SOME EASILY-GROWN VARIETIES. 



MAXIMUM RESULTS FOR MINIMUM OUTLAYS. 



MAY be put down as a 

 rule, perhaps, that the 

 dearth of fine trees 

 and shrubs about the 

 average American 

 home is due not so 

 much to the fact that 

 the owners have never 

 invested in planting-stock, as to their 

 not having invested in the right 

 kinds. Everywhere cases are abun. 

 dant where home-improvers have at 

 some time paid considerable money 

 for high-priced trees, etc., for 

 which, five years later, they have had little or noth- 

 ing to show. The probabilities are, that in their 

 readiness to invest for embellishing their grounds, 

 they have fallen easy victims to the misrepresenta- 

 tions of unscrupulous agents or exaggerated cata- 

 logues. Inquiring into particulars will almost cer- 

 tainly reveal that the things purchased were "nov- 

 elties," the chief characteristics of which were the 

 extraordinary claims made for them and their high 

 prices. It seems to be a weakness of our race, 

 which unscrupulous dealers always take into ac- 

 count, that those who avowedly have had the least 

 experience in gardening are the most ready to ven- 

 ture on testing high-priced so-called novelties. And 

 the worst feature about the matter is, that they be- 

 come so infatuated with these that little incHnation 

 or means are left for setting out reliable, standard 

 kinds that would be likely to give permanent satis- 

 faction, and which are always to be had at reason- 

 able prices. 



Now, it is not assumed that the readers of this mag- 

 azine are, as a class, among those who are prone to 

 become victims of greed. We believe the reverse is 

 decidedly the case ; still American Gardening is widely 

 increasing in circulation and influence, and is taken by 

 many new home-improvers, who will be tempted to 

 buy highly-lauded but worthless novelties, and these we 

 would be glad to see investing in plants of real merit. 

 We have, accordingly, been at some pains to make up 

 certain lists of reliable stock which it would be well for 

 the average planter of home grounds to keep before him 

 when ordering a selection from a nursery or from agents. 

 While it is not claimed that these lists embrace all de- 

 sirable kinds, we assert that a place might be completely 

 planted with those alone here named, which might with 

 propriety be called "no fail " lists. 



While certain distinctions as to comparative values 

 have necessarily been observed,, we are not disposed to 

 insist on these arbitrarily. With regard to hardy her- 

 baceous plants, for instance, it has often been difficult 

 to decide in which of two lists a particular strain or va- 

 riety should come ; and then, personal taste also has 

 something to do with the matter. The sorts named 

 may be considered sufficiently hardy for the latitude of 

 Niagara Falls. 



TWENTY-FIVE MOST RELIABLE EVERGREEN CONIFERS. 



The failures arising from planting evergreens are 

 chiefly of two kinds : those due, first, to making un- 

 suitable selections, and second, to ordering large-sized 

 trees, which are always risky to handle. If trees two 

 feet or less in height are planted, the risk is greatly re- 

 duced. In the following selection it will be observed 

 that nearly all the varieties are composed of four genera 

 noted for hardiness. Fortunately, the varieties within 

 these genera are now so many that no one need be at loss 

 to plant a most effective and varied collection of these 

 valuable trees by confining himself to this list alone : 

 White spruce (Abies alba). Tamarack-leaved savin 



Alcock's spx'ce^A.Alcocquiana) (/• savina iamaricifolia). 

 Hem\OQVsprnce(A. Canadensis) Red cedar)/. ]-irgi„ 

 Norway spruce (A.excelsa 



Conical spruce 



(A. excelsa conica). 

 Ellwanger's spruce 



(A. excelsa Ellwangeri). 

 Maxwell's spruce 



(A. excelsa Maxwelliana). 

 Dwarf black spruce 



{A. nigra pvmila). 

 Colorado blue spruce 



(A. pungens). 

 Balsam fir {A. balsamea). 

 Nordmann's silver fir 



(A. Nordmanniana). 

 English juniper {Junipet tis 



communis vulgaris). 

 Irish iuniper 



(/. communis Hibernica). 



Glaucous red cedar 



(J. Virgmiana glaiica). 

 Austrian or black pine 

 (Pinits Ausiriaca). 

 Dwarf Mugho pine (P. Mughus). 

 Dwarf mountain pine 



(P. pumila). 

 White, or Weymouth pine 



(P. Strobus). 

 Erect yew( Taxus baccata erecta). 

 American yew 



(T. baccata Canadensis). 

 American arbor-vitae 



(Thuja occidentalis). 

 Globe-headed arbor-vitse 



{ T. occidentalis globosa). 

 Siberian arbor-vita; 



{ T. occidentalis Siberica). 



TWENTY-FIVE RELIABLE SHADE AND ORNAMENTAL TREES. 



The following list does not include the larger-growing 

 native forest trees, such as the elm, maple, oak, beech, 

 tulip-tree, chestnut, etc., all of which are desirable for 

 street planting and for use in large grounds, parks, etc: 

 Snowy mespilus ( Amelanchier). Horse-chestnut, Double white. 



Horse-chestnut, Red-flowered. 

 Larch, European. 

 Linden, European white-leaved. 

 Magnolia speciosa. 

 Mountain ash. Oak-leaved. 

 Maple, Norway. 

 Maple, Wier's cut leaved. 

 Oak, English. 

 Poplar, Weeping. 

 Thorn, Double scarlet. 

 Willow, Kilmarnock. 

 Judas tree (Cercie). 



Alder, Cut-leaved (Alnus). 

 Ash, Aucuba-leaved. 

 Ash, Weeping. 

 Apple, coronaria odorata. 

 Birch, Cut-leaved weeping. 

 Beech, Cut-leaved. 

 Beech, River's blood-leaved 

 Bird-cherry, European. 

 Cherry, Double- flowering. 

 Crab, Double rose-flowering 

 Elm, Camperdown weeping. 

 Elm, English. 



