show their flowers are Prunus alleghaniensis, a small tree from the 
mountains of Pennsylvania, and two shrubs from Kansas and Oklahoma, 
Prunus Watsonii and Prunus orthosepala. These are attractive when 
in flower, very hardy, and produce handsome fruits. 
Among foreign Plums now in bloom the most interesting, perhaps, is 
Prunus triflora. This is a Chinese species not often seen in American 
gardens from which the so-called Japanese Plums largely grown by pom- 
ologists have been in part, at least, derived. The Plum collection will be 
found near the junction of the Forest Hills and Meadow Roads. 
The group of Wild Pears (Pyrus) near the Forest Hills entrance and on 
the left-hand side of the Forest Hills Road is now interesting, for in this 
group are some of the handsomest of the early spring flowering trees. 
The Pears, of which there are a number of species, are natives of south- 
ern and western Europe, the Himalayas, of China and eastern Siberia. 
The genus has no American representative. The beauty of the flowers 
of several of the species from southwestern Europe is heightened by the 
silver color of the young leaves which generally unfold as the flowers 
open. 
The first of the species in the Arboretum to flower is Pyrus Simonii 
from China. It has large and abundant flowers which now cover the 
leafless branches. The leaves of this tree, like those of several of the 
Chinese species, are large, thick and lustrous, and unlike those of any 
other Pear in the collection, turn in the autumn brilliant scarlet, a char- 
acter which adds to the value of this species as a garden plant. Other 
plants just coming into flower are Pyrus elaeagrifolia and Pyrus salici- 
folia from the Caucasus, and these will soon be followed by a number of 
European species and by others from China. Among the latter the dif- 
ferent forms of Pyrus sinensis are perhaps the most desirable in the 
whole group as they are very hardy and of rapid growth, and their flow- 
ers and leaves are large and abundant. The fruit, too, of some of these 
Chinese forms is juicy and edible. Another of the Chinese Pears, Pyrus 
betulaefolia, has smaller flowers than the others but they are very abun- 
dant, but the small round fruits are not much larger than peas. 
The Redbuds (Cercis) are just opening their flowers. The species of 
the eastern United States, Cercis canadensis , has been generally planted 
in the Arboretum and large plants can be seen from many of the roads. 
On the Meadow Road, nearly opposite the Plum group, is a tree of this 
species which produces white flowers. This variety was found a few 
years ago in the woods of southwestern Missouri and is still a rare plant 
in cultivation. Cercis chinensis has more beautiful flowers than the 
American species. Plants of this small eastern Asiatic shrub are now in 
flower on the left-hand side of Azalea Path. 
Of several species of Ribes (Currants) now in flower in the Shrub col- 
lection the most interesting are two species from western North Amer- 
ica. One of these, Ribes cereum , which is now covered with small white 
flowers, to be followed by sweet, edible, red fruits, is a native of the 
southern Rocky Mountain region where it is widely distributed. Unlike 
