June io, 1891. 



Garden and Forest. 



271 



Tree Pjeonies. — At several plant exhibitions held recently 

 in London collections of varieties of Pceonia Moutan have at- 

 tracted a large share of attention on account of the excep- 

 tional size, color and beauty in form of their Mowers. Japan 

 and China have recently contributed many beautiful varieties 

 distinct from those previously known here, and as several of 

 our leading London nurserymen have turned their attention 

 to these plants they bid fair to again become popular in Eng- 

 land. At the present time there are comparatively few gar- 

 dens in which the Moutan is represented, and the only 

 explanation one can find for this is that the plants are not 

 known by most cultivators, while the nurserymen have al- 

 lowed them to drop out of their collections. There are few 

 more beautiful pictures in the garden than a big bush of P. 

 Moutan covered with its gigantic blooms, which are developed 

 in June. The plants are perfectly hardy in the coldest parts of 



flower color, and we may reasonably look forward to soon 

 realizing the hope held out by a writer in Garden and Forest 

 two years ago — namely, that this Rhododendron would be the 

 origin of a distinct and valuable race of early-flowering hardy 



kinds, ur ur t 



Kew. W. Watson. 



Cultural Department. 

 A Home Supply of Tree Fruits. 



THE selection of fruit-trees for a private orchard will be con- 

 trolled by quite different principles from those that govern 

 in the planting of trees for the production of market fruits. 

 For these, standard, well-known, productive and vigorous 

 kinds must be taken, in order to secure profitable results. In 



Fig. 48. — A Fountain at Potsdam. — See page 266. 



England, but they require protection from spring frosts, as 

 they begin to grow very early in the year. Almost all colors 

 and shades except blue are represented in the many varieties 

 we now possess. Besides their value in the shrubbery these 

 Pseonies are useful when grown in pots and forced a little, so 

 that their magnificent blooms are available for the conserva- 

 tory in April and May. Messrs. Veitch, of Chelsea, Kelway & 

 Sons, T. S. Ware and G. Paul are the principal dealers in these 

 plants here. 



Rhododendron Vaseyi is a useful addition to the hardy 

 spring-flowering species and hybrids which form a conspicu- 

 ous feature in many English gardens at this time of year. It 

 has grown and flowered freely every year since its introduction 

 to Kew, and this year its interest has been added to by the 

 flowering in the open air at Kew of a pure white variety 

 among a batch of seedlings procured from America. Culti- 

 vation has soon affected the character of this plant in regard to 



the home orchard none of these requirements need recogni- 

 tion, since the grower is also the chief consumer of its products, 

 and home tastes and needs stand prominent. Very few of our 

 choicest tree fruits of any species are as profitable when grown 

 for market as the coarser sorts. Even for the most select 

 trade, beauty in fruits is essential, for decorative effect upon 

 the table is as much sought after as intrinsic quality. I do not 

 mean to say that quality is immaterial anywhere ; but where 

 very plain and insignificant-looking apples, pears, peaches and 

 plums are actually the choicest in flavor, and this is really true 

 in many instances, their high quality alone will not suffice to 

 make them profitable. 



In small private orchards there is usually no difficulty in 

 giving the highest culture, and the choicer varieties seem par- 

 ticularly to require this in order to reveal all their merits. 

 Many sorts that would be very unprpfitably planted in an 

 orchard receiving only moderate care, may be made more 



