253 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
Garden Plants — Their Geog^raphy — L-XXV, 
Casuarina is the “beefwood” genus of the Austra- 
lians. They are singular trees and shrubs found in 
23 species from India through the Indian, Malayan 
BETULA ALBA VAR. DALECARLICA. 
and Pacific Islands to Australia. Two or three Aus- 
tralian species (stricta, equisetifolia and tenuissima) 
have been introduced to California, but are not much 
planted. 
They are more like Ephedra in the growth of their 
branches than anything, and some authors have actu- 
ally included them with conifers. Many kinds grow 
rapidly and large forests have been planted for fuel 
in South India. They are considerably planted for 
ornament too. Cattle browse the branches of C. 
stricta and others, probably as much to allay thrist 
as anything. The wood of several is finely marked, 
useful for furniture and extensively used for shin- 
gles. I suppose it is one of these trees that news- 
I^aper correspondents allude to as a “fir” growing on 
the “seashores” of the Philipi)ines, but it is hardlv safe 
to hazard a guess as to what American writers mean 
when they speak of plants. 
Betula “birch” is given 35 species, one or other of 
which is found in most parts of the temperate and 
even Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisfphere. 
They are often strikingly handsome trees or some- 
times shrubs. B. alba is found in all parts of North- 
ern Europe and Asia and probably also in Alaska ; 
it varies greatly, and there are at least fifteen or twen- 
tv well marked forms in gardens where they are used 
more than any others. B. papyrifera and the smaller 
growing B. populifolia have both white bark, but 
scarcely so pleasing a habit as the five varieties of 
B. alba. There has been considerable complaint from 
the prairie states of borers and fungous diseases at- 
tacking birches, and it is certain that they are often 
planted in too dry ground and exposed situations, for 
naturall}'' the birches are greatly sheltered by other 
trees. 
Of the eastern species the handsome B. nigra ex- 
tends further tot he -southwest than others, he^ng 
found along the Trinity river. It does not reach 
north to Canada naturally, as most native birches do, 
but is reported hardy at the Ottawa Arboretum. 
B. lenta, B. lutea, and others difficult to transplant 
should be moved when small. White stemmed birches 
show admirably when arranged so that conifers are 
in the background, but white stemmed or not the 38 
or more sj^ecies and varieties known to gardens form 
a striking group. 
Alnus “alder” has 15 species in Europe, Northern 
Asia and North and South America. At Ottawa 35 
forms have been planted, mostly hardy. They are 
often quite handsome trees or shrubs, varying from 
6 to 60 feet in height. A. glutinosa and A. incana 
have had more varieties selected for cultivation than 
others. Manv of the species are partial to the vicinity 
of water. 
Ostryopsis Davidiana is a small monotypic tree 
from Mongolia and others parts of China. 
Ostrya “Iron wood” has 5 species in Europe, Asia 
and North America. 
Corylhis “Hazel” has 6 or 7 species of similar dis- 
tribution, and several ornamental varieties of shrubs 
or small trees. James Macpherson. 
