444 DECIDUOUS TREES. 



small leaves, which turn brown but do not drop off in winter. 

 Four to six feet in height. Flowers white, in May. Fruit red, 

 hanging a long time on the tree, and by its brightness suggesting 

 the name of fiery thorn. Parsons considers it the best of the thorns 

 for low hedges. Its spines are very numerous and sharp. Hardy 

 near New York. Height six to twelve feet. 



The Medlar. Mespilus (cratcegus). — This is a species nearly 

 allied in all respects to the thorn family. The fruit is larger than 

 that of our largest thorn apples, and pleasantly flavored when in a 

 state of incipient decay. The Dutch medlar is the variety of 

 largest fruit, and Smith's medlar, M. grandiflora, has the most 

 showy flowers. The trees when old assume picturesque low 

 forms, and are well covered with glossy foliage. Height fifteen to 

 twenty feet. 



The Buckthorn. Rhamnus catharticus. — An upright shrubby 

 tree, of European origin, which, a few years since, was greatly com- 

 mended as a hedge plant. It has not proved of great value, being 

 inferior both in beauty and density to our native cockspur thorns, 

 and to the Osage orange. Its foliage is much like that of the com- 

 mon privet — a dull dark green. It has no marked beauty of any 

 kind. 



The Broad-leaved Buckthorn, R. latifolius, is said to be very 

 much finer than the foregoing. The shrub and its leaves being 

 much larger and brighter colored. 



THE PEACH-TREE. Persica. 



The peach-tree runs through three stages of existence with re 

 markable rapidity. When from three to six years old, there are 

 few more beautiful small trees. Its finely cut vivid green foliage 

 and symmetrical form make it a beautiful small tree. But, after a 

 few crops, the growth of the top becomes straggling, and at the end 

 of six to ten years its dead twigs, broken limbs, and general " lop- 

 sidedness," mark it a decrepit tree. This is the usual history of 



