PARK AND CE/nCTCRY. 
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GROUP OF PINES, FAIRMOUNT PARK, PHILADELPHIA. 
Group of Pines in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. 
The illustration given of a group of pines in Fair- 
mount Park, Philadelphia presents some of the beau- 
ties of that famous resort. It is in the winter season that 
evergreens seem to give the most delight, but often 
when planted near deciduous trees the foliage of the 
latter seems to add to the beauty of the picture as a 
whole, as is the case in that before us. The two 
dwarf pines showing so prettily in the foreground 
are dwarf forms of the common white pine, pinus 
strobus. They are extremely useful for planting in 
situations similar to what they occupy here, and in 
many other ones where dwarf evergreens of this 
character are wanted. There are retinosporas, 
yews, arbor- vitms and many other dwarf evergreens, 
but there are but few pines of really dwarf habit ex- 
isting as species. These two dwart white pines, 
though planted some twenty years ago, are now 
but about four feet high and six feet wide. The 
growth they make is but about two inches a year, 
or thereabouts. 
The larger dwarf growing on the right is a rare 
one, nothing less than a golden form of the Scotch 
Pinus Sylvestris. It has beautifully golden tinted 
foliage, besides the dwarf habit which seems natu- 
ral to it. It seems to be rare in cultivation, and I 
have never seen a finer one of it than this. Varieties 
of pines have to be propagated by grafting or in 
some such slower way than from seed, which ac- 
counts for the scarcity of many choice sorts. 
To the left of the two dwarf white pines is what 
is believed to be a Pinus Montana, one of the few 
dwarf species. As will be admitted, it is a beauti- 
ful specimen. This species differs greatly in habit 
ol growth. If a bed of seedlings be raised there 
will be some plants of almost prostrate character, 
others low and spreading though not prostrate, and 
still others of the shape of growth of the one in the 
illustration. It partly accounts for the many names 
under which this pine goes, such as Montana, 
Mughus, Pumilio &c. The next to it on the right 
is the common white pine, P. strobus, one of the 
prettiest of pines when young, and when in good 
soil. And how well it stands pruning, becoming 
when attended to in this way, so thick that a bird 
can hardly get through it. I'o the right of this 
there is one which, though unnamed in the collect- 
ion, is probably Mandshurica, an Asiatic species, 
of much beauty, which does well in our climate. 
The tall, sparsely branched evergreen showing 
back of the golden Scotch pine, is a hemlock spruce 
left to grow as it would. The first of the tall deci- 
duous trees on the left is a black oak, Quercus tinc- 
toria, a tree which, unfortunately, though of large 
growth, does not take on any pretty colors in Au- 
tumn. The next to it on the right is the White Ash, 
Fraxinus Americana, its finer foilage distinguishing 
it from the rest. The third in line is the tulip tree, 
Liriodendron tulipifera. Its magnificent growth, 
clean bark, dark green leaves, and magnolia- like 
flowers fit it nicely for planting where there is an 
abundance of room. The fourth tree is an oak. 
Still further to the right is seen the roof of 
Horticultural Hall, in which are some of the finest 
tropical plants to be seen under glass in this 
country. Joseph Meehan. 
Rapid progress is being made in the prelimina- 
ry work for the Lake Front Park, Chicago. It will 
be a grand improvement. 
