HARDY SHRUBS 329 



cerasus) is hardy from Washington south. It is not native of Eng- 

 land, but of the Levant. The Bird Cherry, P. Padus, bears long 

 racemes of white flowers in May, followed by ornamental black fruit. 

 P. spinosa flore-pleno, the double flowering Sloe, forms a large shrub, 

 usually covered with double white fllowers in early Spring. The dwarf 

 white, double-flowering Almond is P. japonicaflore-alha-plena; the red 

 form is P. j. flore-rubra-plena. They bloom for only a short period, 

 but are exceedingly handsome while the flowers last. P. Pissardi 

 is the Purple-leaved Plum, of which there are good and bad forms ; 

 the good varieties retain their coloring till the end of the season. 

 The flowers, usually borne in great profusion, open in early Spring 

 before the leaves expand. 



The double flowering forms of P. vidgaris, the Flowering Peach, 

 are among the most popular of dwarf-flowering trees. Their period 

 of blooming is during April and May, according to locality. P. v. 

 versicolor plena has the flowers either red or white on the same tree, 

 or with both colors combined in the same flower. There are double 

 red, double rose and double white forms. P. amygdaliis var. nana 

 is the Flowering Almond and is a most attractive double pink 

 flowering shrub. 



Propagation. The Plums and Cherries may be propagated by 

 layers or cuttings, preferably the latter, as they wiU root in pretty 

 large pieces — over a foot in length. The rarer varieties should be 

 grafted on stocks of the type. Cuttings will succeed any time 

 after the wood is ripe ; a piece of the wood of the preceding year at- 

 tached will give all the better results. P. Mazzard is usually em- 

 ployed for budding P. cerasus Sleboldi rosea plena (Japanese Weep- 

 ing Cherry) and P. c. sinensis plena (Chinese Double-flowering 

 Cherry). For weeping sorts use two buds and for the other sorts 

 one bud to make the heads. P. amygdalus var. nana is success- 

 fully increased by cuttings of the large roots, made in Autumn and 

 stored in damp moss. It may be budded to good effect at a height 

 of 3 feet upon the stock, the Plum being used extensively. 



PTELEA (Hop Tree), This small tree, Plelea trifoliata, is 

 grown for the attractive, wafer like fruits and handsome, three- 

 parted foliage. The name Hop Tree is applied to this tree because 

 the parts of the tree when bruised emit a pungent odor of hops. 



Propagation. Seeds may be sown in the Autumn. The va- 

 riety, P. trifoliata aurea, is grafted on the type. 



PDNICA (Pomegranate). Both the tall growing and dwarf 

 Pomegranates, Punica granatum and g. nana, stand the most severe 



