21-3 
AMEEICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[JtJLT, 
The Cranberry Tree. 
( Viburnum Opulus.) 
This is a native shrub, found in low grounds 
in most parts of our country and in Europe. It 
forms a bush or low tree from three to ten feet 
high, with smooth green branches, and strongly 
lobed leaves of the shape represented in the 
engraving; these are of a bright green during 
summer, and in autumn a fine crimson color. 
The flowers, which appear late in Mayor early 
in June, are white, in broad flattened clusters, 
and produced in great profusion. The proper 
flowers are very small, the corolla being five- 
parted, with five stamens. Around the outside 
of the cluster are scattered numerous abortive 
flowers, which have neither stameus nor pistil, 
but consist entirely of a corolla many times 
larger than that of the perfect flowers. These 
sterile flowers make the bush when in bloom 
quite showy. The perfect flowers are succeeded 
by an oval flattened berry, containing a single 
flattened stone which is surrounded by an acid 
pulp. "When ripe, the berries are bright red and 
make a brilliant appearance. In the engraving 
both fruit and flowers are shown of nearly the 
natural size, and they are, as a matter of conve- 
nience, represented as appearing at the same 
time. The bush will grow readily in any fair 
soil, and it is worthy a place among cultivated 
shrubs, not only on account of its flowers, but 
for its foliage and fruit. When trimmed up to 
a single stem, it forms a neat small tree and 
grows much taller than if left to take its own 
shape. The old and 
well knownSnow-ball 
Tree,or Guelder Hose, 
is a variety of this, iu 
which all the flowers 
in the cluster are bar- 
ren, like the few on 
the margin of the 
clusters of the one 
here figured. The 
name of Cranberry 
Tree, or High-bush 
Cranberry, is given on 
account of the color 
and acid taste of the 
fruit. It has been 
employed in place of 
cranberries for which 
it is a very poor sub- 
stitute, as the acid is 
too much mingled 
with bitter to be 
pleasant, and the 
seeds are much too 
large in proportion to 
the pulp. A case has 
recently come to our 
knowledge in which 
a tree peddler took 
orders for cranberries 
for upland culture, 
and supplied plants 
of this shrub. As the 
same swindle may be 
tried elsewhere, our 
readers should be on 
their guard. Though 
worthy of attention as 
an ornamental shrub, 
it is quite worthless 
for its fruit. Plants 
can be taken from 
their wild localities, 
and they may be mul- 
tiplied by layers and suckers. It is well to mark 
during the flowering season shrubs of any kind 
which it is desired to introduce into the grounds. 
A small strip of cloth tied to the shrub, is 
readily seen after the leaves have fallen. 
Some of the New Weigelas. 
Among flowering shrubs of comparatively 
recent introduction, none have attained greater 
popularity than the Weigelas. The Weigela ro- 
sea was introduced into England in 1845, aud 
the amdbilis somewhat later. They came to 
this country as great rarities, and at first bore a 
high price, but they are now very cheap and 
are to be found in all good collections of shrubs. 
A great many seedlings have been produced, 
some of which are marked improvements over 
the original species. Mr. A. Fuller, of Brooklyn, 
has sent us from his collection at the Brooklyn 
Nursery some specimens of exceeding beautj r . 
Among them we notice the variety called Isoline, 
the flowers of which are nearly white when 
they first open, but afterward turn to a delicate 
pink. Van Houtteii has the habit of amdbilis, 
but the flowers of rosea. Deboisiana has buds of 
a dark crimson and very dark flowers, the low- 
er lobe of which is marked with a yellow hand. 
The foliage is very robust, of a fine dark green ; 
the bush has a fine erect habit and is a profuse 
bloomer. This is by far the finest variety we 
have seen. Of the variegated leaved variety, 
now quite common, there seehis to be two dis- 
tinct sorts, one with the markings of the leaves 
of a greenish yellow, while in the other they are 
of a clear cream-white. The last named is 
much the finest, and is not excelled in beauty 
by any of the so-called foliage plants. These 
plants, strictly speaking, belong to the genus 
Diervilla, but we have preferred to call them by 
the name by which they are known in gardens. 
The Camellia-flowered Peach- 
We are indebted to the Rose-family for many 
of the showiest ornaments of our gardens. The 
flowers of this family have a remarkable tenden- 
cy to become double, and double roses, almonds, 
cherries, plums, spireas, peaches, etc., are among 
our most popular spring-flowers. A double 
peach has long been known, but the old variety 
is far surpassed by the Camellia-flowered, which 
was introduced from China some years ago, but 
which seems to be as yet but little distributed. 
The engraving was made from a specimen taken 
from a plant nearly out of bloom, and does not 
show the flowers as large and as abundant as 
when in perfection. It may be pruned to form 
a compact bush about six feet high, and when 
in bloom, it forms a gorgeous mass of brilliant 
crimson flowers. The bush may be propagated 
by budding on the common peach ; it will usu- 
ally flower at two years from the bud. It should 
CAMELLIA-FLOWEKED PEACH. 
be planted in good soil and have the new 
growth cut back about one-third each year. 
Recently two specimens of double apple-flow- 
ers have been exhibited to us. One was from a 
wild seedling, and from the high color of its 
flowers, would be very ornamental. The other 
was from an Early Bough tree, which, after pro- 
ducing single flowers to provide for a crop of 
fruit, show late flowersed as double as a rose. 
