332 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 177. 



berry-tree also, and Hound's-tree and Dogberry-tree, so, for 

 some reason or other, its canine affinities seem to have been 

 tirmly settled in the popular mind. 



The fruit of C. Mas. is at least more valuable than that of 

 the other species, although it appears to have been one of the 

 coarse fruits which Circe threw with acorns and Beech-mast to 

 the companions of Ulysses after their transformation. When 

 it is thoroughly ripe the flavor is sweet, and not entirely disa- 

 greeable, and in Germany and other European countries it is 

 used in making preserves, robs and liquors. It is not proba- 

 ble that it will ever find much favor in this country, or that the 

 Dogwood will be planted for its wood, which by the ancients 

 was much esteemed for the shafts of javelins, and in later days 

 for the cogs of wheejs and butchers' skewers. 



There is a variety in gardens with light-colored fruit, and 

 others with brightly variegated leaves. These last, however, 

 are feeble and ugly plants of no merit whatever, except in the 

 eyes of those persons who delight in vegetable monstrosities 

 and like to see a garden filled with "freaks" and converted 

 into a vegetable dime museum, useful enough, perhaps, to 

 physiologists, but abhorrent to the lover of the beautiful. 



Among the native shrubs which are not well known to gar- 

 deners there is a southern species of Viburnum which deserves 

 a place in the garden. This is Viburnum molle, a plant which 

 is widely scattered through the southern states, and which just 

 reaches New England on the Massachusetts islands of Nan- 

 tucket and Naushon. In habit and in general appearance, in 

 the shape of the leaves, in the flowers and in the fruit it bears 

 a strong likeness to the Arro.w-wood ( V. dentatum). It is not 

 a handsomer or in any way a better plant than that familiar 

 species, and its value lies in the fact that it flowers two weeks 

 or more later than the other Viburnums. It serves, therefore, 

 to prolong the flowering period of one of the most useful and 

 beautiful of the groups of hardy shrubs, and Mr. Dawson is 

 preparing to get together a large supply of young plants, with 

 a view of introducing them on a considerable scale in some 

 parts of the Arboretum. 



A word about V. dilatatum, described and figured in Gar- 

 den and Forest (vol. iv., page 150) a few months ago, will 

 not, perhaps, be out of order here. The plants have passed 

 safely another winter, and have flowered more profusely than 

 ever before. There can be little doubt that this is a perfectly 

 hardy plant in this climate and that it has the capacity of adapt- 

 ing itself to its new surroundings. It will only be planted by 

 people who desire to make their gardens beautiful in the late 

 autumn and early winter ; in habit and in foliage it is not bet- 

 ter, and, indeed, not as good as our native V. dentatum or the 

 species which has just been mentioned. The flowers, 

 although abundant enough, are much smaller, and they fall 

 almost as soon as they open ; and this Japanese species has 

 really little to recommend it as a flowering-plant. But the 

 fruit is splendid, brilliant, abundant and long-hanging. There 

 is no shrub of recent introduction that equals it in the beauty 

 of its fruit, and there is hardly one among the innumerable 

 varieties found in this collection which surpasses it. This 

 certainly is one of the plants which need to be known only to 

 become one of the most popular garden-plants of the country. 



In another issue of these notes something will be said of the 

 new species of Lilacs as they appear in the Arboretum, where 

 most of them have now been successfully cultivated for 

 several years. 



Arnold Arboretum. -< • C. 



Hardy Plants. 



T T is, perhaps, true that no doubt now remains as to the hardi- 

 -*• ness of Heuchera sanguinea, but it ought to be known that 

 there appear to be varieties in cultivation that are scarcely 

 worth planting, being but poor in comparison to the better 

 form that every garden should possess. If any reader is dis- 

 appointed with his plants it is quite possible these are poor 

 varieties, and, as seed is produced so freely, there is consider- 

 able variation in the seedlings, both in foliage and flowers, 

 and some plants have been raised of exceptional merit. 



One of the prettiest Campanulas we know is C. punctata, 

 which has been in bloom several weeks ; its flowers are large, 

 on stems eighteen inches high, and are prettily spotted within ; 

 it is a nice companion plant for C. macrantha, with large, deep, 

 blue flowers, and C. Van Houttei, with flowers of a paler blue. 

 These three Bell-flowers are all in bloom together, are hardy 

 and good perennials. C. Van Houttei does not seed, as it is 

 said to be a hybrid, and must always be propagated by divi- 

 sion. 



