FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 



403 



Name. 



Country or 



Origin and 



Natural Order. 



Colour 

 and 



Season. 



General Remarks. 



Pyms 



Pyrophorum (the 



Pears). 

 P. betulsefolia 



China and Japan 



*P. communis 

 Wild Pear) 



(the 



Europe and Asia 



White ; 

 early 

 Spring 



White ; 

 Spring 



all hardy in this country. 

 The majority of the Pyrus 

 are trees of considerable size. 

 A few are small trees, and 

 about half a dozen are low- 

 growing and dense shrubs. 

 AH are deciduous, and will 

 grow in ordinary garden soil, 

 but none of them like a cold 

 and moist soil and position. 

 Ground that will grow Apples 

 and Pears well will suit the 

 Pyruses, though they will 

 thrive in considerably poorer 

 soil than is recommended for 

 fruit culture. In planting, 

 the ground should be deeply 

 trenched, and the bottom 

 well broken up, any clay or 

 gravel that is encountered 

 being thrown out and re- 

 placed with good soil. Most 

 of the Pyrus root deeply, and 

 if the soil is not properly pre- 

 pared in the first place they 

 are apt to fail and get can- 

 kered. Propagation is done 

 by seeds, budding, or graft- 

 ing, and in a few cases by 

 suckers. The best ways are 

 given with each section. 



A small and pretty tree, 15 feet 

 to 20 feet high, with leaves 

 somewhat like those of a 

 Birch in shape, though rather 

 larger. They are on long 

 petioles, and have a pleasing 

 sound when ruffled by the 

 wind. It does not flower or 

 fruit much until well estab- 

 lished. The white flowers 

 are in dense clusters and ap- 

 pear before the leaves. 



As this is widely distributed it 

 varies greatly. The type is 

 moreinterestingfor itsflowers 

 than for its fruit, which is 

 hard, gritty, and dry. It 

 grows 30 to 40 feet high, and 

 has long spreading branches, 

 half pendulous. When 

 the tree is covered with its 

 white flowers the effect is very 

 beautiful. There are several 

 named varieties, the best being 

 flore-pleno, with semi-double 

 flowers; linearis, with long, 

 narrow leaves, and pendula, 

 described by the name. 



