70 TREES AND SHRUBS 



sexes, it is necessary to select the females and 

 keep just sufficient males to pollenise them, in order 

 that the full beauty of the species as a fruit-bearer 

 may be obtained. With Skimmias and Aucubas the 

 proper proportions can be obtained by means of 

 cuttings. 



The following hardy trees and shrubs are the 

 most conspicuous for the beauty of their fruits : — 



Arbutus Unedo. — A native of Western Ireland, 

 has strawberry-like fruits of a bright-scarlet colour. 



AiLANTUS GLANDULOSA, a fine tree over 50 feet 

 high, is very beautiful when covered with its red and 

 yellow-winged fruits ; there are male and female 

 plants. 



AucUBAS, grown at first for their ornamental 

 foliage merely, have latterly come into prominence 

 as fruit-bearers ; the female plants bear clusters 

 of bright-red berries which remain long on the 

 branches and are very attractive in winter. 



Berberis. — The fruits of the Berberries are 

 mostly covered with a plum-coloured bloom as in 

 B. Aquifolium and B. Darwinii, but none of them 

 is handsomer than our native B. vulgaris and its 

 varieties. These have pendent racemes of fruits, 

 varying in colour from the typical orange scarlet to 

 white, purple, and black. B. Thunbergi coral-red, 

 very beautiful. 



Crat^gus. — The finest of all the Thorns is C. 

 Pyracantha, well named by the French " Buisson 

 ardent." This shrub or small tree is valuable as 

 a graceful evergreen, and when clothed (as it nearly 



