50 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
SELECTED NOTES AND EXTRACTS. 
The Russian Olive. 
The Russian Olive as a decorative tree 
is rapidly gaining friends, and it evidently 
possesses a nninber of desirable qualities. 
The following paragraph is a further testi- 
mony: 
In a late issue there is an item about 
the Ru.s.siau Olive, asking some questions 
about it, and noting some observations of 
its remarkable endurance and beauty as 
an ornamental tree. C. vS. Harri.son, of 
Nebraska, says it will grow faster than the 
cottonwood, and it thrives in Dakota, 
ninch to his surpri.se. As Mr Reinish said 
the Mennonites brought the trees to this 
country, and I secured a number of the 
small trees at that time, and have kept a 
few on hand ever since. Growing from 
seed is the best way to grow them cheaply, 
Tmt they do not all produce alike; but 
they all have the same silvery foliage as 
they get age, the greatest difference being 
.seen in the production of the .seed and the 
size of it. 
The sweet fragrance of the flower is 
wafted on the winds and can be traced 
for half a mile, and yet it is not strong 
or repulsive when confined in a room as 
is the case with the Tuberose. 
About the merit of the wood, there is 
no ca.se on record as to its uses, but it is 
hard, fine grained, would W'ork well in 
fancy finish. 
It is one of the rarely beautiful trees 
littleknowii.— Griesa in American 
Gardening. 
TV * 
An Early Flowering Shrub. 
Prunus tribola is a handsome early — 
flowering shrub which might be oftener 
planted to advantage. In fact, it seems 
to be little known, though my observation 
may be at fault on this point. As I have 
.seen it, it is a prettier shrub than the 
much commoner flowering almond. Prim- 
us Japonica (P. iiaiia. ) The flowers are 
large, douVile and a beautiful rose pink. 
They appear early in the spring, along 
with the wild violets. The shrub is neat, 
clean, six feet high and healthy and 
hardy, so far as I have observed. — F. A . 
Waugh., in Gardenitg. 
* * * 
Golden Elder and Purple Hazel. 
One of the most effective combinations 
of hardy foliage trees in the garden can 
be made by the employment of Golden 
Elder and Purple Hazel. The only con- 
dition needed to make this quite effective 
is an open situation fully exposed to the 
sun, so that the full golden leafage may 
be perfectly developed. If there is the 
least shade from over-hanging trees, the 
Elder then assumes a dull green and is 
quite ineffective. No plant that I know 
will grow better under what might be 
termed unfavorable conditions as to soil; 
it will grow in any kind, heavy or light, 
and as to its propagation nothing is ea.sier. 
Stout cuttings one foot long of the cur- 
rent seasons wood taken off in October, 
cut square across below a joint, and firmly 
dibbled into sandy soil, will make nice 
plants in one year. 
Instead of “dotting” the plants here 
and there in the shrubberies, as is too 
often the case, mass them together — not 
less than a dozen — giving them just 
enough room to make their annual 
growth. In front of the Elder plant a 
single row of the Hazel, giving them 
sufficient room to stand clear of each 
other. An annual close pruning of both 
subjects down to within an eye or two of 
the base will induce a vigorous growth of 
young shoots every year and larger leaves, 
which will be more intensely golden than 
those coming away le.ss vigorously. Dur- 
ing the summer, when the shoots are, 
say two feet long, nip out the point of 
each; this also emphasizes the coloring. 
The hazel too, may be served in the same 
way. This yearly pruning insures a com- 
pact growth. — E. M. i>i The Garden, 
London. 
* * * 
The Christmas Rose of Old England. 
Not a rose at all, but a hellebore, H. 
niger. It is a plant deserving larger rec- 
ognition than is accorded to it, interest- 
ing from association with the past, and 
from its time and habit of bloom; and 
beautiful, both in foliage and flower. The 
Christmas rose flourishes in cold and tem- 
perate climates. Its finest bloom is under 
the snow. Ju.st outside of my window is 
a clump quite a quarter of a century old. 
It was first planted in an open, sunny 
spot, but faili.;g to thrive was removed 
to this nook, .sheltered by buildings on 
the south and west. Each spring, after 
removing the old growth, a good dre.ssing 
of fine manure is'applied. In summer 
heats liberal waterings are given, al- 
though the plant receives only the east- 
ern snn. This plant has never been di- 
vided, cutting the root being injurious to 
the parent plant. In snowless winters a 
cold frame, improvised from the sides of 
a box, and a glazed sash, prolongs the 
beauty of the blossoms, by protection 
from the winds, etc. This plant .seems 
without insect enemies. The best time 
for planting is the spring. — From Vick's 
Magazine for April. 
Pruning and Watering. 
Two verv important topics are touched 
upon in the following paragraphs — mat- 
ters that are not always thoroughly ap- 
preciated. 
To be able to prune a shrub the opera- 
tor must know it and all about it — when 
it blooms, on young or old wood, and so 
forth; generally speaking the best time is 
after the shrub is done blooming. Take 
for an instance the philadelphus: It 
blooms at a time when the plant is in ac- 
tive growth, making the wood for next 
season’s flowering after blooming. The 
flowering wood is of little use to the plant, 
and b}' removing it light and air are ad- 
mitted to the developing growth. Late 
bloomers may be pruned in vSprin before 
the growth commences. A plant of this 
nature is H3'drangea paiiiculata. Earlv 
bloomers should not be touched in the 
Spring because of the danger in depriv- 
ing the plant of its flowering wood. Such 
plants are represented by the forsythias, 
viburnums and .shrubbv' loniceras; all of 
these, however, and others of their class, 
should be shaped, not sheared, after the 
blooms have gone. Roses maj' be gone 
over twice a j-ear after blooming. If there 
be a profusion of young wood, part of the 
old mate ial may be dispensed with; this 
will strengthen what is left, and in Spring 
the previous Summer’s growth should be 
shortened so as to throw strength into the 
lateral growths on which the flowers are 
produced. 
It has been said that onl}' about ten in 
a hundred know when and how to water 
a plant. Perhaps that is placing the aver- 
age a little too high. Watering is one of 
the most important items in the work of 
.the plant grower. Too much or too little 
given to a plant is equally hurtful. Too 
little is often the case when we see a plant 
evidently wet on the top of the soil, and 
near the bottom dust dr3\ This state of 
matters is brought about by leaving too 
little space for water and going o . er the 
plants carelessly with can or hose. As a 
rule, when this happens, the plants do not 
show the effect by wilting, but ultimately 
they show it in their starved appearance. 
Too much water sours the soil and fills 
the feeding roots, bringing about the 
same condition. Rules can not be laid 
down for watering plants, and an expert 
waterer can only be found in a man who 
carefully studies the conditions under 
which plants grow in their native haunts; 
also the condition of the plant at time of 
watering, whether newly rooled and pot. 
ted, or newly shifted, in full vigor of 
growth, going to rest— sub-aquatics or suc- 
culents, drainage, and the constituents, 
etc., of the .soil. The.se are all to be 
taken into consideration before intelligent 
watering can be done. — Florist's Ex- 
change. 
