The two eastern American species of Mountain Ash, Sorbus ameri- 
cana and its variety decora , are covered with large clusters of scarlet 
fruit which remain on the branches in brilliant condition until after the 
leaves have fallen and until late in the season when they are eaten by 
the robins. These plants are on the border at the eastern end of the 
Shrub Collection and near the entrance from the Forest Hills Gate. In 
the same border several species of American Hawthorns are now bear- 
ing large crops of scarlet fruits, notably Crataegus succulenta, C. pru- 
nifolia, and C. rotundifolia. On some of the American Hawthorns the 
fruit ripens soon after the middle of August and has already disappeared; 
on other species it will continue to ripen during the next two months, 
and the fruit of a few species will retain its beauty until spring. Many 
of the young plants in the general collection of Hawthorns on Peter’s 
Hill, are fruiting this year, and among them one of the Colorado spe- 
cies (C. Colorado) is conspicuous from the abundance of its bright red 
fruits which ripen early in September. The decorative value of the 
American Hawthorns is hardly realized yet, although few small trees 
or shrubs produce more beautiful flowers or handsomer or more abund- 
ant fruits. 
The collections of Grapevines on the trellisses at the eastern side of 
the Shrub Collection is now in excellent condition and is one of the 
most complete and successful groups in the Arboretum. Persons inter- 
ested in hardy vines or desirous, of seeing the decorative value of our 
native Grapevines should lose no time in visiting this collection for the 
first severe frost kills the leaves of these plants. All the species of 
eastern North America, except two or three from the extreme south, 
are represented in the collection and they all have value as ornamental 
plants. Of the species which are not often seen in cultivation atten- 
tion is called to Vitis Doaniana from the Texas Panhandle, V. bicolor 
from eastern New York and southward, and V. arizonica with its small 
pale gray-green leaves. The Japanese Vitis Coignetiae is perhaps a 
more vigorous plant than any of the American species, although probably 
V. cinerea and V. aestivalis growing on the rich bottom-lands of the 
Missisippi valley reach a greater height than this Japanese vine, but in 
the size of its thick dark green leaves which are sometimes a foot in 
diameter, in its vigor, rapid growth and massive appearance it has no 
equal among the Grapevines which have been grown in the Arboretum. 
In northern Japan the leaves turn bright scarlet before falling, but the 
earlier frosts of the American autumn, which is a month earlier than 
the autumn of Japan, generally destroy the leaves while they are still 
green. 
The season for flowers in the Arboretum is practically ended for the 
year, although one of the new Chinese shrubs, Indigofera ambliantha 
is still covered with its erect spikes of small rose-colored flowers. This 
is a small perfectly hardy shrub with erect stems, which, beginning to 
flower the middle of July, continues to produce its flower clusters until 
October. Among summer-flowering shrubs this is certainly one of the 
most beautiful of recent introduction. 
The Arboretum will be grateful for any publicity 
given these Bulletins, 
