•466 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
he speaks of it, before he has given it a fair 
trial. We hope, for the sake of all lovers of 
fine house-plants, that this may show sufficient 
promise to warrant Mr. H. in offering it for sale. 
The Cherokee Rose. 
In the southermost states a rose has long 
been known as the “ Cherokee Rose,” and is 
now largely used for hedges. Under the im¬ 
pression that it was a native species, it was 
described by Michaux as Rosa Icevigata, and 
the native origin of the plant has been advocat¬ 
ed by various writers. After the death of 
Elliott, the eminent botanist of South Caro¬ 
lina, some of the manuscripts left by him were 
published in the Southern Agriculturist, 
Charleston, 1831. One of these was an article 
upon the culture of the “ Cherokee, or Nonde¬ 
script Rose, as a Hedging Plant,” in which he 
says: “ The history of this plant is obscure. 
It was cultivated before the Revolution, by the 
late Nathan Hall, Esq., at his plantation near 
the Savannah River,” giving it as his opin¬ 
ion that it was brought down from the moun¬ 
tains, by some Indian traders, and stating that 
Kin found it on, or near, the Cumberland 
Mountains, in Tennessee. In early times the 
foreign trade of Charleston was extensive, and 
there is now no doubt among those who have 
investigated the matter, that it is an Asiatic 
species, which, in the congenial climate in 
Georgia, South Carolina, and the neighboring 
states, has made itself quite at home, and 
while it has all the appearance of a native, 
it is really an old species, long ago described 
as Rosa Sinica. The Cherokee Rose, a name 
which will hold, whatever botanical title may 
be given it, is an evergreen, with very long, 
almost vine-like stems, and dark-green, beauti¬ 
fully glossy leaves; its long shoots are furnish¬ 
ed with strong, hooked prickles, and these har¬ 
den with the wood, and make the plant a very 
formidable one. The flowers appear, in the 
southern states, in very early spring, and are 
produced in the greatest profusion. Where 
the plant has grown at will, and festooned 
itself upon neighboring trees, its shoots, literal¬ 
ly covered with flowers, hang down for 20 to 
40 feet. The flowers are single, and of a very 
pure white, contrasting beautifully with the 
dark-green of the foliage. Our object in call¬ 
ing attention to this plant, is two-fold. First, 
as a hedge plant. Those who have written 
upon hedge plants for the southern states, 
prominent among whom was the late Thomas 
Affleck, of Texas, place the Cherokee Rose in 
the very front rank, for beauty, strength, and 
permanence. In some of the southern states 
there are hedges at least 50 years old, in full 
vigor. It is very likely, judging from the fact 
that the Cherokee Rose has not been injured by 
several exceptionally cold winters in the south¬ 
ernmost states, that it would succeed as far 
north as Maryland and Virginia. It is readily 
propagated by cuttings, about G inches long, 
made in the fall. Mr. Affleck’s plan was to 
have small trenches spaded across .the hedge¬ 
row, at distances of three feet apart; these 
trenches were 15 inches long, and in each were 
set three cuttings; soon after the first cultiva¬ 
tion of the corn, he worked the hedge-row, 
eradicating all weeds, and pulling up all the 
plants in the cross-rows, but one. The next 
winter the plants are to be cut back to within a 
foot of the ground, and after that allowed to 
run at will, laying in the shoots as they grow 
in the line of the hedge. When the hedge has 
reached a sufficient flight and width, it is kept 
within bounds by an annual winter pruning. 
A second reason for noticing the Cherokee rose, 
is to call attention to it as a winter-blooming 
greenhouse plant in the northern states. Our 
people who have conservatories and green¬ 
houses, get plants from the ends of the earth, 
and neglect those which grow, so to speak, 
close at home. A few amateurs around Boston 
have learned the value of the Cherokee rose, 
and grow it to their great satisfaction. It was 
first introduced there, as we are informed, by 
the late Col. Perkins, (whose first greenhouses 
were built in 180G), over 50 years ago; the 
original plant is still vigorous and prolific, and 
from this was propagated the plant which fur¬ 
nishes us the material for an engraving; this 
plant is now some 20 years old, and covers 
about 100 square feet of a lean-to house, being- 
planted out in a confined border; it has not 
succeeded in pot culture, as its roots require 
abundant room. It receives a severe pruning 
in September, and has plenty of liquid manure 
while it is growing and blooming, which is 
from the first of December until the middle of 
May. From 200 to 300 flowers are cut daily 
from this plant; though single, the buds and 
flowers are much admired, and especially 
suited to florists work. This rose is eminently 
worthy the attention of florists, and it is not 
the least of its recommendations, that it is gen¬ 
erally free from the attacks of those insects 
which so infest other greenhouse roses. 
■- n Q i r pnii -— 
Notes from the Pines. 
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE. 
When Col. Wearing sent his last “Ogden Farm 
Paper” from some obscure corner in Germany, I 
little thought that my next “notes” would be 
from among “ the Pines ” of a not at all obscure 
portion of Georgia. Suffice it to say that these 
notes come from within two miles of the Savannah 
river, and so far as “ Pines ” go, if I do not write 
from “ The,” I do write in full view of some, and, 
indeed, many “ Pines.” From this charming coun¬ 
try retreat, where there is on one hand a view of 
the distant city, on the other, the high lands of 
South Carolina, and still farther to the left, the 
“ sand-hills ” of this portion of Georgia, there are 
to be seen pines which leave those which have 
given to my place its name quite in the shade. 
