(i63) 



Along the path in the little swale running to the west is a 

 collection of the Japanese flowering cherries which are so 

 highly admired by the Japanese, and this admiration is 

 shared by all who see these specimens at the height of 

 their loveliness which comes about the last week in April or 

 the first in May. There are about one hundred trees in 

 the collection, the blossoms from single to double, and the 

 colors ranging from white to the deepest rose, and one with 

 the blossoms a yellowish green, quite in contrast with the 

 remainder. There is also in this collection a group, oc- 

 cupying the point dividing the paths, of the Japanese weep- 

 ing cherry; this blossoms two or three weeks earlier than the 

 others; its long drooping branches, clothed with delicate 

 pink blossoms, make of it a graceful and charming object. 



Near the eastern end of the long bridge are trees illustrat- 

 ing the senna family, located south of the bridge approach, 

 and the pea family, the rue family and the mahogany 

 family on the north side. One of those in the senna family 

 is the honey-locust or three-horned acacia (Gleditsia) , a 

 native of eastern North America; its durability when 

 in contact with the ground makes its wood of especial 

 value for fence posts, for which purpose it is largely used. 

 Another of this family is the Kentucky coffee-tree, in 

 several large and small specimens. One of the representa- 

 tives of the pea family, from Japan, is the Japanese yellow- 

 wood (Maackia). Another is the locust-tree (Robinia), a 

 native of the south central United States, but extensively 

 naturalized elsewhere; its wood is hard and close-grained, 

 and is very durable when in contact with ground or with 

 water, so the high value in which it is held for fence posts 

 and for ship-building may be readily understood. The rue 

 family has for representatives the Japanese cork-tree 

 (Phellodendron), from central Japan, and the Asiatic or 

 Sachalin cork-tree, from northeastern Asia. The ma- 

 hogany-tree family has a single species represented, the 

 Chinese bastard-cedar, a native of northern China; the 

 mahogany tree itself, and other representatives of the 

 family, will be found at conservatory range I. 



