November 24, 1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 467 
been found most productive among the many that 1 have planted, 
had not the subject been treated recently in its pages by so many 
able pens.—A Surrey Physician. 
A CLUMP OF TREES. 
Few matters in forestry or landscape gardening require greater 
care, judgment, and forethought than planting and arranging an 
ornamental clump of trees. If well done, nothing affords greater 
satisfaction. Growing yearly in importance and beauty it is 
always a pleasant sight as a whole ; and the gradual development 
of each tree, the manner in which each individual of the group 
tells upon the others in contrast or harmony of form, foliage, or 
colour, are all sources of interest, pleasure, and instruction. Badly 
done it is, on the other hand, a deplorable and vexatious sight. 
Crowded, sickly, or stunted growth ; heavy masses of evergreen 
foliage unrelieved by deciduous growth, or a badly chosen con¬ 
fused mass of deciduous trees without a single Conifer or tree 
which retains its foliage in winter—these are some of the most 
conspicuous faults ; but a still more common one is that of neg¬ 
lected clumps, planted with all due care and with well-assorted 
tree®, but too thickly, as is so frequently the case. Their growth 
has become intermingled, drawn, and attenuated past all remedy, 
for, the mischief once done, no subsequent thinning and admission 
of light and air can possibly restore the wasted vigour. 
In this, as in much else, we live to learn and to unlearn, the 
latter process being by no means easy. There are two distinct 
kinds of clumps that I have in mind—mixed clumps of various 
trees, and clumps of one kind only. Of the latter I can recall 
many admirable examples, not simply from the large size or sym¬ 
metrical growth of the trees, but rather from the fine effect pro¬ 
duced by each in its well-chosen position. Take for example a 
clump of Cedrus Deodara in a comer of a park—a formal right- 
angular corner—very conspicuous, having one of its lines defined 
by a row of fine old Beech trees, and the other by a belt of under¬ 
wood and Oaks. The Cedars stand out singly upon the turf about 
(10 feet apart, and well away from the other trees, all of them 
deciduous ; and although they have only been planted nine years 
a striking effect is already produced. One day, in another genera¬ 
tion or two, when they become large trees, the clump will be quite 
worthy to rank with the beautiful Cedar lawn at Mount Edgcumbe. 
Of other clumps of one kind of tree I may mention a grove of 
magnificent old Beeches near, a stream of water, some of them not 
more than 80 feet apart, others twice that distance ; no other trees 
are near them, nor are any wanted at any season of the year, for 
the grand old trees are sufficient in themselves to rivet the atten¬ 
tion. A bold clump of Silver Firs high up near the crest of a 
steep hillside, with a wood of Oak, Beech, wild Cherry, and various 
other deciduous trees below it, is singularly well situated as a 
background to a charming woodland scene, visible from the 
windows of a house standing upon an eminence on the other 
side of a valley. I have a particular regard for this clump, 
because I saved it from the hands of a destroyer some years 
ago—one of those dangerous improvers who only value a fine 
tree for the quantity of scantling to be cut from it. 
Mixed clumps are justly much more cared for, but it is not so 
easy to plant them successfully. The nature of the soil must be 
our guide to selection, for it never answers to plant deeply 
rooting trees in a shallow soil. For a deep rich soil we may 
take varieties of Oak, Ash. Elm, Magnolia, and Plane, with the 
Tulip Tree, Poplar, Lime, Douglas Fir, Spruce, and many of the 
loftiest Conifers ; while for shallow soil, Beech, Birch, Maple, 
Chestnut, Crataegus, Cherry, Pvrus, Robinia, Willow, and many 
Conifers answer best. Particular care should be given to planting 
the permanent occupants of a clump far enough apart to allow a 
full and symmetrical growth. It is not easy to lay down rules for 
distances, but it may be stated that trees with spreading heads 
should be from 40 to 100 feet apart, according to their known 
dimensions and the nature of the soil. 
Bear in mind the effect of summer foliage, and also the beauty 
of autumnal tints. The Cherry, Birch, Beech, Maples, Liquid- 
amber, Tulip Tree, Scarlet Oak, Purple Beech, Whitebeam, and 
some of the Willows, are all so picturesque in autumn as to 
materially contribute to the beauty of a clump then. One of the 
most beautiful trees for the margin of a clump is Acer poly- 
morphum atropurpureum, but it does not seem likely to attain 
to any considerable altitude in this country, the growth being 
slender and somewhat spreading. Mountain Ash, too, is good for 
the margin, both for its sweet-scented flowers and scarlet berries. 
It was very beautiful this year. 
Larch may be planted among the trees as nurses and gradually 
cut away, or other trees may be planted with a view to subsequent 
removal, thus converting the clump into a nursery for the first 
few years of its existence. Whatever method of treatment be 
resolved upon, frequent attention must be given to the trees for 
several years, and they will well repay all our care. Let me 
impress this strongly upon the reader. Too often trees are left 
to take their chance after the planting, with the common result of 
debility, disease, or death.— Edward Luckhurst. 
CROWE A SALIGNA MAJOR. 
Wherever New Holland plants are grown in numbers for the 
greenhouse the Croweas almost invariably receive some attention, 
for amongst such as flower late in summer and early in autumn 
these are very attractive. Moreover, they are as easily grown as 
Fig. 75.—Crowea saligna major. 
any other plants from the same district, and much more easily 
than many. One of the finest varieties is C. saligna major, of 
which a spray is represented in fig. 75. It is a form of the species 
C. saligna, which is a very rrseful, free-flowering, and strong¬ 
growing plant, but the individual flowers are not so large as in 
this variety, which is appropriately termed major. Another form, 
also with large flowers, is named stricta; but the colour is very 
much lighter, being a pale delicate pink, while in C. saligna 
major it is a rich deep rose. 
The spray from which the engraving was prepared was taken 
