271 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
Garden Plants — Their 
Carpinus '‘liornbeani" ha»s 12. species Hlistriljutc-d 
over the northern hemisphere. On this continent C. 
caroliniana extends to the valley of the Trinity in 
Courtesy Ell wander Barry. 
QUERCUS PEDUN’CULATA. VAR. CONCORDIA. 
GOLDEN BRITISH OAK. 
Texas, while in Asia there are several species in China 
and Japan. C. Betulus, the common European spe- 
cies, has a number of varieties in cultivation, some 
pyramidal, some pendulous, and others with variously 
cut and variegated foliage. The hornbeam retains 
its dead leaves in winter, and as it grows rapidly it is 
oftener used as a hedge plant, or as a sheltering nurse 
])lant. hut it has a sombre appearance. 
Qucrciis “Oak’’ has 300 
species in Europe and North 
Africa, in temperate Asia 
and its subtropical moun- 
tains, and in North America 
extending southward along 
the Andean ranges of Cen- 
tral America to the United 
States of Colombia, or per- 
haps Brazil, for I remember 
a few remarkable species 
figured in the superb “Flora 
of Brazil,” by Martins. They 
are among the nolilest and 
most useful trees of the 
northern hemisphere. The 
common European oak, O. 
pedunculata, is famous for 
the great number of varie- 
ties which have been select- 
ed for ornamental culture. 
In the Ottawa (Out.) Ar- 
GeograpKy— LXXVI. 
lioretum about 14 of these are so far reckoned 
hardy out of the 40 tested. Of O. sessililiora 6 
vaiieties are reported hardy. Besides these, 24 other 
species and varieties are regarded as ])romising. chieflv 
the hardier North American kinds, together with the 
lajianese O. dentata, known as J)aimio,and a iMexi- 
can one called O. cordata. ( )n the other hand, many 
are reported tender, which is not to be wondered at 
uhen it is remembered from what a wide range of ter- 
ritory the American and old world oaks are olitained. 
It makes a considerable difference whether a particular 
]ilant is obtained from the northern or southern limit 
of its range, or whether acorns he gathered at a high 
or low elevation. If care were taken in these respects, 
it would seem that species such as stellata and palustris 
should not he reported tender at northern points, while 
such as cordata appear hardy ; but these contradictions 
do occur among plants every now and again, and they 
are both curious and encouraging to investigators of 
distribution. 
Dr. Robinson, of the Gray Herbarium, in a letter re- 
cently received, informs mie that he is disposed to ac- 
cept Sargent’s estimate of 50 species and 8 or 9 hybrids 
of oaks for tbe .American territory north of Mexico as 
a good one. Then he remarks that “most varieties are 
of the nature of intermediates between the all too 
nearly related species, and are usually with excellent 
reason regarded as intergrades of hybrid origin” ; and 
further, “that the excessive subdivision of species in 
such groups is an evil.” 
Some botanists divide oaks into 6 sections, and if 
these were given in anything like uniform names and 
clear characters they might lie very useful, hut it seems 
to most gardeners that many scientific men obscure 
QUERCUS VIRGINIANA, OVERGROWN WITH TILLANDSIA, SOUTHERN U. S. 
