88 
THE GARDE X :\I A (J A Z I X E 
October, 1916 
But as bad luck has it, these Memorial Hy- 
brids and the Ramblers are so unsatisfactory 
in parts of Illinois compared with the East that 
I decided to frame the entrance with Prairie 
Roses trained as climbers. I remembered also 
another New England picture, namely hor- 
sythia suspensa trained to the top of a porch 
and then allowed to flow out and down like a 
fountain of yellow flowers. So I planted a 
very accommodating Forsythia known as in- 
termedia, which Mr. Harlan Kelsey taught me 
how to use. Half of it can be left in shrub 
form, so as to give a good foundation effect the 
first two years, or more, and half can be 
trained on a wall as a vine. The larger op- 
portunity called me away before it was time to 
make a trellis, but I trust my successor will 
intertwine the Roses and Golden Bells. If 
so I shall wish to go back to the old place and 
have a look. 
In selecting shrubbery I thought naturally 
of broad-leaved evergreens, since they furnish 
the most sumptuous material. Unhappily, 
Rhododendrons and Mountain Laurel are out 
of the question for Illinois, the popular ex- 
planation being “too much lime in the soil.” 
Next in richness come the dwarf evergreens, 
the favorites being fancy varieties of the Japan 
Cypress, known to nurserymen as Retinis- 
poras. Unfortunately evergreens do not 
thrive in soft coal towns and I would have to 
consider them as expensive bedding plants 
lasting about seven years. Nevertheless I 
indulged myself to the extent of $25 for some 
little Red Cedars which I knew would not be a 
dead brown in winter, since they are the 
glaucous variety, and a few Canadian ^'ews, 
which are so slow of growth that they are a 
test of one’s devotion to the ideal of per- 
manence. Mugho Pine would have been 
more practical but I wanted to prove my re- 
spect for posterity. I must confess that this 
extravagance has given a lot of pleasure. 
Everybody likes the Cedars, but the Yews are 
my own private gloat, ^’our genuine garden 
enthusiast loves his slow-growing plants just 
because they are slow-growing and never al- 
lows a word of impatience to escape the “ fence 
of his teeth.” fie can always conjure up a 
picture of their superior magniflcence and 
dignity when they mature. It is a daily com- 
fort to know that one has done the right thing. 
The public lacks the patience and the vision 
of the true gardener. 
Descending to ordinary or deciduous shrubs 
we And an immortal trio of favorites for 
foundation planting — Golden Bells, Japanese 
Barberry, and Hydrangea. I he first was not 
too hackneyed for me to use, but I had ridden 
along too many miles of Hydrangea-inspired 
streets to tolerate in my front yard such a 
shapeless and topheavy bunch of cheap show 
as the ordinary double Hydrangea. I do not 
like to see all my Hydrangeas and Viburnums 
transformed into sterile flowers — for display 
only. Ghke the beautiful fruits which the 
single-flowered \ iburnums produce, so I 
planted V’lburnum tomentosum. As to Japan 
Barberry I had planted enough, in all con- 
science, to make the yard dog-proof and cat- 
proof, without using any of this perfect, but 
over-familiar, plant in so intimate a position as 
the immediate surroundings of a house. So I 
used chiefly the .Aromatic Sumach, which I 
consider a special friend, and which I should 
now like to introduce to you. 
1 he Aromatic Sumach is very different from 
the Common Sumach, having three leaflets in- 
stead of many. Also its small bunches of 
smooth cardinal berries make pretty bits of 
color in summer. These berries are quite un- 
like the large, pyramid of fuzzy fruits pro- 
duced in autumn by the Common Sumach. 
But the greatest distinction of Rhus aromatica 
is the fragrance of its leaves. There is no 
arguing about odors, but nearly every visitor 
to my old place enjoyed the crushed leaves of 
the Aromatic Sumach. The hardy fragrant- 
leaved shrubs are so few that they can be 
counted on the fingers of one hand. In a region 
where Candleberry and Sweet Fern are im- 
practical, the Aromatic Sumach seems doubly 
precious. People like to brush against such 
things, and therefore I lined the stepping-stone 
walk with these shrubs. Like nearly all very 
choice plants, the Aromatic Sumach has its 
drawbacks. The wood is brittle and whole 
stems often break off. Also the stems some- 
times die back, after the manner of pear blight. 
The nurserymen cannot propagate it as fast as 
a Privet. For these reasons it will never be a 
“ best seller.” On the other hand it will always 
have a strong appeal to the cultured few. I 
have said nothing about its autumn colors, but 
I believe they are as gorgeous as those of the 
Common Sumach, and in a region that is poor 
in autumn colors, a dash of the most brilliant 
color of all is certainU^ a refreshing break in the 
monotony of greens and yellows. 1 hose who 
are opposed to the Common Sumachs because 
they produce suckers need have no anxiety on 
this score about the Fragrant Sumach. 
