256 
The Garden Magazine, June, 1921 
WHERE WISTERIA HAS HAD ITS WAY 
The house standing in the Awbury Arboretum is perhaps best seen in May 
when this lusty Wisteria, clambering unchecked, is fragrantly abloom 
twenty-odd acres of the Cope property and of two acres of ad- 
joining houses (sufficiently described by the name “ McNabb- 
town”), now demolished. A formal agreement has been made 
with the City Parks Association, providing for a committee of 
seven to manage the park. The committee of management, 
appointed by Miss Caroline E. Cope — the donor of an endow- 
ment fund of Si 00,000 — consists of members of the Cope family 
and of the City Parks Association. 
Improvements have been begun on the twenty-seven acres 
forming the present Awbury Arboretum under the skillful direc- 
tion of Prof. Arthur W. Cowell, Landscape Architect at State 
College, Pennsylvania. Rather than disturb the original plant- 
ing of Awbury — simple in both plan and material — the present 
director has merely removed the robber trees and shrubs and 
laid out walks to connect the most interesting parts of the ar- 
boretum and open up the vistas in different directions. Especial 
care has been given to the growing of plants bv families. Rose 
gardens are to be established along Chew Street where McNabb- 
town once stood. Other groups will be established such as 
Willows, Alders, Poplars, etc., in the neighbourhood of the little 
stream which will feed a small pond soon to be placed along the 
western border of the plantation. A Rhododendron vale is also 
planned. Already many new trees and shrubs have been 
planted, all carefully tagged with zinc labels bearing the common 
name, botanical name (and authority), the natural habitat, the 
source of the material, and the date of planting. The older trees 
will be labeled subsequently. The nomenclature adopted by 
the Committee upon Standardized Plant Names will be used. 
The best source for such general information will be found in the 
six volumes of the “Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture’’ 
edited by Prof. L. H. Bailey. The Awbury Committee has 
been careful to allow for future development and to arrange the 
placing of masses, new grading, foot paths and drives in keeping 
with the plan and idea of 
the older parts which they 
are intended to join and 
amplify. 
A ramble about the re- 
cently established arbore- 
tum reveals a number of 
noteworthy trees planted 
long ago which will remain 
for some years to charac- 
terize Awbury as one of the 
most beautifully developed 
estates in America. On the 
lawn near the railroad sta- 
tion entrance is a fine sym- 
metrical Copper Beech (Fa- 
gus sylvatica purpurea) and 
on the other lawns forming 
part of the original demesne 
are specimens of the Yellow- 
wood (Cladrastis lutea). A 
tall Mossy-cupOak(Ouercus 
macrocarpa) is one of the 
valuable trees which have 
reached noble proportions 
in sixty years. The closer 
growths have developed into 
woods, the border of which 
has been improved by the 
removal of robber trees and 
shrubs also known as weed 
trees, which not only prevented the proper growth of the really 
valuable trees, but also destroyed the vistas of open fields and 
curving woodland. A few of the trees noted as having reached 
fine proportions are the White Pine (Pinus strobus), Hemlock 
(Tsuga canadensis), White Mulberry (Morus alba). Tulip-trees 
(Liriodendron tulipifera), Kentucky Coffee-tree (Gymnocladus 
canadensis). Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), Tree of Hea- 
ven (Ailanthus glandulosa), Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraci- 
flua) and such Maples as the Norway (Acer platanoides). 
Sycamore Maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), Sugar Maple (Acer sac- 
charum), White Maple (Acer saccharinum), and forms of the 
Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum). Several kinds of Magnolias 
are also found. The shrubbery, too, is diversified, but an enu- 
meration of all the bushes at Awbury would form a very con- 
siderable list. 
The lack of continuity of purpose from which so many old 
places in and near our large American cities have suffered, for- 
tunately will not afflict Awbury, now that it has passed into the 
safe keeping of the City Parks Association, whose policy will 
undoubtedly be a consistent one. 
The arboretum is fortunate also in having an endowment fund 
to provide for its maintenance which is not subject to the fickle- 
ness characteristic of most city councils owing to the frequent 
change in their political complexion. Bartram Garden has 
suffered neglect because it has been difficult to secure money 
sufficient for its maintenance from the city government in whose 
hands the old garden has fallen. Cooperation on the part of 
the various gardening and civic organizations in Philadelphia 
will result in a pooling of interests so that projects similar to that 
of Awbury will be inaugurated. Philadelphia has unrivaled facil- 
ities for horticultural teaching and research, and has a remark- 
able botanical and horticultural development in prospect, if sup- 
port is given to the proposals now suggested for such betterment. 
