PARK AND CEMETERY 
and Landscape Gardening. 
VOL. XIII CHICAGO, OCTOBER, 1903 No. 8 
Cultivation of Hardy, Ornamental, Coniferous and other Evergreens. 
Paper read by John Dunbar before the Rochester Convention of Cemetery Superintendents. 
In the popular mind evergreens are usually associated with 
pines, spruces, firs and the like. In this brief paper we will call 
attention to some hardy ornamental evergreens other than the 
coniferous forms. 
There is undoubtedly a particular value in any shrub or 
tree that will maintain a good normal green appearance in 
its leaves throughout the entire year in this latitude. The 
British Islands and some parts of Continental Europe, on 
account of the cool moist atmosphere that prevails, are ad- 
mirably adapted to the cultivation and high development of 
many beautiful "flowering evergreens’’ that we cannot think 
of cultivating throughout the northeastern United States. 
We are, however, more than compensated by the abundant 
wealth of many deciduous trees and shrubs, which on ac- 
count of our hot, almost tropical summers, abundant rainfall, 
and cold winters which give a long period of rest, attain to 
a much greater floral perfection here, than they do in 
Europe. It may seem strange, however, that although numer- 
ous parts of the North American continent are the homes of 
many beautiful evergreens, that their successful cultivation is 
frequently attended with much difficulty under ornamental 
conditions. We will first consider the coniferous evergreens. 
Their cheerfulness throughout the dull winter months, and 
the handsome comely forms of many of them, so strikingly 
apparent in the summer time, particularly in their youthful 
days, and their general desirability at all times of the year, 
commend them to all planters wherever conditions are known 
to be favorable for their healthy growth and development, 
in parks, cemeteries and private grounds. They do not im- 
poverish the soil around them nearly to the same extent 
as deciduous trees, their leaves are not troublesome in creat- 
ing litter, and they rarely are injured by violent storms. They 
can easily be restricted in growth, and area if so desired, 
without much trouble, by disbudding and pinching, and this 
can be done so intelligently that the means employed to 
accomplish this end can hardly be detected. 
Rochester being such a prominent nursery center for a 
great many years ; coniferous evergreens among other 
things, have been more or less largely cultivated, handled, and 
sold. The well known firm of Ellwanger & Barry during 
their long career have tested a large number of different 
kinds, from an experimental point of view, and obtained much 
valuable information, as to the most satisfactory species and 
varieties for planting in conditions of soil, temperature and 
moisture, that obtain elsewhere similar to Rochester. For 
example, on the south side of their vineyard on Highland 
Ave., the Nordman, the Cephalonian firs, over fifty feet in 
height, and Lawson’s Cypress nearly forty feet, are in good 
health, and planted nearly fifty years since, are amongst 
some of the important evergreens to be seen in their grounds. 
Highland Park, which forms a part of the park system of 
the city of Rochester, contains an extensive pinetum cover- 
ing an area of acres. The soil is a very light sand}' loam, r 1 ' 1 
a porous gravelly subsoil. The nucleus of this collection was 
planted in the spring of 1896, and numerous accessions have 
been made since. No particular plan of planting in generic 
sequence has been adopted. The more rare and known 
tender kinds are planted in different situations and exposures 
to find out what suits them best. As every experienced plant- 
er knows some evergreens are exceedingly capricious, and 
what might strike a planter as an ideal "spot" for these 
particular subjects, may subsequently show by their behavior 
to be unfitted for them, so we have adopted the plan of not 
having all our "eggs in one basket.” Some species of doubt- 
ful hardiness such as Pinus Sabimana, Libocedrus decurrens, 
Cedr us Deodara, and C. Libanii have been under trial since 
1898, and so far have behaved splendidly, but we cannot tell 
how soon a severe winter may occur and injure them severely. 
Pinus insignis, P. pinea, and Cupressus MacNabiana have 
been winter killed. 
The soil best adapted for almost all coniferous evergreens 
is a light sandy loam with a good porous subsoil, which must 
be naturally or artificially well drained. It must not of course 
be understood that we recommend a poor soil, but whilst it 
should be light in texture, it should be rich enough to grow 
good wheat or potatoes. The best season for planting conifer- 
ous evergreens is a much discussed question. 1 have planted 
them at all seasons of the year, except when in full growth, 
with more or less success. The months of August and Sep- 
tember is a good time for planting, provided the ground has 
been well saturated with rains. I think on the wdiole I have 
had the best results by spring planting, just about the time 
when the buds begin to perceptibly swell. It is needless to 
say before a body of practical men such as we have here, that 
coniferous evergreens are much less tenacious of life than 
deciduous trees, and therefore the most scrupulous care should 
invariably be exercised in planting or transplanting to pre- 
serve the roots from exposure to the air. This gospel has 
been preached time and again, and no heterodox heresy will 
ever affect its validity. The different pines, spruces, and firs 
perhaps show their greatest beauty in their youthful days. 
I mean by that before they attain anything like maturity. 
Therefore the preservation and retaining of the lower branches 
should be encouraged by all possible cultural means. This 
can be aided by an occasional stopping of the leader by cut- 
ting back to a bud in firs and spruces and allowing it only so 
much growth in a season, and disbudding the points of branches 
in May and June that extend too far beyond the general 
pyramidal outline. Linder conditions where a highly garden- 
esque effect is desired the most dense pyramidal outlines can 
be produced in many firs and spruces by systematic judicious 
disbudding, and still look wonderfully naturalistic. It must 
be clearly understood that I do not here in any way allude to 
the topiary art of shearing or trimming with shears into any 
form whatever, for unless for hedge purposes, that is some- 
thing to be despised. 
