PARK AND CEMETERY 
Seasonable 
Pyrus coronaria, the sweet-scented crab, leads in 
the strength of its fragrance, but for beauty of flower 
Bechtel’s double flowering far excels it. It is one of 
the grandest of spring blooming small trees. 
The weeping dogwood is far more admirable in 
winter than in summer, and is not this true of many 
weeping trees ? 
Those not possessing a Pterostyrax hispidum would 
never regret the having of one. It is one of the grand- 
est of new trees, hardy wherever Japanese trees are. 
It has never sutfered in winter near Philadelphia. 
Azaleas and rhododendrons may be raised from 
seed by any one having a greenhouse. Rub up until 
like dust a lot of moss, then mix with pounded char- 
coal, together with a little sand. Level this mixture 
off nicely in box or pot, -sow the seed on the surface, 
place glass on it and set in some shady place. 
The reason so many fail with our native lilies and 
the Japanese sorts is that they do not plant the bulbs 
in deep, moist soil. Notice that our wild ones are 
usually found in such situations. They will flourish 
for years planted in a similar place. 
Indoor azaleas are best potted just as flowering is 
over and new growth is being made. And this applies 
* to almost all plants in pots. Azaleas love fine soil, 
that with a good sprinkling of sand in it suits them. 
In situations where the English laurel will live out- 
doors, as it will about Philadelphia when in the shade 
and shelter of a house or fence, it will bear remem- 
bering that English nurserymen claim the var. rotundi- 
folium to be even hardier than the type. Cerasus 
Lauro-Cerasus is the name old gardeners know it un- 
der. About the Capitol Buildings at Washington there 
are bushes fifteen feet high, or were a few years ago. 
Those in charge of greenhouses for flowering plants 
in winter would find the Steptosolon Jamesoni a most 
'useful plant. It is a free grower, of rather loose 
growth, and produces clusters of large yellow flowers 
nearly all winter. 
When purchasing rhododendrons do not select plants 
having very short-crowned buds, otherwise there will 
be but few or no flowers next year. The shoots that 
flower this year rarely have buds on the yorjng shoots 
which follow the flower. Plants moderately budded 
are the most satisfactory of all. 
The common white pine is a grand tree to plant 
for shelter. Set in clumps, they add great warmth in 
winter to grounds or buildings enclosed. Though a 
tree the branches of which will snap in storms when 
it is old, this rarely occurs until the trees are of large 
size. As the soft needles bend to the fierce gales they 
do not suffer as rigid needles would. 
Winter pruning of trees and shrubs results in strong 
shoots taking the place of those cut away. Summer 
pruning promotes bushiness. Trees with long, strag- 
gling branches which it is desired to make bushy may 
be cut back now, and then, when the shoots are grow- 
ing in spring and summer nip the tops that the side 
Ixids may burst forth. When arranging for plantingy 
add to the list the hardy and beautiful coniferous trees 
of Colorado, Pinus aristata, P. flexilis, P, ponderosa, 
Picea concolor, Abies pungens, A. Engelmanni, A. 
Donglasii and Juniperus Occidentalis and J. monos- 
perma. It s a shame that such splendid evergreens are 
so little seen in our gardens. 
Following English journals, it appears that root 
pruning of fruit trees is quite common there, to in- 
duce fruitfulness. There is no doubt it will do it; 
but with the abundance of trees and fruits here we 
generally get all the fruit we need without pruning. 
Still, a tree large enough and showing no signs of 
fruiting could be made to do so by pruning its roots. 
Clematis coccinea, with its scarlet flowers, though 
herbaceous with us, is a most desirable kind. The 
flowers are tubular in shape, about an inch in length, 
and are freely produced in late summer and autumn. 
Though herbaceous, it grows vigorously from the 
roots when spring comes. 
This is the time to make chrysanthemum plants for 
next autumn. The little suckers from around the old 
plants make good ones, as do pure cuttings rooted in 
sand in a greenhouse. Rooted now, stockv plants are 
ready when spring comes. 
The mistake is not uncommon to use shears in the 
cutting of thick branches of hollies and similar ever- 
greens. This bruises the bark, and the wound does 
not heal as nicely as when a clean cut is made with 
a knife. 
AVhere hedges or a fairly -defensive nature are re- 
quired, the English use the Mirobelle plum, a thorny, 
quick-growing sort. Years ago this variety was used 
here as a stock for the plum, but its habit of bunching 
up from the roots unfitted it for the purpose, and one 
known as Myrobolan is now used by all nurserymen 
who import stock. 
It’s a wonder the grand swamp white oak, Quercus 
bicolor, is not more planted. It is a massive tree 
when developed, and has large, handsome leaves. A 
valuable point in its favor is that it transplants better 
than any other one, excepting the Pin Oak. Its com- 
mon name. Swamp White Oak, is a misnomer. I 
have seen them growing in flat ground, never in 
swamps, nor do I believe it would grow in a swamp. 
This and the Pin oak outrank all other oaks in their 
ease of transplanting. 
Joseph Meeh.vn. 
