AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
113 
Six Best Shade Trees (Deciduous). 
The inquiry is often made of us—which are 
the best halt-dozen shade trees ? It is said that 
one man praises this tree, another that, and 
another that; which do long experience and ob¬ 
servation prove to be the best ? An important 
question, which the writer will try to answer. 
The White Elm, (Ulmus Americana). —Some 
persons would, perhaps, give this post of honor 
to the Sugar Maple; but we think that, all things 
considered, it belongs to the Elm. Nor do we 
forget the merits of other species of this tree. 
The Dutch cork bark elm is very hardy, luxu¬ 
riant in foliage, and rapid in growth, but it lacks 
the loftiness and graceful dignity of our native 
tree. The English elm, in its several varieties, 
is very fine, and so is the Scotch; whoever has 
room for an assortment, should include these. 
But the noble native tree must bear away the 
palm. It grows in nearly every part of the coun¬ 
try, is easily transplanted, and grows rapidly. 
2. The Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharinum). —Not 
lower than the second place, surely, must we 
put this tree. It is a sober, matter-of-fact tree, 
with some of the graceful poetry of the elm; its 
branches do not droop and sway, and float about 
with the caressing wind. It has a round, bushy 
head, makes a dense shade, and has a breadth 
and massiveness of foliage which is really re¬ 
freshing to behold. Some persons insist that 
the Scarlet flowering (Acer rubrum ,) is most orna¬ 
mental. Every tree-lover delights to see its gay 
red tufts opening in early Spring, before a single 
leaf appears on any tree, and when the only 
signs of reviving vegetation are the adventurous 
catkins on the willows and poplars. Then, too, 
it grows rapidly, and grows everywhere. And 
it has a certain freedom and play of the leaves, 
which we do not find in the other species. 
Others stand. up for the White leaved Maple 
(Acer dasycarpum ,) which differs from the scarlet 
chiefly in having pale flowers, and a silvery 
under-surface to the leaves. The Black Maple 
(Acer nigrum ), is a favorite with some per¬ 
sons. It differs from the rock maple chiefly in 
its larger and more leathery leaves; the bark is 
also darker. Nor must we fail to commend the 
Norway species, which has singularly fine fo¬ 
liage, hanging in dark, rich masses. But for 
general planting, the old Sugar Maple stands 
at the head. Its leaves open early in the 
Spring, they are of a dark, healthy green in 
mid-summer, and in the Autumn take on all 
the rich shades of gold, scarlet and crimson. 
“ Tints that the maple woods disclose,' 
Like opening buds or fading rose, 
Or various as those hues that dye 
The clouds that deck a sunset sky.” 
If any one wants to try his hand at grouping- 
trees, and to be sure of making no blunders, let 
him set the scarlet and sugar maples and the 
white ash together, alternately, arid the effect 
will be very fine. And to give his picture a lit¬ 
tle deeper tone, work in a few evergreens. 
3. The Oak (Quercus). —This monarch of the 
forest is less commonly planted than some other 
trees, because of the difficulty of moving it when 
large. Cut off the tap-root, and root prune once 
or twice while the tree is comparatively small, 
and it can be easily handled afterwards. No 
one will dispute the high claims of this tree. Its 
wood is valuable for many purposes. It is a 
most hardy tree, and lives to a good old age. 
It has a certain grandeur and sturdy majesty, 
really elevating. The poetic and historical asso¬ 
ciations connected with it are such as no other 
tree can boast. It must stand very high on our 
list. Of the forty different species of oak in 
America, the most common, if not the best, is 
the White Oak (Quercus alba). In deep soil, it often 
attains to seventy or eighty feet high, and the 
branches stretch wide on every hand. It may 
be distinguished in Winter from other species by 
rough, whitish bark, and by the dry leaves which 
adhere to it through all the cold season. 
—The Scarlet Oak (Q. coccinia )—so-called from 
the tint of its leaves in the Fall. The foliage 
takes on its purplish crimson hue quite late, and 
is singularly rich. It is a noble tree, grows as 
lofty as the White Oak, and is a fine tree for 
grouping.—The English Royal Oak , (Q. robur,) 
is a grand old tree, lofty, and spreading its 
huge arms over the ground magnificently.— 
Beside these, we have the Rock Chestnut Oak, 
the Chestnut White Oak, the Yellow, the Pin 
Oak, the Over-cup White Oak, etc., all of them 
hardy and desirable in a collection. 
4. The Linden (Tilia Americana) —more com¬ 
monly known as the basswood, is d esirable for its 
rapid growth, its large healthy looking leaves, 
and its round, symmetrical form. The wood is 
rather tender, and the tree liable to bruises. The 
foreign species is popular at home as a park tree. 
5. The Ash (Fraxihus. Americana ).—The White 
Ash makes a handsome tree, in its general out¬ 
lines, in the smoothness of its limbs, the unchang¬ 
ing green of its foliage in Summer, and its beau¬ 
tiful purplish tints in the Fall. The Mountain 
Ash (Pyrus Americana), is one of the best trees 
planted (if we allow ourselves to include un¬ 
der the Ashes a tree properly an Apple). The 
European variety (Pyrus aucuparia) is finer than 
the American. They are both particularly suit¬ 
ed to. small grounds, being trees of medium size. 
