3 o8 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 175. 



tered situation, for we are close to the northern limit of its 

 range, and, although it is found here and there growing wild 

 in the woods, it is a comparatively rare tree, while in the mid- 

 dle and southern states it is one of the most common of all 

 the smaller inhabitants of the forest. The best place, how- 

 ever, in which to plant C. florida is on the borders of natural 

 woods — that is, in those situations which it selects itself — on 

 the margins of clumps of larger trees, in woodland glades, 

 and in all the places where an attempt is made to produce by 

 planting natural effects. It can be introduced with advantage 

 much more freely than it has been before into our large parks, 

 in which sufficient attention is rarely paid to making the mar- 

 gins of the plantation as beautiful as it is possible to make 

 them by the use of the material which is ready to the hand 

 of the American planter. It is only in recent years that nur- 

 serymen have begun to learn what a valuable and useful plant 

 C. florida is, and it can now be purchased in considerable 

 quantities in a few of our nurseries. We should probably 

 have seen more of it in American gardens if it had been a fa- 

 vorite plant in England, upon which country we still depend 

 more than we should for horticultural ideas, and from which 

 we formerly obtained nearly all our ornamental plants. But 

 C. florida needs the hot sun of our long summers to thoroughly 

 ripen its wood and to make it flower freely ; and not finding in 

 England the proper conditions, it has rarely shown there its 

 real beauty. 



Abnormal forms, whether of habit or of flower, rarely equal 

 natural types in beauty, and, as a rule, are not to be com- 

 mended. There is a variety of C. florida, however, in cultiva- 

 tion with pink, instead of white, flower-bracts, which is really 

 a handsome plant, although considerable prejudice has been 

 created against it by the absurd overcoloring of the bracts as 

 they appear in illustrations in the sale-lists of nurserymen who 

 are seeking to make a market for it. The bracts are really 

 delicate pure pink, and trees of this variety planted with those 

 of the common form ought to produce very charming color- 

 effects. There is a variety, too, in which all the branches are 

 more or less pendulous. This is not, however, a very hand- 

 some or desirable plant, as the round top and rather formal 

 outline this tree assumes naturally is one of its great at- 

 tractions. 



The forests of North America produce a Cornel which is 

 even more beautiful than Cor mis florida. This is C. Nutlalliioi 

 the Pacific coast, which may be described as a giant C. florida. 

 It is often a tree sixty feet high or more, with large leaves and 

 immense floral bracts, which sometimes form heads six inches 

 across. For some reason or other this tree does not take 

 kindly to cultivation, and although efforts have been made for 

 years to induce it to grow, they have so far been unsuccessful. 

 Other trees of the region where it grows flourish in Europe, 

 and a few of them, like the Vine Maple, do well here ; but 

 C. Niittallii cannot be persuaded to live in cultivation for more 

 than a year or two. The seeds germinate freely enough, but 

 the seedlings go off before they are a foot high. If these notes 

 are read by any one who has succeeded in cultivating this tree 

 he will confer a favor on the readers of Garden and Forest 

 if he will give them the benefit of his experiences with it. 



The Asiatic representatives of this peculiar group of Cornus 

 with large flower-bracts, which, although they are really Cor- 

 nels, are generally spoken of as Benthamias, are less showy 

 in flower than C. florida, although the Himalayan species (C. 

 capitata) produces much larger and finer heads of fruit ; this 

 is a beautiful tree, which ought to be planted in the south, 

 where, in some regions like central Georgia, it would doubt- 

 less succeed. The Japanese plant of this section (C. Koicsa) 

 was introduced into our gardens many years ago, and now 

 flowers in the neighborhood of New York every year. Here 

 it is not very hardy, and, as an ornamental plant, has nothing 

 to recommend it over C. florida, for a poor form of which it 

 mijjht well be mistaken. 



The eastern states produce a number of shrubby Cornels 

 and one arborescent species besides Cornus florida. This is C. 

 altcmifolia, so named because the branchlets and the leaves, 

 instead of being placed opposite to each other on the branches, 

 as is the case with most of the Cornels, are alternate. This plant, 

 like some of the Viburnums, is a surprise to most persons 

 who see it well cultivated for the first time and who are un- 

 willing to believe that this common road-side shrub, or small 

 tree, can become such a wonderful object when it is set in rich 

 soil and allowed to develop its peculiar method of growth. 