A charming little Pea is Lathyrus tuberosus. It is now 

 flowering abundantly, and the clusters of deep red flowers are 



very pretty. I am indebted to an English correspondent for 

 my plants, and they seem perfectly contented and may prove 

 hardy. The roots are tuberous, and much resemble those of 

 the Ground Nut, Apios tuberosa. L. tuberosus appears to pre- 

 fer to trail rather than climb ; it is at present not more than 

 eighteen inches high, and covered with flowers and buds. 



We read much of hardy Gladiolus, but there are few indeed 

 that are quite trustworthy in this respect. I have found G. 

 Saundersii to be hardy and to come up and flower year after 

 year when established. This, I believe, is well known, but we 

 have had, during the past month, a pretty clump of G. Byzan- 

 tinus in flower from bulbs that were planted in a border last 

 fall and not protected in any way. The flowers of G. Byzan- 

 tinus are very pretty and showy, and always early ; in fact, the 

 plants resemble G. Colvillci in every way excepting the color 

 of the flowers, which is crimson, with white stripes on the 

 lower part of the flower. Bulbs can easily be obtained in the 

 fall from dealers, and, when once planted, need no further 

 attention. 



Nice clumps of the pretty Himalayan Primrose, P. rosea, 

 were sent here last fall, and one of these was risked in the 

 open ground in moist soil, and I fully expected this would 

 be the end of it ; but in May, after the potted plants had 

 been past several weeks, the little rose-colored flowers 

 began to peep above the ground, as is their way before the 

 leaves grow, and our entire stock will be left out another year 

 alongside of a little colony of P. denticulata nivalis, for which I 

 am indebted to Herr Max Leichtlin, who sent me seeds last 

 fall. Many of these plants are now in flower, which are pure 

 white. The typical plant is well known to be hardy in Massa- 

 chusetts, and is also of Himalayan origin, and we therefore 

 have reason to hope that the variety will prove to be useful. 



Achillea serrata plena, The Pearl, which gave promise last 

 year of being a desirable border-plant and of great use for 

 florists' work, has this season usurped more than a square 

 yard of space to itself and will certainly have to be removed, for 

 at its present rate of increase one can hardly contemplate its 

 progress for another year without alarm. The danger is more 

 threatening when we remember that last year each plant bore 

 about three flower-stems, while now there are at least fifty to 

 each clump, and this without any special cultivation or atten- 

 tion. It is a plant that must be placed where it cannot elbow 

 its feebler neighbors out of their rightful places. 



South Lancaster, Mass. E. 0. Or pet. 



Currants. 



A CAREFUL re-examination of my Currants shows that the 

 £*~ crop will be a moderate one, but it is profitable even 

 when it does not exceed one-third of what the bushes ought to 

 yield. For the best crop the ground must be in good tillage 

 and kept well fed. It is absolutely essential to have good 

 drainage. In wet soil the bushes heave in winters, and are 

 not healthy, yet the Currant must have moisture. It is well to 

 give them mulching after a second hoeing. Many of mine 

 grow in a vineyard, between rows of Grapes, from which they 

 get partial shade. These bushes do well. 



In pruning I do no more than cut out weak new shoots and 

 old wood that begins to be disbudded or decayed. I have 

 never pinched back bearing shoots. I prefer to have high 

 bushes, removing very low limbs, which often bend down 

 with fruit and soil it. The top should be only reasonably 

 opened to the sun. 



Of the red varieties I place Versailles and Fay together at 

 the head. The Versailles grows stronger and taller, and bears 

 with me more profusely than Fay. In quality I find no differ- 

 ence. In size the Cherry is about identical ; but the stems are 

 inclined to be very short ; the fruit in bunches, and not, there- 

 fore, nearly as profitable as the others. 



Red Dutch, Prince Albert and Victoria do not differ very 

 greatly in quality, but the real Red Dutch is much the smalles't 

 Currant. Prince Albert and Victoria are late and profitable. 

 But the demand is almost universal for "Cherry" currants — 

 a name that in market covers Fay and Versailles. For family 

 use some of the later sorts are valuable. 



The best in quality of all currants is White Grape; for the 

 table it is delicious. Next to it I place Versailles and Fay. 

 White Dutch is very rich, but smaller and more seedy. Its 

 distinctive feature is its transparency, and a golden hue instead 

 of white. For family use the White Grape should be planted 

 largely. 



The market demand for white currants is increasing steadily. 

 It is a curious fact that, if scalded before pressing, the whites 

 make a rich red jelly, not as dark as that from red currants, 

 but very handsome. Those who make jelly should call for 



