The Garden Magazine, September, 1920 
43 
down to within a foot or so of the ground, then labeled and the clumps 
carefully lifted from the soil and placed on shelves or racks where there 
is a circulation of air. The clumps should be shaken occasionally that 
they may be freed from surplus soil until they are perfectly clean and 
dry, when they should be stored away until planting time. — Mrs. 
Morgan Emery, IVasb . 
THE CHINESE XANTHOCERAS SORBI FOLIA 
attractive Chinese shrub Xanthoceras 
L e Flowers sorbifolia (above) than for a long time. It 
“ is being catalogued to some extent, and evi- 
dently people are being attracted by its unusual charm. The plant has 
dull green leaves recalling those of the Mountain-ash — hence the name, 
sorbus-like — and erect spreading racemes of white flowers marked with 
red at the base of the petals. It flowers profusely, and the delicate 
flowers which come in May or June are followed bv large, hard 
fruits, which look very much like those of the Buckeye. There is only 
one species of Xanthoceras, but the plant is related to Koelreuteria, the 
so called Varnish-tree of China. For that matter, it has a relative in 
this country in the Texas Buckeye or Ungnadia. As Xanthoceras 
sorbifolia blooms in the Arnold Arboretum it is extremely handsome but 
observation here has brought out the fact that while extremely 
hardy it has a way of occasionally dying out without any apparent 
cause. That is a point which is not to be overlooked, although garden 
makers to whom expense is not an item of importance will not object to 
renewing their specimens of this splendid shrub in order to keep it in 
their gardens. The name Xanthoceras, has reference to the yellow 
“horns” that project between the petals. — E. 1. Farrington. 
Parsley 
as a 
Side-Line 
I T WAS when I was buying a “Palm 
Beach” suit that the story of Parsley as 
a side-line came out. The courteous and able 
salesman who looked after my desires in the 
way of sensible summer habiliments happened to know who I was and 
he spoke of having looked at my garden. In inviting him to get better 
acquainted with that garden, 1 became cognizant of his own fcndness 
for things that grow on the land. He told me of his little home across 
the river, with its lively vegetable garden, and then quite casually in- 
vited me to see his Parsley plot, adding that he had good Parsley and a 
lot of it, and that he was then regularly supplying the largest hotel in 
the city with it. Continuing the inquiry, which had become much 
more interesting to me than the clothes transaction that originated 
it, I found that Mr. Hess grew Parsley intensively as well as extensively 
— for a city clothing salesman. His invitation to a visit was accepted 
gladly, and the picture shows what was disclosed, save that it gives 
no suggestion of the actual suburban surroundings — for the unit of 
land is only an ordinary village lot, to which a duplicate in size has been 
added on the Parsley account. But let Mr. Hess tell the story in his 
own words: “These eight rows of Parsley occupy a piece of ground 
8 x 145 feet. For many weeks 1 have made an average cutting of 220 
bunches per week. The size of the bunch is the ordinary commercial 
size which retails at five cents. I sell to two customers — a produce 
stand and a hotel. A continual growth is kept up by light applications 
of chicken manure between the rows, with frequent cultivation. The 
raising of Parsley is not only a pleasure, and a change from my everyday 
store life, but very profitable, as it is paying for the lot next to mv 
house.” What could fertile America become if many more men took 
their pleasure in a similar side-line! Literally tens — yes, hundreds — 
of thousands of back-yards and side-yards might produce food and 
flowers, to pleasure and to profit, and there would be a substantial 
slice cut off the “high cost of living!” Other ideals than those of the 
silk-shirt, jazz-dance, road-hog class would become popular. With our 
constantly shortening period of paid labor, we are forgetting, possibly, 
that Old Sol still shines long summer hours, that Mother Earth is yet 
anxious to feed us— both soul and body — from her willing breast! Mr. 
Hess’s side-line of Parsley has not decreased his earning power as a 
salesman. He is simply a wholesome American who has found recre- 
ation and content in his 
garden opportunities. — J. 
Horace McFarland, Pa . 
An average cutting of 
more than thirty 
bunches of Parsley 
daily is buying the 
real estate on which it 
is grown 
Poinsettia 
as a Lawn 
Plant 
A : 
S A lawn shrub and 
one that is not often 
seen, 1 would like to 
recommend the Poinsettia. 
It is of course tender and will need to be taken 
inside before frost, but for vigor of growth, beauty 
of foliage and general good behavior it is about all 
that can be desired. 1 have one that 1 have win- 
tered several times, so that it is quite a sturdy 
little tree, entirely taking care of its top development 
and always shapely. Last fall it came into the house 
in good form and blossomed nicely just before winter, 
then after awhile dropped its leaves, and waited for the 
February revival, that being about the time when dormant plants 
wiil mostly resume growth if they are kept where it is fairly warm. 
How it is that they all have the instinct of the passing of time is one 
of the mysteries of creation. The leaves resemble Oak leaves, but are 