6. Tli e Cucumber Magnolia (Magnolia acuminata). 
One of the noble aristocratic family of magno¬ 
lias, gaining its common name from the appear¬ 
ance of the young fruit which somewhat resem¬ 
bles a green cucumber. It is the most robust 
member of the family, being found wild as far 
north as Niagara County, New-York. It often ris¬ 
es to eighty or ninety feet in higlit. The bark of 
trunk and limbs is symmetrical and handsome. 
The leaf buds in Winter are covered with a 
white, velvety down, which is conspicuous. 
The leaves are often six inches long and four 
broad, and of a bluish green color, white under¬ 
neath. Its flowers are six inches in diameter, 
of a yellowish white, and slightly fragrant. This 
tree should be transplanted when small, as its 
roots are succulent and brittle, and do not easily 
recover from injuries. We put this tree last in 
our list, but not because it is least deserving. 
For amateurs, it will almost rank number one. 
The above is our list of six excellent shade 
trees. We have not forgotten the merits of such 
trees as the Walnut, Chestnut, Beech, Tulip, 
Buttonwood, Birch,Willow, and Horse-chestnut; 
but these have greater defects than those we 
have first named. May many of them be plant¬ 
ed throughout the country, this very Spring. 
Ribbon Gardening. 
This is a method of arranging plants so as to 
represent ribbons or scrolls. It is easily per¬ 
formed by any one, and is a pleasing addition 
to even the humblest yard. A curved or wavy 
bed is cut out in the smooth turf of the lawn, 
say four feet wide and ten or fifteen feet long. 
Certain suitable colors for the ribbon having 
been fixed upon, (perhaps red, white and blue,) 
plants are to be selected which will give 
these colors. No one set of plants is better for 
this purpose than verbenas. A row of scarlets 
or crimsons is set on one side of the bed and 
along its whole length; next, a row of whites 
and then a row of blues. These as they grow are 
to be pegged down and confined to fixed limits 
so as to represent stripes of color. Geraniums 
may be used for the same purpose, though they 
make a coarser ribbon, and give only the differ¬ 
ent shades of red, pink, and white. I used, it 
will be quite effective to set either a golden or 
silver-edged variety on one edge of the ribbon. 
Petunias, Ageratums, Pyrethrums, Cupheas, 
etc., answer very well in making ribbons. An¬ 
nuals may be used for the same purpose, but 
they do not come into bloom until late in the 
season. German Asters, for instance, their dif¬ 
ferent colors arranged in rows, make a grand 
display. Portulacca, Candytuft, Phlox Drum- 
mondii, Eschscholtzia, Glarkia,and others of like 
habit, are quite desirable. These ribbons, to 
be most effective, should be looked .down upon 
from above, say from a window, or balcony, or 
high porch. .The grass around them should be 
kept shorn quite short and smooth, and the 
colors kept rigidly confined within their limits. 
[PRIZE ARTICLE.*] 
On the Cultivation of Flowers. 
BV A. J. C., NORWICH, CONN. 
The Location .—Fortunately for that large class of cul¬ 
tivators who, in selecting a plot, have only “ Hobson’s 
choice” (this or none), there are flowers enough which 
are not so dainty but they may be successfully cultivated 
in a soil that affords sustenance for any sort of vegetable 
growth. Certain kinds maybe found to flourish under 
almost every conceivable variety of circumstances. Let 
those however who have any considerable space from 
which to select a spot to devote to their floral pets, bear 
in mind that the action of the rays of the sun, the great 
delineator of all the gorgeous shades and delicate pencil- 
lings which give to flowers their, almost unearthly beauty, 
is of the first , importance to every garden. For those 
kinds-which require a partial shade, such as Pansies, 
Fuchsias, etc., a sheltering wall in- buililing, or even tree, 
(the former two preferable), can generally be found ; il 
not, any person with a tolerable share of ingenuity can 
devise a screen of some sort for this modest sister-hood. 
The Soil .—The different varieties of flowers require sc 
many different varieties of soil to bring them to perfection, 
it would be hard to find a locality where many kinds 
would not flourish, at least moderately. Lightness of soil 
is always more or less a desideratum, and the various de¬ 
grees of richness are easily attained by adding more or 
less fertilizing material, according to* the wants, of the 
plants to be grown in any particular spot. Flowers will 
not flourish without suitable nourishment any more than 
a crop of wheat or potatoes. If you have a stiff clay soil, 
dig in a good proportion of sharp sand, and do not imagine 
that lightness is necessarily incompatible with richness. 
Manures and Tillage .—The best fertilizers, for land not 
too much exhausted, are common barn-yard manure, and 
leaf-mold, both well rotted, and which, to have the best 
effect, should be applied in the Fall. Cause the soil to be 
thoroughly dug and pulverized, and spread with manure. 
A slight sprinkling of sulphate of lime (plaster) prevents 
the evaporation of gasses, and holds them for the benefit 
of the future vegetation. It is not absolutely essential 
that this be done in the Fall rather than in Spring, but 
there are several important advantages gained. By be- 
ingloosened and thrown up, the soil is laid open to the 
action of the frost, which renders it light and friable. If 
the ground be left in ridges, a few sharp freezings will de¬ 
stroy much of the latent insect life which it contains, and 
which, if left unmolested, will not fail to prey upon 
your choicest plants the ensuing Summer. The Winter 
snows, too, bring down with them a large proportion of 
ammonia, which affords nitrogenous food for plants, and 
*Tlio Committee worked long to decide between the above 
and three other excellent articles. This seemed most prac¬ 
tical. They will probably all be soon published in some form. 
