- 

 ed cations, it ne\ertheless mounts in smaller specimens 

 to high and dry slopes and rocky ledges. 



On the driest crests of ridges near the summits, where 

 the soil was little more than disintegrated porphyry or 

 granite, grew funipencs lelragona, Schkcht., branching at the 

 base and sending up several bushy stems to the height of 

 ten or twenty feet oftener than taking the form of a tree. 



Even nearer the summits, but standing with other trees 



in better soil, I found the other Junijier, L. oca'denUilis, 

 var. conjugcns, previously mentioned as cominon on the 

 summits of the dry ranges of the centre of the plateau. 

 With Junipers so common and widely distributed over 

 Mexico, it would seem that the supply of railroad ties 

 need not be imported from far northern swtimps at a cost 

 of a dollar apiece. 



Pseiidotsuga Douglas;)', Can., the Douglas Spruce, as 

 might be expected, \\-as found in high caiionswith a north- 

 ern aspect, not exceeding here Pinns Arizonica in its di- 

 mensions, and with it Abies concolor, showing a diameter 

 somewhat less. 



Above these on the cool talus of cliffs were occasional 

 belts of Aspen, Popiiliis trernnloidts, so familiar to northern 

 eyes, here a slender tree only a few inches in diameter. 



Quercus grisea. Lcibin. — Nine-tenths of the Oaks of these 

 mountains would seem to be of this species. It mingles 

 with the long-leaved Pines on the plains at the base, it 

 predominates over the Pines and all other trees on the 

 foot-hills and benches, and it straggles after the Pines up 

 the slopes to the ver)- summits. Only in the canons that 

 are deepest and wettest does it yield place to other species. 



In these Quercus reticulata, HBK., reaches proportions 

 gratifying to behold to one who, searching the Santa 

 Rita mountains of Arizona for a specimen for the American 

 Museum, saw but a single specimen worthy to be called 

 a tree, that growing by a spring far up towards the sum- 

 mits, and only got down by great labor. All through 

 these wet canons and far up their sides, if it can have the 

 shade of cliffs, this Oak habitually makes a tree of good size. 

 Mounting the ridges, however, it diminishes in size in 

 direct ratio to the amount of water in the soil, till on their 

 arid crests it assumes the form of low bushes, and forms 

 thickets of chapparal. It is my impression (I would like 

 to see the test made), that the wood of this species most 

 nearly of all ]\Iexican Oaks approaches in qualit)' that of 

 our White Oak, Q. alba, and, if seasoned with due care, 

 might be employed in carriage work. 



Quercus hypoleuca, Engelm., also flourishing in the canons, 

 but spreading more commonly than the last over the 

 cooler benches and slopes, makes a larger tree, one not 

 rarely two or three feet in diameter. This is one of the 

 most attractive of Oaks, in open situations showing a 

 symmetrical outline with close evergreen foliage, deep 

 green and gloss)' above, white or ful\'ous-lomentose be- 

 neath. 



Quercus fulva, Leibiii.. a|)peared less frequent than the 

 above species, and was only seen on the lower benches 

 and ridges in warm expostn"es. It is but a small tree in 

 its best development, seldom more than a foot in diameter 

 and thirty in height. With its great leathery leaves it pre- 

 sents a striking appearance. 



Arbutus Xalapcnsis, HBK., was found sparsel)' scattered 

 over these mountains in a great variety of situations, and 

 was seen on the ranges as far eastward as Chihuahua. Its 

 diameter of one or two feet is disproportionate to its 

 height. Of stooping habit, throwing out long tortuous 

 branches without regard to symmetry, it assumes gro- 

 tesque forms : and with its white bark, on the branches 

 mostl)' smooth, its evergreen leaves and pink tfowers, 

 succeeded by scarlet berries, it is a tree of imique ap- 

 pearance. 



Another iMadroiia. Arbutus pctiolaris, HBK. (.^) was not 

 scarce, though confined entirely to the northern verge of 

 ridges, and cool, dry soil formed of disintegrating porph}-ry. 

 This tree is rather smaller than the last, but resembles it in 

 appearance, except that its entire bark is smooth and retl- 

 dish, and its lea\'es broader, serrate and pubescent. 



There was a surprising paucity of shrubbery in these 

 forests among the Oaks. I call to mind only Ccanotlius 

 Fendleri, Gray, C. azurcus. Desf., var. (/") parvifolius, Wat- 

 sou, on rocky hills, Arcloslaphylos puiigens, HBK., in dry 

 situations \v\ih Pi/ius cciiibroidcs, and Spiru-a discolor, Pursli, 

 var. dumosa, Watson, about the ledges of the summits. 



chaHoKe, vt. C. G. Pringle. 



