178 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



colour, form, and size of foliage, is too often neglected in the case of both 

 trees and shrubs. 



Hydrangea paniculata grancliflora makes a grand show in August 

 and September, the profuse clear white inflorescence being conspicuous 

 from a great distance ; nor is the beauty over then, for the dead flower 

 heads which remain on the plants all winter are very striking. When in 

 December of last year (1903) we showed a collection of cut twigs and 

 stems at the Royal Horticultural Society, nothing attracte'd more attention 

 than this. The plants are rather expensive, but we have a large bed of 

 them which, with trifling renovation, has lasted for seventeen or eighteen 

 years — a long life compared with the choice Roses nowadays. 



The plants should be lightly pruned in spring. 



Many of the Cytisus class are worth growing for the dark green wood 

 as well as for their flowers, and Spartium junceum has a bolder, more open 

 growth with stouter twigs than the others ; none of them will tolerate 

 hard pruning in the old wood. 



Cassinia fulvida syn. Diplopappus chrysophyllus has a soft golden 

 colour in twigs and leaf if pegged down and trimmed over annually. It 

 does best in a hot dry light soil. 



Rosa nitida, which is far too rarely seen, should be dealt with in the 

 same way ; not only do the leaves all turn a clear red in autumn, but the 

 fine hirsute twigs all take on the same colour until the sap rises, and the 

 plant is as hardy as it is beautiful. 



Among other plants for winter which from rarity or other reasons are 

 more fitted for single specimens I would include : 



Fraxinus excelsior aurea, the Golden-barked Ash in its erect or weeping 

 form, whose name is sufficient description. 



Salix aurea pendtda, a weeping form of the Golden Willow, which 

 can be procured from Mr. Bunyard of Maidstone. 



Betula aurea. — I have too recently received this new Golden-leaved 

 Birch, from Mr. G. Paul of Cheshunt, to be able to speak confidently as to 

 the colouring of its wood in winter, but it mostly happens that the same 

 cause, viz. insufficient chlorophyll, which produces the yellow tone in the 

 foliage, makes for a like effect on the bark and twigs. 



Taxodium scmpervirens, the Red-wood Cedar. 



Euonymus verrucosus, a rare deciduous variant of Spindlewood whose 

 stem is covered with curious warts, and simulates to an extraordinary de- 

 gree a rusty iron pole. 



Arbutus Unedo, which when old and untrimmed shows a great deal 

 of fibrous chocolate-coloured bark. It is none too hardy north of London, 

 but has flourished and fruited well with us, surviving the terrible winter 

 of 1894-5. 



Stephanandra flexuosa has very delicate foliage, almost like a Japanese 

 Maple when seen a little way off, the very fine waving twigs are a reddish- 

 brown. I note that it suffered from burning in the recent hot dry 

 summer. 



S. Tanakce is a stronger, coarser, less compact form which is hardly 

 ever seen in England ; it is inferior in grace of foliage and superior in the 

 clear red of its twigs. The charm of either is destroyed if the ends of 

 the shoots be cut over, so they must be allowed such room as they require. 



