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generally planted, especially as the autumn colors of many of them, 
like some individuals of the White Oak and the Scarlet Oak, are not 
surpassed by those of any trees in the northern forests. It is true 
that nearly all Oak trees, with the exception perhaps of the common 
Red Oak, are difficult to transplant unless this is done when the plants 
are very young seedlings, but when finally transplanted when only one 
or two years old they grow, as has been seen in the Arboretum, as 
rapidly or more rapidly than any other deciduous trees hardy here, 
with the exception perhaps of Willows and Poplars. For the decora- 
tion of parks, parkways and roadsides they are superior to other trees, 
especially Elms and Ashes, for they grow as rapidly or more rapidly 
when once established and are rarely ruined by wind which every year 
in northern city parks destroys hundreds or even thousands of Elms, 
which are perhaps the most popular trees to use in this country for 
this purpose because they can be transplanted when of large size. 
Lightning, of course, injures an Oak as often and as seriously as it 
does any other tree, but apart from lightning Oak trees are rarely in- 
jured by accidents, and the insects which attack them are no less easy 
to handle than the insects which have been so destructive to Elms. 
The new parkways in the neighborhood of Boston have in the last 
twenty years been generally planted with Red Oaks and fifty years hence 
these should make magnificent spectacles, and long survive the Amer- 
ican and European Elms which have been so often used for this pur- 
pose. There is not a single Oak-tree certainly of any age on Boston 
Common; and the comparatively few Oak-trees growing at Mt. Vernon 
either before Washington’s time or which have sprung up since bear 
no evidence that he ever planted an Oak of any species, although Mt. 
Vernon is well suited to produce Oaks of ornamental value. In the 
extreme southern states, especially in Natchez, Mississippi, and Louis- 
iana, planters a hundred years ago fortunately planted Live Oaks and 
these are probably now the finest Oak-trees which have been planted 
in the United States. It is interesting that one of the handsomest 
Oak-trees in the United States is the hybrid Quercus Comptonae which 
appeared many years ago on Dr. Duncan’s plantation near Natchez. 
This tree, which was destroyed a year or two ago by a storm, has 
produced a few seedlings which are growing near Natchez, and occa- 
sionally in Louisiana, and which are now great trees unsurpassed in 
beauty. 
Some one should take up the hybridization of Oaks seriously, espec- 
ially the Chinese and Japanese species, for judging by our small expe- 
rience with hybrid Oaks efforts to increase the forms in this manner 
promises to add valuable material to our plantations in the northern 
hemisphere. Occasionally hybrids will be found growing naturally, but 
it is not probable that unknown hardy species are likely to be discov- 
ered except possibly in the great unexplored region in northern Tibet 
and on the high mountains of northern Kansu in northwestern China. 
Enkianthus. The Japanese species of this Asiatic genus of the Heath 
Family all grow well in the Arboretum and the group of these plants 
on the lower side of Azalea Path furnish pleasure to many persons in 
spring when they are covered with bell-shaped flowers, and in late 
October when the leaves are bright scarlet. The handsomest of these 