 This peculiarity consists in the whorl-like arrangement of the 

 branches, which leave the main stems at right angles and form 

 flat stages one above the other, the whole making a regular 

 pyramid from the ground upward. In old age the lower 

 branches usually disappear ; the upper branches lengthen out 



and form a low flat top which is very characteristic of the spe- 

 cies as it appears in its native state, growing in broad coppices 

 on rich hill-sides, or by the borders of country roads, where it 

 is often very common, or near the margins of swamps. The 

 branchlets of C. alternifolia are bright green and more or less 

 streaked with white. The leaves, which taper at the two ends, 

 are not more than three or four inches long and are clustered, 

 near the ends of the branchlets ; they are light green in color, 

 with yellow shades, and very bright and cheerful, but in autumn 

 do not assume a brilliant color before falling. The flower- 

 clusters, -which stand up all over the top of the fiat branches 

 and so make a great show, are not individually very large, and 

 the flowers of which they are composed are small and pale 

 yellow ; and it is the arrangement of the flower-clusters and 

 their great number which make this such a conspicuous plant 

 in the middle of June and not the individual beauty of the 

 flowers. The fruit, which is deep blue when it is ripe, is very 

 beautiful, however, its appearance being heightened by the 

 contrast it makes with the bright red stems on which it is 

 borne. 



C. alternifolia has been very largely planted in the Arbore- 

 tum in many situations, and has proved satisfactory in all of 

 them. It is, perhaps, most ornamental as it stands near the 

 margins of the roads and has been given sufficient space in 

 which to send out its wide-spreading branches. It is not to- 

 be surpassed, however, as a specimen plant for the lawn, and 

 it is surprising that its beauty for such a use was not recog- 

 nized long ago ; or it would be surprising in any country except 

 this, where the almost entire neglect of native plants is one of 

 the remarkable and unfortunate features of the recent devel- 

 opment of American horticulture. 



In another issue of these notes the claims of some of the 

 shrubby Cornels of our wood-sides for ornamenfal planting 

 will be considered, and something will perhaps be added con- 

 cerning a few foreign species. 



Arnold Arboretum. 



P. c. 



A Few Irises. 



THE Japanese Irises are at present the most attractive 

 flowers in the hardy garden, and their wonderful blooms 

 will continue for several weeks to make the principal display 

 of the season. Among the countless Irises, /. Icevigata is 

 unique for entire distinctness of flower both in form and 

 coloring. The petals or falls, while having a tendency to flat- 

 ness, show all manner of graceful curves and wavings as they 

 expand, and are free from all stiffness and coarseness so usual 

 in large flowers. Their colorings are as singular as their forms, 

 the most attractive, to my taste, being the pure white ones and 

 those with violet veinings. Among them are deep dull reds 

 and purples, nearly black, not without attraction. With flowers 

 gracefully poised over the tall rush-like leaves, and swaying to 

 every breath of wind, there are few more attractive plants of 

 any season than Kaempfer's Irises. 



A few Irises loosely arranged in a tall vase make a striking 

 floral arrangement. Their flowers are not very lasting if 

 plucked when fully expanded, but if cut before they com- 

 mence to unfold they retain their freshness several days. 

 Like many of the flowers which ripen their pollen rapidly and 

 are self-fertilizing — Poppies and single Dahlias, for instance — 

 cutting at an early stage gives them a check, the pollen ma- 

 tures more slowly, and they retain their petals much longer 

 than if plucked later. 



A writer in Garden and Forest some time since expressed 

 a fear that some one would double the Iris. As these Irises 

 are the only species possessing double flowers, perhaps I may 

 be permitted to say here that it seems a hypercritical taste 

 which would object to them. The number of petals is simply 

 doubled, making a flower with a somewhat full outline. 

 Among the numerous forms of Japanese Irises it is doubtful 

 if any are finer than the kinds originally imported by Mr. 

 Thomas Hogg, which were the first seen here. One can se- 

 cure, however, an endless variety, and as they cross readily 

 and have a tendency to sport, it is interesting to grow seed- 

 lings. They seed freely, and strong plants may be had from 

 these the third year. In any position the flowers are large 

 enough to please the average grower, but where very large 

 flowers are desired it is usual to grow the plants where they 

 can have large supplies of water. It will not do, however, to 

 plant them in standing water, for they are not aquatic — at least 

 they do not grow for me with roots submerged. 



In my limited experience I find it difficult to believe that 

 any of the Irises are properly classed as aquatic. Of course, 

 I am aware that a number of varieties are found in standing 

 water, and live and grow under this condition, but I do not 



