The hot days of last week have brought out suddenly the flowers of 
several plants belated by the exceptional cold of the early part of April. 
Many of the Magnolias of eastern Asia, which produce their flowers 
before the leaves appear, are now in bloom. The flowers of the earliest of 
these, Magnolia stellata , are already passing. The delicate pink flowers 
of one form of this handsome and hardy Japanese shrub deserve special 
notice. The white-flowered Magnolia conspicua from China, the two 
forms of Magnolia Kobus from Japan, and the hybrid Magnolia Soulan- 
giana with pink flowers are particularly noticeable. They are in the 
immediate neighborhood of the Administration Building and near the 
Jamaica Plain Gate. 
Several of the Asiatic Cherries are in bloom. The most attractive of 
these are Prunus pendula and a variety of this Japanese tree with erect 
branches, Prunus pendula ascendens, often called Prunus subhirtella. 
This is one of the most beautiful of the early spring flowering trees. 
Attention is called, too, to Prunus Sargentii. This is a large Cherry- 
tree from the forests of northern Japan with single flowers, pink on some 
plants and rose-colored on others. Prunus Sargentii is a valuable tim- 
ber tree in its native country and one of the most desirable of the hardy 
trees of recent introduction. These Cherry-trees and many others are 
on the right-hand side of the Forest Hills Road. 
In the Shrub Collection, near the Forest Hills Gate, a number of 
species of Ribes (Currants and Gooseberries) are already in flower and 
here the different forms of Forsythia may be seen. The handsomest of 
them at this time is Forsythia intermedia, a hybrid between F. suspensa 
and F. viridissima , and a more desirable decorative plant than either of 
its parents. Less beautiful but of particular interest to students of plant 
geography is Forsythia europsea, discovered a few years ago in Albania 
and the only species found beyond the limits of the Chinese Empire. 
On Azalea Path a number of plants of Rhododendron mucronulatum 
are now in good condition. This is a native of the mountains of northern 
China, and is now covered with bright rose-colored flowers which are pro- 
duced before the leaves. It is the earliest of the Rhododendrons and 
Azaleas to bloom in the Arboretum. 
The Service Berry, or Shad Bush tree, will soon be in flower. Two 
species, Amelanchier canadensis and A. obovalis, grow naturally in the 
Arboretum, and the latter has been planted in large numbers through the 
border shrubberies. Large plants of A. canadensis, easily distinguished 
by the deep red color of the unfolding leaves, are growing at the foot of 
the wooded slope near the junction of the Forest Hills and Meadow 
Roads. 
The Plum-trees near the Shrub Collection will soon be covered with 
sheets of white flowers. Some of the Apricots here are already in bloom, 
and the pink petals of Prunus Davidiana are already dropping. This is 
the Wild Peach of northern China, by some botanists believed to be the 
plant from which the cultivated Peach has been derived. 
