ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT— DECIDUOUS TREES 
51 
Robinia: LOCUST. 
R. pseudacacia. BLACK LOCUST — 
FALSE ACACIA. Native. Here is a 
tree deserving of special mention because 
of its unusual heat and drought resisting 
qualities, together with its ornamental 
merits. It makes a tall slender tree 40 to 
80 feet high, with erect branches forming 
an oblong head making it particularly 
well adapted to street use. It is usually 
planted as a shade and an ornamental 
tree, however, the wood is exceptionally 
durable and strong and is used extensively 
in ship building for ship pins, for mill 
cogs, posts, wagon hubs and spokes, and 
is excellent fuel. The locust is a beauti- 
ful tree, and being a rapid grower, be- 
comes sturdy and spreadingin a few years. 
It is very effective in the spring when it 
unfolds its delicate leaf spray which turns 
dark green as the masses of white fra- 
grant flowers appear. From a little dis- 
tance the green leaves are obscured by the 
mass of bloom, which is heavy with per- 
fume and alive with bees. From the bee- 
man’s view point, the locust is a very prac- 
tical tree to plant. The tree is of special 
value for those people living in the rather 
arid regions because of its interesting 
habit of folding its leaflets and drooping 
its leaves on the approach of evening, a 
habit which avoids the excessive loss of 
moisture due to heat. Their preferred 
habitat is gravelly soil in which they 
thrive and retain their freshness thruout 
the drought. The flowers bloom in May 
and June and hang in great drooping 
racemes, white, fragrant and pea-like and 
of good size. 
R. hispida. ROSE ACACIA. Small tree 
with spreading branches, and the young 
shoots clothed with hairs. The flowers 
are produced in great droopiig clusters, 
pea-shaped and rosy-pink in June and July. 
The foliage is delicate in form and light 
green in color. It is a charming little 
tree, and well adapted for specimen use 
on the lawn or in the shrubbery border. 
Salix; WILLOW. 
The Willows are chiefly quick-growing 
water loving trees and shrubs with slen- 
der, supple twigs. The flowers are produc- 
ed in catkins. They are distributed from 
the equator to the Artie Circle, from the 
sea-level to the mountain tops. Most of 
them prefer moist soil; a few dry. Their 
most fitting use as ornamentals is on the 
banks of streams and pools, here they are 
more at home than any other tree and the 
effect produced is very pleasing. They 
are of great practical value for retaining 
banks that are apt to wash away, or em- 
bankments that may slide. They are of 
good value in new countries when used for 
quick growing shelter belts. 
S. babylonica. BABYLONIAN, or COM- 
MON WEEPING WILLOW. This tree 
rises to a height of 30 to 60 feet; the 
branches stretch out in curves to a great 
width and then fall in lengths. This tree 
truly deserves the name “weeping” as 
this peculiarity of growth constitutes a 
trait characteristic of the species and not 
artificially maintained by deviation from 
the natural mode of growth. The branches 
droop naturally, without the clumsiness or 
appearance of being forcibly curved down- 
ward. Care should be exercised not to 
use the tree to excess in the landscape, as 
one large weeping willow or group of 
such trees on the margin of water, gives 
much better effect than a number scat- 
tered about promiscuously. The effect 
of the weeping willow is that of a foun- 
tain of water; the branches rise lightly 
into the air, to fall again gracefully of 
themselves. 
S. caprea pendula. KILMARNOCK WIL- 
LOW. A distinct variety, having reddish 
shoots and large, glossy foliage; grafted 
at a proper height, about 5 feet from the 
ground, it makes a very desirable lawn 
tree, having a perfect umbrella-shaped 
head, with the branches drooping grace- 
fully to the ground. It is well suited for 
planting in cemetery lots or other small en- 
closures. Extensively planted, and should 
be in every collection of ornamental shrub- 
bery. Hardy and vigorous growth. 
S. purpurea pendula. AMERICAN 
WEEPING. An American dwarf slender- 
branched species; grafted 5 to 6 feet high 
it makes one of the most ornamental of 
small weeping trees; more hardy than the 
Babylonica. 
S. vitellina. GOLDEN WILLOW. This 
is valued very much for its bright, golden- 
barked twigs in the winter season, for the 
effect of which it is much planted. It is es- 
pecially showy when planted in large groups 
To produce the best results, it should be 
severely trimmed every winter to induce 
a quantity of strong young growths. 
Sorbus: MOUNTAIN ASH. 
The handsome foliage and showy clus- 
ters of flowers and fruits make this a fa- 
vorite genus of trees for ornamental plant- 
ing. Their contentment with poor soil 
and exposed situations adds to their value- 
