460 LANDSCAPE 6AEDENING. 



heart-shaped, growing rapidly, and, we believe, perfectly 

 hardy — at least, we have found it so at this place — and A. 

 guerct/blia (the Oak-leaved alder) ; although Mr. Downing 

 places little value on the A. glauca (our common Swamp- 

 alder), yet we must confess, we hardly know a more charming 

 plant in the winter, when covered with its bright scarlet ber- 

 ries, especially when placed against hemlocks or other ever- 

 greens ; and we are quite confident, that planted in this manner 

 it only needs to be seen to be more generally employed. 



JBetula. BiECH. 



The only new varieties lately introduced of the birch are : 



B. dauriea (the Daurian birch), from Asiatic Siberia, which 

 is supposed to be only a variety of B. alba, not growing as tall 

 as the common birch, nor does the tnink attain the same size, 

 though the wood is both harder and yellower. 



Betvla laciniata (the Cut-leaf birch), as known in our nur- 

 series; an exceedingly graceful, pretty tree, with a light, 

 airy growth, inferior, however, to a stiU newer variety B. 

 laciniata pendula (Pendulous cut-leaf), which is quite the pretr 

 tiest and most feathery of the birches. 



B. nana and B.pumila (the Dwarf and low growing birch). 

 These two are merely shrubs, both natives of the northern 

 portions of America, and the latter found in Sweden, Norway, 

 and Russia ; and growing only two or three feet high, merely 

 valuable as carrying out the class in arboretums. 



Castanea. Chestnut. 



The principle additions to this genus, since the first edition 

 are : Castanea asplenifolia (Cut-leaf chestnut), a very remarka- 

 ble and peculiar variety, with its leaves in shreds ; and 0. 

 variegata, foUis-aureis, and foliis-argenteis, (the Golden- 

 leaved and the Silver-leaved chestnuts), both very striking 

 and showy, especially when planted against or near ever- 

 greens, the golden variety being particularly gay. Small 

 plants of this tree have, at Wodenethe, blossomed when 



