820 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



October 26, i^i^,. 



P. coronaria. 



The American Crab Apple is met with in 

 a wild state in the Eastern United States. 



THE ORNAMENTAL CRAB 



APPLES- 



Amongst the species of trees which con- ^^^^JR^^_ ^^^^ country, but 



stitute the genus pyrus are many which 

 exhibit ornamental features of the highest 

 quality, and of this number several of the 



best are included in the malus or apple sec- 

 tion of the family. They possess a fairly 

 lengthy flowering period, for the earlier 

 ones may be found in bloom by mid-April, 

 and the late ones are scarcely over by the 

 end of May. Added to this, a number of 

 kinds producH:- highly-<'oloured fruit, which, 

 in itself, is a reason for thoir culture. As a 

 rule, tho various sorts of pyrus are 

 amongst the easiest trees to cultivate, but 

 it must l>c remembered that they are sub- 

 ject to attacks from American Blight in the 

 same degree as the gimlon kinds of apple, 

 therefore it is inadvisable to plant them in 

 crowded places where they <*anm)t obtain 



a variety with double flowers has attained 

 a certain amount of notoriety during the 

 last few years. P. coronaria forms a small 

 round-headed tree with large, white, r 

 flushed flowers, that are followed by 

 round fruits, which, when ripe, are of a 

 bright glossy green. The variety flore 

 pleno is remarkable for its large flowers, 

 u hich are not approached in size by those 

 of any other pyrus, for they frequently ex- 

 ceod two inches in diameter, and are white 

 with a rather deep rose flush. They ap- 

 pear towards the end of May. 



P. floribunda. 



This finds favour with everyone by rea- 

 son of its free-flowering character. It 

 more often assumes the dimensions of 



P. malus. 



Many fine specimens of this, the common 

 European crab apple, will be called to 

 minld, occupying places in hedgerows and 

 plantations in various parts of the country 

 Its rose-flushed flowers are very like those 

 of our garden apples, and they are fre- 

 quently succeeded by highly-coloured fruits 

 Of the several named varieties, astracanica 

 \Jie parent of the Red Astracaii apple ; florel 

 albo pleno, pendula, and rosea, are very 

 distinct. 



P. Niedzwetzkyanus. 



Th's is one of the movst distinct 



- of all 



pyruses, and one which has been highly 



recommended of late for general planting. 

 AVhether it is really a good species, or 



form of 



Obtained 



P. malus is not very certain. 

 originally from the Caucasus, it has many 

 a points of resemblance with the common 



PYRUS SCHKIDKCKEHI. 



[Plioto: C. P. Rafflll 



Ar, oftoetive lawn group of this beautiful crab in the Royal Gardens. Kew. The flowers 



plenty of air, or in districts where American 

 Blight is very bad, for it is only species 

 belonging to the malus section of the genus 

 which fall a prey to the pest, other kinds 



when 



escaping, even when growirug amongst 

 badly infested apple trees. Amongst the 

 numerous kinds included in the section, the 

 following are specially worthy of note : 



P. baccata. 



This, the well-known Siberian v. 

 grows into a large, round-headed tree 

 Soft, high, with a branch diameter of 



The almost white flowers 



Crab, 

 20 



30ft 



IS 



or more. 



are slightly flushed with rose, and it 

 rarely that they are not produce<l in such 

 profusion as t^) almost hide the branches. 

 There are several varieties, but they do 

 not differ much in regard to flower.s ; 

 prmcipal differences Iwing noticeable 



the 



in 



toiour, snape, and sizo of fruits. P. bac- 

 cata IS a native of the Himalayas China, 

 and Japan. ' ' 



pleasing pink hue. 



large bush, rather than a tree, and speci- 

 mens loft, high, and 20 to 30ft. in diameter 

 with branches sweeping the ground, may 

 often be seen. The rose-shade<l flowers 

 open about the end of April, and they are 

 in such profusion as to hide the branches 

 A variety, atrosanguinea, with darker- 

 coloured flowers than the type, may be ob- 

 tained. By forming a group of the two 

 kuMls a very pretty eff^ect is provided The 

 species IS a native of Japani. 



P. Halliana. 



A certain amount of mystery centres 

 about this tree, for no one appears to know 

 what Its origin is. It, however, seems to 

 l>e a hybrid, and probably P. flor.bunda is 

 one ot its parents. It is, however of 

 more upn^lit and less bushy habit than 

 that species. WlmfoTi^T^ — . 



are relatively of large size, and of a 



crab apple, but its flowers are a peculiar 

 shade of red, and a similar colour permeates 

 all parts of the tree; leaves, wood, roots, 

 and shoots. This peculiar character sepa- 

 rates it from all other kinds, and makes it 

 a popular tree for ornamental planting. 



P- prunifolia. 



In many respects this Siberian species 

 has much in common; with P. baccata, the 

 principal difference being noticeable in the 

 fruits, for, whereas in P. baccata the 

 calyx lobes are deciduous and fall very 

 early, in P. pnmifolia they are persistent, 

 and last until the fruits fall. The fruits of 

 the latter kind mature at an earlier date 

 than those of tho foi-nuM-. Some forms are 

 highly coloured and very sliowv. 



u , ^Vhatever its origin, it is 

 very showy for the semi-double flowers are 

 ^^h ^^^""'^y shaded with a rich rosy- 



P. 



ingo 



This Japanese species 

 flushed flowers an, inch 

 freedom. Its most 



bears wliite, rose- 

 across, with great 

 showy time is? 



