1882 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
3T3 
Hotes from the Pines. 
-O- - 
A fine shrub takes up no more room than 
a poor one, and, as a general thing, costs but 
little more at the start. Did people only 
know of the existence of many choice shrubs, 
what a difference would not only the grounds 
of large places, but the ordinary front yards 
of our villages present ! As it is, the shrubs 
in one yard are for the most part the coun¬ 
terpart of those in the next yard; the village 
nurseryman naturally recommending those 
things of which he has the largest stock, 
and these will be, of course, of kinds most 
readily propagated. The number of really 
fine shrubs is now very' large, and one has 
only to give proper care to the selection to 
have them in flower from earliest spring 
until frost comes. Among the shrubs of 
comparatively recent introduction in this 
country, I know of none more valuable than 
The Japanese Snow-Ball. 
The old Snow-Ball ( Viburnum Opulus) is a 
pleasing shrub, but it is vastly inferior to the 
species from Japan ( Viburnum plicatum), in 
habit of plant, in foliage, and in flower. I 
well remember the enthusiasm of an old gar¬ 
dener over the plant when it first came out. 
indeed I think that his plant was the first 
brought to this country. “ Look at it,” said 
he; “ it has a majesty of its own, and all 
common shrubs must stand aside.” The 
plant over which he was so much pleased 
was not over two feet high, but it was large 
enough to show its great 
beauty. Its clusters of 
flowers are smaller and 
THE BED-FLOWERED YUCCA ( Flowers of real size). 
other shrub that should be better known is 
The Dwarf Horse-Chestnut, 
(JEsculus parviflora), also called Dwarf Buck¬ 
eye. This should be planted where it can 
have ample room, as it will spread and form 
a large clump. When loaded with its long 
spikes of white flowers, it is really beautiful, 
and it blooms in mid-summer, a time when 
flowering shrubs are scarce. Years ago the 
American Agriculturist gave an engraving of 
The Japan Bladder-Nut. 
The little tree that then furnished its first 
flowers for the artist, is 
now 20 feet or more high, 
and yearly increases in 
beauty as well as in size. 
Its finely-cut dark-green 
foliage is light and pleas¬ 
ing, and in the middle of 
July its large panicles of 
lemon-yellow flowers make 
it very showy. More than 
this, it is very ornamental 
in fruit. It has large clus¬ 
ters of bladdery pods, 
which, though usually pale- 
green, are sometimes tinged 
with pink, and in autumn 
have a most pleasing effect. 
The tree has a botanical 
name, given it in honor of 
a German botanist, “Koelreuter,” and Kcel- 
reuteria paniculata is to many more difficult 
than “ Japan Bladder-nut Tree,” a name that 
suggests its relationship to our native Blad¬ 
der-nut Tree, Staphylea trifoliata, which is 
also worth cultivating... .Having heard of a 
Red-Flowered Yucca 
in the interior of Texas, one of my friends, 
who is fond of such plants, has, after much 
trouble, procured it. The foliage is nar¬ 
rower and stiffer than that of the common 
“Thready Yucca” or “Bear-Grass” ( Yucca 
filamentosa), and, like that, has loose threads 
upon the margins of the leaves. The flower- 
stalk is about three feet high ; the individual 
flowers, though small, are numerous, and 
the color may be described as a very pale 
pinkish scarlet. The plant, while not espe¬ 
cially showy, is interesting. My friend has 
it in a cool greenhouse, not having stock 
enough to yet test its hardiness. A few 
flowers are sent, that you may make a draw¬ 
ing, to show their shape. If you imagine a 
branched spike, about two feet long, clothed 
with such flowers, you will get an idea of 
the much talked of Red-flowered Yucca. It 
is not strictly a Yucca, its proper botanical 
name being Hesperalo'e yucccefolia _Among 
the recently introduced hardy plants that 
are destined to become popular, are the 
Double Pyrethrums. 
I see that you not long ago gave an engrav¬ 
ing of one of the Insect Powder Pyre¬ 
thrums, which, except in color, is much like 
an Ox-eye Daisy. The double ones, of which 
there are many named varieties, have much 
the appearance of a China Aster. But un¬ 
like that, they are hardy perennial plants, 
beginning to bloom in June, and continuing 
for a long time. The colors range from white, 
through many shades, to crimson, with. 
variegated forms_Plants that are much 
lauded abroad are so often a failure in our very 
different climate, that it is pleasant to note 
a success. Much had been said in praise of 
The New Bedding Violets, 
as they are called. It is claimed that these 
are hybrids between the well known Viola 
cornuta and the common Pansy. At any 
rate, they seem to have the continuous 
blooming character of the former, and show 
a considerable variety in their color, which 
may be due to the Pansy. They range in 
color from whites and yellows to a deep vio¬ 
let, and many are strikingly variegated, and 
have a pleasant but not strong fragrance. 
The plants have stood up well, and kept in 
continuous and abundant bloom from April 
until August, and thus far promise to be 
valuable in our climate, so trying in summer 
upon all violets,-save some natives.... The 
other day, on going to a part of the garden I 
had not visited recently, I saw at a little dis¬ 
tance a mass of bright red that I did not at 
first recognize. Upon approaching it, I 
found it to be the showing bloom of the old 
Bee Balm, or Oswego Tea, 
a large clump which I had forgotten. It 
makes such a brilliant mass of scarlet, it 
is a pity that it is a native plant, a perfectly 
hardy one, that can be grown without trou¬ 
ble. If it were only a tender, “miffy” 
thing, and sold at a dollar lor a plant, in a 
little pot, how popular it would be! But 
stick it anywhere, and it will grow; hence like 
many other beautiful native plants, it is a 
rarity in gardens. Besides the names above 
given, it is also called “Red Balm,” “Crim- 
more compact than of the 
common kind, and are of 
the purest possible white, 
while the foliage is of a 
very deep green, and of 
pleasing shape. It must 
be that our nurserymen 
find it difficult to propa¬ 
gate, or this Japanese 
Snow-ball would be more 
generally cultivated. An- 
> //'- 
* the dwarf horse-cuest^ut (ASsculus parviflora). 
