34 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
many winters had twisted and turned them about, 
the observer will always be impressed with the very 
different aspect of the tree, viewed from the exter- 
ior. The wealth of emerald green foliage from the 
outward view gives but little indication of the ex- 
tent of bare limbs of great size exposed on the 
under side. 
Doubtless the nourishing and invigorating prop- 
erties of the saline breezes that constantly blow in 
land from the Gulf, furnishes one explanation of 
such strength and luxuriance; but Virgil more 
truly strikes the key-note where he tells us that the 
oak sends down its roots into the earth to a depth 
that corresponds to the height and length of the 
branches. The Martha . Washington oak tree in 
Audubon Park, New Orleans, illustrated on the 
previous page, measures 26 feet in circumference 
at 3 feet from the ground, is about 65 feet in height 
and has a spread of branches of 126 feet. The 
limbs that project on all sides are as large as the 
average trunks of forest trees of other kinds that 
have forty years of growth. 
There is a live oak tree at Brunswick, Ga., that 
has a place in the “five hundred most celebrated 
views of Nature and Art. ” There is one at Pass 
Christian, Miss., that somewhat exceeds the Bruns- 
wick celebrity. It has been a land mark from the 
earliest days. The Spanish land grants of the past 
century read, “from the live oak tree,” etc., as a 
boundary line; this special tree too, is but one 
among many of equal size and antiquity. 
G. T. Drennan. 
SOME ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS, II. 
The charming family of Rhododendrons, Azaleas 
and their kindred will occur to any one who desires 
showy flowers in the shrubbery. There is no more 
beautiful class of plants, but unfortunately they 
will not thrive everywhere. Those who cannot 
succeed with them may console themselves with 
Roses and P^eonies. The so-called tree Pieonies are 
shrubs that will thrive in soil that is death to 
Rhododendrons. For the best results in growing 
Paeonies one must have patience, as it is only after 
they have been established some years that they 
begin to show their real beauty. They need the 
choicest places in the garden, plenty of sunshine, 
rather moist and very rich soil, often renewed. 
They are grand plants when well grown, and worth 
a great deal of trouble. 
Lilacs are charming shrubs, and desirable for 
their beauty and fragrance of their flowers. They 
are propagated in many varieties, but the old- 
fashioned white and dark lilac kinds are as hardy 
and satisfactory as any, and will stand more neglect 
than any of the newer kinds. The Persian L'lac is 
an exceedingly profuse bloomer and grows to a 
large size, but does not harmonize with pink or 
red flowering shrubs, and should not be planted too 
near them. The pink-flowered Syringa villosa 
comes into bloom in June after the other varieties 
have faded, and is desirable on this account. 
All the Philadelphuses have showy bloom, es- 
pecially the P. grandiflorus, P. gordonianu-, w hich 
*PHir.ADEr,PHtTS coRON.ARiTi.s. {Garland Syr in^'a.) 
is later than the other kinds, and the beautiful 
Lemoine hybrids. 
Of Deutzias, the double-flowered pink and 
white Deutzia crenata is perhaps the most con- 
spicuous. It forms a large bush, sometimes eight 
or nine feet in height, and is covered with bloom 
late in May or early in June. 
And now we come to the beautiful stranger 
from China which takes so kindly to our soil and 
climate, and which, if I could plant but one shrub, 
would be my choice for the May garden, the 
Weigelia. It is not, by any means, a rare plant, 
and there are many varieties, all beautiful. It is 
quite hardy, has a most graceful habit of growth, 
and should be allowed to develop naturally in good 
soil and in full sunshine. It repays care by added 
beauty, but will grow and flourish almost any- 
where. In pruning remember that every branch 
that is ruthlessly lopped away deprives the owner 
of a beautiful garland of bloom. In its natural 
state it has a half pendulous habit of growth, and 
should not be tied up or cut back. Remove dead 
limbs or those that interfere or mar the symmetry 
of the plant. Otherwise let it alone. If it can 
be given plenty of room to develop naturally it 
will never be an unshapely object. 
One of the best qualities of the Weigelia is the 
time of its flowering, and another is the duration 
of its bloom. It comes into bloom in May after 
*The ilUrstrations in this article are by courtesy of P S 
Peterson & Sons, Chicago, from specimen shrubs in their nurs- 
eries. 
