1880.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
63 
Double White-Flowered Horse Chestnut 
BY W. C. BARRY, MT. HOPE NURSERIES, ROCHESTER,!?. Y. 
Although the Double-flowered Horse Chestnut 
was introduced to this country in 1852, this superb 
variety has not acquired that popularity which its 
merits warrant. It is surprising that so important 
an addition to our hardy flowering trees should not 
have met with greater favor, and I can only account 
for this lack of appreciation by the fact that its 
many good qualities have not been understood. It 
was figured and described the first time in America, 
in the “Genesee Farmer” for 1852. Since that 
writes. “ The freedom of this excellent fruit from 
insect depredations, is almost as much a marvel, as 
its great hardiness. Usually the fruits which “the 
worms ” pass by, are not of a high grade, the Dam¬ 
son plum for example. But here is a fruit which 
yields to none of its compeers ; and the concurrent 
testimony is, that year after year, it remains unhurt 
by insects, as well as by cold. An explanation of this 
is ventured with some diffidence. Most of the in¬ 
sect pests prefer seclusion for their work. Fruits 
borne in clusters, and touching each other afford 
them privacy. Rawle’s Janet is a familiar example. 
This good apple sets its fruit in clusters of two, 
though it makes but little 6hade, owing to the fine¬ 
ness of the foliage. As the peculiar form of the 
leaves distinguishes it from nearly all other native 
trees, and especially from the Common Locust, we 
give in the engraving a small twig with several 
leaves. These are what botanists term UoUx-pinr 
note; simply pinnate leaves are very common. The 
Sumachs, the Ailanthus, the Common Locust, and 
many others, affording examples. In the pinnate 
leaf, there is a leaf-stalk, or common petiole, along 
the sides of which are arranged pairs of small 
leaves, or leaflets, with or without a terminal C" odd 
one. In the twice-pinnate ( bipinnaie ) leaf, ths «af- 
THE DOUBLE WHITE-FLOWERED HORSE CHESTNUT. 
the HONEY LOCU8T (Qleditsctiia triacanthos). 
time it has been propagated and disseminated in | 
but limited numbers, and, as yet, fine specimen 
trees are seldom seen. The first imported tree, 
obtained from the late Mr. Rivers, is now growing 
on the grounds of Ellwanger & Barry, at Rochester, 
and is about 60 feet high, its branches covering a 
circle 20 feet in diameter. It is as hardy as the 
common Horse Chestnut, of vigorous, erect growth, 
regular pyramidal outline, with rich, dense foliage 
and splendid inflorescence. Few trees can lay claim 
to a greater combination of attractive features, and 
it possesses several characteristics which render it 
even more desirable for ornamental planting than 
the ordinary form. In habit it is more upright and 
formal, its bight being about three times its 
breadth, and a fully developed specimen is a perfect 
pyramid of verdure. Its flowers, as seen in the en¬ 
graving, which is one-fifth the real size, are per¬ 
fectly double, and in spikes larger than those of 
the single flowering kind, resembling gigantic 
hyacinth bouquets. They appear in remark¬ 
able profusion at the season of bloom, which is 
about two weeks later than that of the common 
kind. On the lawn this tree forms a conspicuous 
and pleasing object, and although I have never seen 
it used as a street tree, I think it admirably adapted 
to the purpose. It produces no fruit, a character¬ 
istic which many will regard as an important point 
in its favor, as much litter is avoided. A proper 
consideration of the merits of this fine tree will 
induce amateurs and planters to employ it oftener 
in the ornamentation of public and private grounds. 
Dyehouso Cherry-— As we first brought this 
fruit to notice, it is gratifying to hear good accounts 
of it from all quarters. “ R. J. B.,” Fairfield Co,, O,, 
] three, and four, and it is found profitable to thin it 
to one on a spur, not only for the increased size of 
the remaining apples, but to get rid of the insect 
injuries which otherwise render the crop of but 
little value. Now, wich the Dyehouse, the leaves 
are but moderately plentiful, and the fruits stand 
out, each by itself, often in full sunshine, so that 
the green of the leaves is obscured by the brilliant 
red of the ripe cherries; and the little marauder, 
faffing to find a quiet nook, takes his leave.” 
The Honey Locust as a Hedge Plant. 
In localities where it will endure the winter un¬ 
harmed, there is probably no plant so serviceable 
for hedges as the Osage Orange. But besides a 
northern area in which we know that this is not 
hardy, there is a broad belt in which its hardiness 
is doubtful, it varying with local influences. From 
both these districts, and especially that of the un 
certain hardiness of the Osage Orange, there come 
frequent inquiries for some hedge plant which shall 
be as serviceable as that, and perfectly hardy. We 
know of no other so well meeting these conditions 
as the Honey Locust. Before considering its value 
as a hedge plant, it will be well to describe the 
Honey Locust, as we ha^e found that it is very fre¬ 
quently confounded with the Common Locust; the 
fact that this is often called the “ Sweet Locust” 
greatly aids in confounding the two. The Honey 
Locust is a native of the Middle, Western, and 
South-western States, it being more common west 
than east of the Alleghanies. Along the banks of 
the rivers it often reaches 80 and 100 feet in hight, 
with a trunk three and four feet in diameter. The 
broad head is remarkable for its lightness and grace, 
lets themselves are compound, the common, or 
main leaf-stalk, instead of leaflets, has smaller leaf 
stalks, which themselves bear leaflets. A reference 
to the engraving will show this. This difference in 
the foliage will usually allow the Common Locust 
and the Honey Locust to be distinguished at once; 
in the one case the leaves are simply pinnate, and in 
the other doubly, or twice-pinnate; though it some¬ 
times happens that the Honey Locust bears some 
once-pinnate leaves, this is not the rule. The differ¬ 
ence in the flowers is equally striking; the Locust 
proper has long hanging clusters of large, white, 
pea-shaped flowers, which are noticeable for their 
fragrance, and are very showy. The Honey Locust, 
on the other haud, has flowers so small and incon¬ 
spicuous that only those who observe closely ever 
notice them at all. They have not the pea-shape of 
the flowers in most of the family ( Leguminosce ) but 
are regular, in small spikes, which, being greenish, 
are likely to escape notice. The flowers are of the 
kind called polygamous, i.e., there are staminate, pis¬ 
tillate, and perfect flowers, either in the same tree, or 
on different trees. On trees where the flowers are 
all staminate, as in figure 1 in the engraving, there 
will, of course, be no fruit. Nor will there be on 
trees with all pistillate flowers like 2, unless there 
are other trees with 6tamens near by to fertilize 
them ; while trees with the perfect flowers (3 in the 
engraving) will produce fruit. In this tree the fruit 
is a much flattened pod, an inch, or more, wide, 
and 10 to 20 inches long. These are often curved 
and twisted,and very conspicuous upon the tree; Dr. 
Gray once aptly described the appearance of the 
tree in fruit by likening it to a tree hung with 
apple parings 1 The intervals in the pod between 
the seeds are filled with a sweet pulp, on account 
