154 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
Japan Snowball and Other Viburnums. 
The snowball family has ahvays been 
an interesting one. What is now known 
as the old sort has been long esteemed 
for its beautiful white balls of flowers in 
May. There is hardly an old garden in 
the land that does not possess one of 
them. This one is a straggling grower, 
hard to make a handsome bush of unless 
pruned, and having divided leaves. In 
its habit of flowering it produces one to 
three flower heads in a group, seldom 
more. But good thing that it is, it is 
excelled by the one from the Japan, 
which has now come to be called Japan- 
ese Snowball. This is of an entirely 
different nature from the others, the 
flowers only resembling it. The leaves 
are entire, thick, and of plaited appear- 
ance. In growth it makes a shapely 
bush without any pruning. Indeed it is 
easily spoiled by injudicious pruning. 
Instead of a straggling bush, bare of 
side branches, there is in this a thickly 
branched bush of good outline. But it 
is in its fl iwers that the chief excellence 
lies. They are in pairs, opposite each 
other on the stem, one on each side, and 
s'lmetimes as many as ten pairs on one 
branch. When a large bush is in full 
flower it is a magnificent sight. Theie 
is just enough leaf here and there to be 
seen to give a ground work to the white 
fljwers. A shrub to be in general de- 
mand must be hardy, beautiful and 
easily transplanted, and all these quali- 
ties are justly claimed for this one. Re- 
garding the time of flowering, the old 
sort leads the new one by about four 
to9ixda>s. In catalogues the old sort 
is sailed Viburnum opulus and the new 
one \Tburnum plicatum. — Joseph Mee- 
han in The Practical Farmer. 
» « * 
The Ailanthos. 
In France it has been found that the ail- 
anthus, which multiplies itself so rapidly 
by suckers from the roots, is well adapted 
to rocky and sterile hill and mountain 
sides where other vegetation will not exist. 
In such location it sends out its roots be- 
tween the rocks and from these spring new, 
young plants, clothing such hillsides with 
forest growth- The wood of the ailanthus 
is soft and light, and of little value hitherto 
known, either for fuel or manufacturing 
purposes, but it has been found that it 
serves admirably for broom handles, and 
is proving so useful for this purpose that 
the cultivation of the tree is beingextend- 
ed even beyond the limits of poor lands. — 
Vicks Illustrated Monthly May^azine . 
* # * 
Flowering Shrubs for Decoration Day in 
the West. 
Decoration, or Memorial Day, in most 
of the States about May 30th, is a happy 
time, though it is accompained by sad 
memories of loved ones departed in battle 
and in peace. It is Dame Flora who 
makes it a happy time, without whom 
Memorial Day would soon become a thing 
of the past. Above all things, we want an 
abundance of flowers at this time, and 
the question arises, — “what?” 
A correspondent from Washington 
State asks for a suitable list for that sec- 
tion. As regards latitude, a list suitable 
for Maine should answer for Washington; 
but there are other considerations locally 
that may make a great difference between 
such widely-located points. Without re- 
ferring to any positive records, it would 
be safe to say that the earliest spring 
flowers would be timely, such as Bridal 
Wreath Spiisea, Lilac, Spiiasa Van 
Houttei, Deutzia gracilis and Exochorda. 
Around Philadelphia, snowballs and 
weigela are looked upon as the principal 
flowers to be counti d on in abundance; 
but this past season, they had just about 
finished blooming at the close of May, 
lilacs had disappeared long befoie; but in 
New York City, not much further north, 
lilacs were seen. The difficulty of pro- 
viding a correct list for another State can, 
therefore, be recognized. 
Pteonies and iris come in about the 
same time as the preceding, followed by 
deutzias and spiiae.is, other than those 
mentioned, and mock orange. — Meehan's 
Mi nthly for August. 
* * * 
Hybrid Pyrethroms, 
These so-called hebrids are really all 
garden varieties of Pyrethrum roseum, 
but there are Vi ry few other hardy com- 
posites which can compete with these 
giant, colored daisies, with their fern like 
foliage and showy flower- heads. For de- 
coration of the border and for cutting, 
they are distinct as well as useful, from 
the beginning of bloom till the end of 
June; height one and one-half to two and 
one-half feet. 
When well established the clumps will 
send up from seventy five to 100 flower 
stems with three to four flower heads to 
each. The flower heads, however, will be 
finer if only one is allowed to develop on 
each stem. Plants that were not planted 
till July sent up from twenty five to thirty 
five flower stems the following June. 
Like their near relatives, the chrysan- 
themums, these pyrethrums prefer and 
winter much better on deep, rich, well 
drained lard. They should be covered 
with straw or long hay as soon as the 
ground is frozen hard. A good dressing 
of well rotted manure between the plants, 
applied soon after covering, is taken off 
in spring, and an occasional watering 
with liquid manure given when flower 
heads are developing will add to their 
size and give clearer, brighter colors. 
The single and anemone flowered 
varieties are the most graceful but double 
varieties are grand for the border, and 
can be used for cut flowers and designs 
wherever the China aster could be used. 
The color ranges from white to deep 
crimson and includes many shades of pink 
and red. Stock can be increased by 
division, the best time for which is when 
growth commences, after flowering. 
If kept free from weeds, the soil loose 
round the plants and the flower stems 
cut off as soon as flower heads are shabby, 
there will be no trouble in keeping plants 
over the following winter, and a second 
crop of bloom will often develop before 
frost. — R. N. in The American Florist. 
* * * 
Rapid-growing Shade Trees. 
Impatient for shade; it is little wonder 
so many persons turn first to the poplar to 
supply their needs, regardless of the future. 
They might easily compromise and take 
a silver or a sugar maple, a white ash or 
American linden. The silver maple is 
not to be recommended for sidewalk 
planting, because of its surface roots and 
liability to spindling growth; but for a 
lawn, with a little guidance and room to 
grow, it makes a a beautiful specimen, 
which in good time rivals the noble oak. 
I have seen magnificent specimens, not 
less than thirty-five years old, with an 
immense spread of branches almost as 
great as their height, and drooping to al- 
most touch the ground — huge trunks 
which at once arrest the eye and encourage 
a feeling of awe. It is true, such trees 
will not live as long as some others; but 
if, with care, they last from seventy-five 
to one hundred years might they not 
have served a useful life? The white ash 
is quite rapid-growing, and does well in 
cities and on streets; though complaints 
are occasionally entered that trunk borers 
are fond of it. In Philadelphia are mag- 
nificent specimens to prove they can es- 
cape severe injury from such enemies. 
F or side yai ds and lawns, Catalpa specio* a 
will be found admirable and fairly rapid 
in growth. It is better than C. bignon- 
ioides in habit of growth. — A. Menddson 
Meehan in Florists E.xchanste. 