Speaking of Sumachs 1 might as well state 
boldly that the Common Sumach, so hated by 
farmers in the East, is considered the most 
gorgeous shrub native to the Middle West and 
is now much planted. There is no question 
about its fitness in the border but there is a 
beautiful row over its fitness for foundation 
planting. The antis declare that its foliage 
unfolds too late in spring, leaving a bare spot 
near the house; that it is too rustic for refined 
architecture; that its winter effect is no good. 
The pro-sumachs say that it is a mistake to 
hide every bit of foundation; that conventional 
shrubs look undersized and weak in comparison 
with large buildings; that we ought to have the 
courage of our convictions and not be afraid to 
use the most gorgeous color we have. The 
pros say that Sumach is the most virile note in 
the American landscape. By this they refer 
to the texture of the foliage, which is so dis- 
tinct that it can be recognized in photographs 
when no other shrub can. The extremists say 
it is a good symbol of democracy, because it 
comes up with a rush from nothing, like a 
strong self-made man. 
Whatever may be the outcome of this con- 
troversy, it is generally agreed that Sumachs 
do pretty well on the shady side of a house, 
even if they color better in the sun. 1 he list 
of shade-loving shrubs is all too small. One 
of the standbys is the Arrow-wood (Virburnum 
dentatum). Silky Dogwood does fairly well 
on the north side. Beneath these shrubs one 
may have an evergreen carpet of trailing 
Myrtle or Pachysandra, beneath which may 
be planted bulbs of Snowdrops or Daffodils. 
At the corners it is customary to plant the 
tallest shrubs, because the corners need soften- 
ing more than ordinary wall space. 1 he fav- 
orite plant for this situation is the Lilac. I he 
most characterful bit of local color that I could 
lay hands on was the Black Haw (Viburnum 
prunifolium). I found two six-foot speci- 
mens which were not too tall for my purse and 
these made a good effect the first year. 
The cultivation of foundation shrubbery is 
about equally important with the design and 
the selection of material. Shrubs in this 
position generally have very poor soil because 
hard clay subsoil from the cellar is usually de- 
posited there. Such soil should be dug out to 
the depth of two spades, at least, and replaced 
by good soil. Manure should be thoroughly 
mixed with this when planting, be sure to 
tramp on the soil so that the plants will be firm. 
Foundation shrubbery often receives less 
water than other plantings, especially when 
wide eaves intercept the rain. Fortunately, 
however, it is generally convenient to water 
anything near the house. Soak the ground 
thoroughly once or twice a week, rather than 
sprinkle the surface. After each watering, 
loosen thesurface with ahoe. Continuecultiva- 
tion throughout the first season. If this is too 
much trouble in hot weather, mulch the ground 
with long, loose-fibred material, like straw. 
The cost of foundation planting can be 
roughly estimated by any house-owner. 
Measure the house outside at the ground, sub- 
tract the portions where no planting is de- 
sired, such as steps and basement windows, 
and divide the whole number of feet by three, 
because most shrubs are set 3 feet apart. The 
result will be the approximate number of 
shrubs required. If retail prices must be paid, 
a fair average may be 20 to 25 cents a bush for 
good stock 2 to 3 feet high. The ordinary 
eight-room house can be surrounded with de- 
ciduous material at a cost of $15 to ^25, and 
the latter figure may include labor and fer- 
tilizer. Evergreens cost about $i to $1.50 for 
every foot of height, and therefore it is best 
for the owner to select personally each par- 
ticular plant he desires. There is probably no 
other expense connected with gardening that 
gives so much general satisfaction as the money 
spent on foundation planting. 
From every point of view, therefore, founda- 
tion planting is a winning proposition. It ma- 
tures in only three or four years, yet it is a per- 
manent improvement. The best practice is to 
plan the whole place at once, even if one can 
only afford to do the foundation planting the 
first year. When both money and time are 
short many people believe m planting some- 
thing around the house, even if they cannot 
get expert advice. They figure that the shrubs 
can be moved a year or nvo later, when they 
have more time, money, and knowledge. I can 
sympathize with this point of view, for it gets 
something done, which is better than nothing. 
Fruits for North Dakota 
T he taming of the native fruits of South 
Dakota has been conducted for the past 
twenty years on the grounds of the horticul- 
tural department of the State College by Pro- 
fessor N. E. Hansen, the main work having 
been with the native sand cherry. The best re- 
sults were obtained by hybridizing the sand 
cherry with the Japanese plum and with 
choice native plums. 1 he sand cherry hy- 
brids are conspicuous for their early bearing 
since they fruit on one year wood, which char- 
acteristic it derives from the sand cherry. 
The tree habit of the plant is from the Jap- 
anese parent. 
Fine shipping plums, very firm in flesh and 
strongly fragrant, such as the Hanska, Kaga, 
Tokata, Toka, were obtained by crossing the 
fragrant apricot of China with the native plum. 
The early bearing habit has won favor m other 
states and they are now being tested across 
the continent. 1 he Hanska plum is prob- 
ably the most valuable all around fruit there 
is, bar none, for North Dakota. It bears 
early and continually splendid quality fruit. 
The Opata is the earliest plum in cultivation at 
present, ripening as early as July 15 in the 
southern part of North Dakota. 