The leading species of these 
Southern Pines 
are first, and most abundant, the “ Old-field,” or 
“ Loblolly-Pine ” (Finns Tceda), which is found 
everywhere, from a few inches to 50 and 100, and 
sometimes even 150 feet high. It is called “ Old¬ 
field ” from the fact that it is one of the first things 
to spring up on land that is thrown out of cultiva¬ 
tion, and in a surprisingly short time covers the 
ground with a young forest. The wood, though 
of second quality, is found useful for many pur¬ 
poses, but it is much less resinous than that of the 
Iiougr-leaveil Pine, 
or the “yellowpine ” (P. australis), which is, as one 
writer says, “one of the great gifts of God toman.” 
This is the wonderful source of turpentine, rosin, 
pitch, tar, and other products, which I need not de¬ 
scribe ; my object in mentioning it at all is to call 
attention to the great beauty of young specimens, 
3 to 10 feet high; these have a few branches below, 
while the leader is clothed with leaves 12 to 15 
inches long, and being of a most vivid green, are 
charming specimens, and worthy of being planted 
for ornament wherever they will stand the climate. 
The country people sometimes call this the “ Broom- 
Pine ;” they cut off the top of a young tree, and 
bind a cord around a portion of the upper leaves, 
stripping off the rest, leaving the bare portion of 
the stem for a handle, and thus make a rude, 
but serviceable broom. One of the very common 
trees all through this country is the 
China-Tree or Pride of China 
(Melia Azedarach), though it is oftener corrupted 
into “ Chaney-tree.” The rapidity of its growth, 
its dark-green and handsomely-cut foliage, and its 
pleasing, though not showy, lilac-scented flowers, 
make it very popular as a shade-tree in both town 
and country. I saw at the nursery of P. J. Berck- 
mans, Esq., near Augusta, a very striking variety 
of this tree, all the branches of which are erect, 
and reach about the same bight, forming an um¬ 
brella of foliage as perfect in form, as if it had 
been trained into shape, and warranting the name, 
unibraculiformis, or umbrella-shaped, which Mr. B. 
has bestowed upon this variety. Among other 
striking trees to be seen at Mr. Berckmans’ ex¬ 
tensive establishment are evergreens, both conifers 
and broad-leaved, to which northern cultivators 
must be strangers, except as small specimens un¬ 
der glass. What do you think of 
An Avenue of Magnolias, 
the Great Southern Magnolia (il£ grandiflora), a 
fourth of a mile long ? 1 have seen no finer sight 
in tree-planting than this. This tree barely escapes 
death at Washington and Philadelphia, and every¬ 
where north of these points must be housed in win¬ 
ter. This avenue is of seedlings, set out about 15 
years ago, and the trees will now average 25 feet in 
hight, though some are much taller. Mr. B. attrib¬ 
utes his remarkable success to planting for his 
avenue seedlings only one year old, mere pot- 
plants, an operation which much amused his neigh¬ 
bors, who believed in setting large trees, but subse¬ 
quent success has abundantly justified his judg¬ 
ment, and our friends who wish to set out this 
grandest of southern trees, will do well to follow 
this example. One remarkable feature in this ave¬ 
nue is the great variety presented by the trees, 
which, being all from the seed of the same species, 
are unlike in size and habit, in color and expanse 
of foliage, and in vigor. Some make grand and 
perfect pyramids of the darkest foliage from the 
ground upwards, and so thick that a bird can 
hardly make its way through it; others bear only 
a few light-colored leaves at the ends of the 
branches. Two of the trees are grafted specimens 
of the variety ferruginea, remarkable for the dark 
rust-colored down on the underside of the leaves; 
but the most remarkable of all is one tree which 
the French would call remontant, as it blooms 
more than once during the season, often having 
flowers as late as October. The beauty of these 
Magnolias is enough to tempt one to remove to a 
clime where such things are possible. When I left 
home, in the middle of October, we had already 
had severe frosts, and it was sharp work to save 
those tender plants which needed to go 
Into Winter-Quarters. 
In three days I reached here, where scarcely any¬ 
thing but the varieties of Coleus, and other plants 
which, like that, succumb to cool weather, even 
before there is actual frost, shows that winter is at 
hand. Here Dahlias are still in full bloom, and 
tender vegetation has suffered more from dry than 
from cool weather. I went out this morning among 
the fig-trees, and found scarcely a leaf injured, 
while the late crop was still ripening. 
Could I exchange my “ Pines ” for a home 
among these southern ones, I should probably hes¬ 
itate before accepting it, though there are many 
things here very tempting to a lover of plants. The 
climate has of course its drawbacks, but a locality 
where one can have 
Camellias as Door-yard Plants, 
and many other plants that must be housed with 
us, growing freely in the open air, presents strong 
attractions. In the cemeteries are hedges of Cape 
Jessamine, Japanese Privet, true Laurel, ( Launis 
nobilis), Pittosporum, Laurcstinus, and other broad- 
leaved evergreens, growing in perfect condition. 
The great coniferous evergreen here is the 
Golden Arbor Vitae, 
which is so unsatisfactory with us, but here finds a 
congenial home. It is not possible to find a more 
perfect ornamental hedge than some I have seen of 
