200 THE FLORIST AND 
The Beech, Sour Gum, Catalpa, Poplars, Plums, Pears, Sassafras, as 
well as the Ailanthus, for it is of this unfortunate tree I venture to write, 
all throw up suckers, and from the same causes. 
The Ailanthus is not alone in its misfortunes ; but it has been made to 
bear the whole of the disgrace. I can point to numerous venerable speci- 
mens which have never, throughout the long period of their existence, put 
out one sucker. But in such cases, they are planted in situations where 
they do not grow with such vigor as to have large watery shoots for a hard 
frost to rupture, are not hacked or "pruned up," nor planted in situations 
where the spade or the hoe may continually be severing or bruising the 
roots. Did you ever see an Ailanthus sucker up in the streets ? Occa- 
sionally, perhaps, — but how often ? The time is coming, gentlemen of the 
press, when you will be in extacies at the shade some Ailanthus will throw 
around your editorial sanctums. Your long trusted Maples have abused 
your confideace, and are rapidly playing the Schuyler dodge over you. 
" Averunculators" and pole pruners speak to your pockets, and laborers and 
step-ladders tell a sadder Maple story every spring. Lindens you won't 
have, and Sugar Maples and Tulip trees won't serve you ; while the Horse 
Chestnut and Norway Maples are too slow in assuaging your sufferings. 
You will have to fall back on the Ailanthus, — the fast growing, dense 
headed, insect and smoke defying Ailanthus. Not the striking male flow- 
ered variety ; but the scentless and beautiful female Ailanthus. 
The female Ailanthus is a most beautiful tree. Its long clusters of golden 
fruit in contrast to its deep green foliage, is not to be excelled in the agree- 
able feelings it is capable of exciting in one not prejudiced against the very 
name. Even had I to spend one whole half hour every year in drawing up 
a few suckers, I should feel amply repaid by three months of such pleasing 
sights of them as I often pass. 
A Spartan king tried to stop drunkenness by ordering all the vines in 
his dominions to be rooted up ; but where Lycurgus often trod, the grape 
vine still grows, and notwithstanding the mighty efforts of our Herculean 
writers, the Ailanthus will still live to wave over their graves. 
HORTUS. 
REVIEW OF THE SPECIES OF THE GENUS DIERVILLA.* 
The genus Weigela, established by Thunberg, differs nothing from the 
genus Dier^dlla, created long before by Tournefort, except in characters 
so slight and often inconstant, that the most celebrated botanists no longer 
* Carriere, in Revue Horticole. 
