62 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



but springs up rapidly from the root and flowers freely. The 

 Rose Acacia, Bobinia hisjpida t is almost always met with grafted 

 on the common Locust ; on its own roots it is much more 

 effective and longer lived, and the very brittle branches are less 

 likely to be injured by strong winds. Halimodendron argenteum, 

 the so-called Salt-tree, a native of Asiatic Russia, does well in 

 sandy soil, but likes all the sun it can get ; the foliage is silvery 

 and the flowers purplish pink in colour. This species does well 

 near the sea. Hedysarum multijugum, from Central Asia, &c, is 

 showy enough with its pinnate leaves and long axillary racemes 

 of bright red flowers ; it is, moreover, perfectly hardy. Ccesalpinia 

 japonica is interesting as being perhaps the only hardy member 

 of a handsome genus, the others being tropical in their require- 

 ments. It is an introduction of Messrs. Veitch, and is worthy of 

 cultivation. 



Any attempt to give an exhaustive resume of the good things 

 in the Order Rosaceae would end in ignominious failure ; all I can 

 do is to mention as briefly as possible a few species of the Rose 

 family which are not so often seen as they deserve to be. The 

 first to flower is Prunus Davidiana or Amygdalus Davidiana, 

 a Chinese Almond which opens its flowers in favourable seasons 

 as early as the end of January : this year at Kew our trees were 

 in fine flower in mid-February. P. Mume, a Japanese species 

 with numerous varieties, is also an early flowerer. P. divaricata, 

 from the Caucasus, Afghanistan, &c, forms a snowy sheet of 

 blossom long before the leaves appear. In this country it fruits 

 seldom ; on the Continent, however, I have seen the beautiful 

 Cherry-like fruits produced in great profusion. P.pendula, from 

 Japan, is considered by Professor Sargent to be one of the floral 

 treasures of the world, one of the very best garden plants ever 

 introduced. The habit of the tree, too, is remarkably good, the 

 pendulous branches laden with rose-coloured flowers giving it 

 a fountain-like aspect. P. prostrata is a dwarf bush from Persia, 

 &c. ; it has small leaves and rosy-red flowers produced before the 

 leaves are fully developed. 



Of P. purmla there are many forms varying greatly in habit. 

 This plant has a wide distribution in North America, and is per- 

 fectly hardy. One variety is prostrate ; another dwarf, say H foot 

 high ; another 4 feet or more in height, and so on. All bear an 

 abundance of white flowers, and are quite hardy. P. japonica or 



