JAPAN SNOWBALL. 
VIBURNUM PLICATUM. 
The ordinary Snowball is one of the commonest of shrui>s. There is hardly a garden in the country 
that has not one or more of it. Its large balls of white flowers are so pretty that it has been a shrub 
that everybody had to have. Pretty as it is, the Japanese is far superior. It needs no pruning such as the 
other does to make it a shapely shrub, but from the start it forms a bush of uniform outline. Then in its 
foliage it far excels the other. The leaves arc entire, not ragged-looking, and have a plaited appearance, 
and are of a thick substance that high winds will not tear. The leaves are of a rich, dark-green velvety 
color, and they retain their color long after the foliage of everything else has turned brown and dropped 
off in the fall. But it is in its flowering that its high claim for favor is found. A more beautiful shrub 
does not exist. The leaves are arranged opposite each other all along the stems, and from the base of 
each leaf-stalk springs a ball of flowers. There are often as many as ten pairs of these, or 20 balls of 
• beautiful white flowers, on a branch 18 inches long. There is hardly a branch on the whole bush but 
what is full of blossoms, so that it is easy to conceive what a grand sight one of these plants is when full 
of bloom. These balls, as they expand, all face upward, so that a full view of their great beauty is always 
to be had. 
It is one of the easiest shrubs to transplant, as it has a perfect mass of small fibrous roots. 
It is a profitable plant for florists to have on their grounds, as iis flowers always brins; a good price 
■when they are open in May. Over S150 was realized from the sale of these blooms last spring from about 
300 two-year-old plants. 
To be a universal favorite, a shrub must be hardy, easily transplanted and grown, of good shape and 
beautiful in leaf and flower, and all this the Japan Snowball is to the fullest extent. 
That the merits of the Japan Snowball are duly appreciated, is shown from the following extracts from 
the leading horticultural writers and magazines of the country: 
From aarOener'i Mo«(Wj/, vol. 21, pa^eSSo.— " It 
takes a plant a long time to become well-known, no 
matter how valuame may be its ornamental charac- 
ter, and thi8 is specially tlie case with the present 
plant. The earliest plants came to this country soon 
after their introduction mto England, through the 
lat*- Alfred Cope, of Philadelphia, in whose groimds 
plants have heen blooming for the past fitteon year,s. 
Nothing can exceed the beauty of these large plants 
when in full flower. The old Rnovvhall is rai her a 
str.iggling, coarse bush — the new Japan Snowball, 
the kind we illustrate, is in itself a beautiful plant. 
The very dark green-plaited foliage Is pretty, as well 
as the plant, and the snow-white clusters of flowers 
against the dark green ground make a large, full- 
grown plant very etfective. It ia one of the hardiest 
and most easily grown, .-nd probably there is not 
a spot on the American continent where it will not 
thrive." 
In the same magazine, but of a later issue, John 
Saul, the noted horticulturist, of Wa-shington, U.Q., 
says: " I was much pleased with your reniarka on 
this beautiful shrub in your hist issue— stnnge to 
say some of our most valuable plants should be acon- 
siderable time in working their way i -to notice— mv 
specimen plant of this 1 have had for some 10 or 12 
years, blooming beautifully from the first season It 
was planted. 'U bloora,s quite young, the flowers, as 
you well remark, are of "apuro pap^r white," and 
the liabit of growth is farsuperior to the old variety, 
Viburinim opulus. I consider it far superior to the old 
variety as it 13 possible for a shrub tr) be. The old is a 
thin, lanky-growing plant, rarely 10 be had bnshy or 
well furnished, whilst tdisnew variety is the reverse ; 
its habit is most compact and bushv, with its lower 
l)ranches resting on the ground and a pleasing out- 
line. It 19 of moderate size, never attaining the 
height ot the old variety and consequently very 
suitable tor small gardens." 
The RorticuUural Art Journal, In Vol. 4, illus- 
trates this beautiful Japan shrub by a coloreil plate, 
and gives it the following description :— "This is one 
of a large class of hardy, deciduous floweringshrubs, 
amongst which is the common and well-known 
Snowball so conspicuous about the last of May mid 
first of June, and to be seen in everv donryard. 
Plicatum, which we illustrate in this issue, Is much 
more desirable; it is of moderate growth, with 
handsome plicated foliage and globular heads of 
pure white flowers. All who love the old-fashioned 
snowball, and do not have this variety, should get it 
at once, as it surpasses the old favorite. We are in- 
debted to Japan for this valuable addition to bardy 
flowering shrubs, hence It is known as the Japanese 
anowball." 
Rxtract from Cultural Depirtment of Garden ami 
jn„c< vol. :f, No. 122.— "The .Tapan Snowball (Vi- 
burnuni plicatnm) is to be reconiiiiended for its free- 
dom from disflgurement t>y these troublesome in- 
sects (Apliid"S); but a.side from this quality, it is 
valuable for its own peculiar beauty. The co'iumon 
Snowball is a mm-e graceful, free growing jiKant, 
which lieais its balls of flowers on somewhat pendu- 
lous brandies, wliib^ Vilnirnum plicatum is rather 
a formal shrub, bearing ir.s blossoms on short, rigid, 
lateral twigs. The rough, dark-irrecn leaves harmo- 
nize with the stilf character of the plant and form a 
beautiful, though sc.intv, setting for the profusion 
of snow-white flowers usually produced. Tlieseare 
arranged in more compact .alia more evenly round 
" balls " than those ot the cominnn species, and they 
seem of a pure white color. The character of the 
two species is so ditferent that both should be grown 
it possible, but in a small g.arden. where there to 
only room for one. Viburnum plicatum wiuld gener- 
ally give the most pleasure. Both species bloitiu at 
the same time, but the Japan Snowball retains its 
beauty the longest." 
Joslali Hoopes, one of the most noted liorticultn- 
ral writcT-s of the present day, writing in the New 
York Tribune, .savs ot it:— "After an experience 
of many years with the Japanese Snowball (Vibur- 
num plicatum), I feel like according it tlrst place ia 
any collection of hardy flowering shrubs. It is so far 
superior in every way to the old-rime Snowball, that 
where the space is limited it should always take pre- 
cedence over the latter. Of course its chief attrac- 
tion is centred in its lovely round heads ot snow- 
white sterile flowers, but the foliage at other sea- 
sons is also beautiful. The large, showy, deep green 
crimped leaves retain their healthy appearance all 
summer long, but do not assume any of the bright 
autumnal tints. High culture is needed to make 
the Japanese Snowball of special interest. A speci- 
men now before ine, some fifteen years planted, is 
covered with large bunches of flowers almost as fine 
as the ordinary garden Hydrangea. Each individual 
flower is iiniuense, but then the plant has been well 
cared for and the soil liberally enriched." 
The editor of Popular Oardeninq, after a visit to 
the beautiful grounds of Clias. A. i)ana, Glen Cove, 
L. I., notes the following :— The Japanese Viliur- 
num (Viburnum plicatum) was in full beauty on 
the day of our visit, and it was easy to agree witli 
our former conclusion that in this we have the hand- 
somest of hardy shrubs. The form 01 growth ia 
charming, being sUghtly inclined to irregtilarity, the 
foliage of deepest green is beautifully plaited, and 
the flowers bonie in great profusion excel every 
other Viburnum in whiteness. (Vol. 5, No. II.) 
STftONG, BUSHY PLANTS 75 CENTS EACH. 
Of this ehoiee shfub, a fine stock for sale at the flarsepy of 
W]VI. C. STROHG 
WABAN (Newton Circuit R.R.),MASS. 
