354 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
ties. When they can be connected with a botanical 
species, subspecies or variety, this is indicated by the 
succession of names, — e. g. Pelargonium zonale Mis- 
tress Pollock. Names of hybrids within a given 
genus are subject to the same rules as other botanical 
names but preceded by a multiplication sign, e. g. 
X Salix capreola, — and their parentage is indicated 
by writing the names of the parent species in alpha- 
betical order, separated by a multiplication sign, — e. g. 
Salix aurita X caprea. Hybrids between species of 
different genera are to be designated by a distinct spe- 
cific name under the generic name which comes first 
alphabetically of those to which parentage is attributed, 
the whole preceded by a multiplication sign, — e. g. 
X Ammophila haltica, — and their parentage is indicat- 
ed by the alphabetical citation of the parents separ- 
ated by a multiplication sign, — e. g. Ainmophtla arcn- 
aria X Calamagrostis epigeios. The horticultural 
rules are in essential accord with those recommended 
by an international commission and passed by the 
Madison Botanical Congress of 1893 (as reported in 
Proceedings of the Madison Botanical Congress. 41-44. 
Tracy, Gibbs & Co., Madison, Wisconsin, 1894.) 
The action of the Congress, as can be seen, was 
conservative, conceding something on the part of the 
ultra-conservative botanists who would be glad to see 
all names in current use maintained, and conceding 
very much more on the part of the radical botanists 
who see a chance for permanence in plant names only 
through the enormous upheaval that has been going 
on for the last ten years, in this country particularly, 
in an effort to bring everything down to a basis of 
priority as the only rule that can be applied, free from 
personal choice. This was to have been expected from 
the composition of the Congress, for, while there were 
twelve botanists from the United States, the majority 
were from central Europe, and on the more debatable 
questions the decision was reached by about three- 
fourths of the votes cast. 
William Trelease, 
Director Missouri Botanical Garden. 
Spiraea Ttitinberg'ii. 
By Joseph Meehan. 
When winter leaves us we all well know with what 
delight we look forward to the appearance of the first 
flowers of spring. The change, sometimes as by magic, 
from ice and snow to budding leaves and flowers is so 
inspiring, that it calls to everyone to forget ice, snow 
and cold weather and enjoy the flowers. One of the 
first of blooming shrubs is the pretty Spiriea. Thun- 
bergii. The opening flower buds quickly follow the 
departure of freezing weather, and soon clothe the 
bush with expanded blossoms. There are many 
Spiraeas blooming at about the same time notably Van 
Houttei, arguta and Reevesii, all white, but the Thun- 
bergii leads all. Its branches are very slender and 
almost drooping, and when clothed with flowers are 
most graceful. Because of its half drooping habit it 
fits in nicely along a pathway such as is shown in the 
illustration. The drooping shrubs need an open place 
to properly develop their character, as the branches 
when weighted down with flowers are often near the 
ground. 
Spiraeas are among the most useful shrubs there 
are. Besides that there are several of them of very 
early blooming character ; there are several colors of 
them, and some which, one after the other, flower the 
whole season through. There are again those with 
flowers all along the branches, as in the subject of 
our photograph others with flowers on the ends of 
the branches only, and then some with flat heads of 
flowers, with others having them in finger-like spikes. 
There are no pink or other colored sorts to flower 
in spring. Some come in late June. The very best 
of the pink and the crimson ones are Bumalda for pink, 
and the Anthony Waterer for crimson. These are 
very late bloomers, often in flower when frost comes, 
commencing in June and flowering more or less all 
summer, especially if the bushes are vigorous and the 
SPIR^A THUNBERGII. 
plants cut back a little after the various crops of flowers 
are over. 
Young plants of all the Spiraeas flower better than 
older ones. This is why a good annual pruning helps 
them. But the early flowering ones are to be pruned 
after flowering is over, the late ones, those that bloom 
in July or later, must be pruned before they leaf out 
in spring. 
