^CULfufeH® 
EXCELSIOR 
$2.50 PER YBAR. 
Isiusle 1 Y 0 ., Elgin Cents, 
NEW YORK CITY AND ROCHESTER, N, Y 
5 Beeliman 8t., New York 
82 Uullalo 8|., HorlirHtrr. 
FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, DEGEMDER 23,1871 
[Kntored according to Act of Congress, In the roar 1871, by D. D. T. Moore. In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington/! 
increase in dense- A 
ness, and nothing 
i ip: u ^ ; ■, ||^ 
ri- in-!, Uii; 
inducing a close »J§§ 
growth, and pre- < X <*>Z 
venting a tall habit. y 
Occasionally a sol- 
i (ary shrub of large 
size may be Jodi- |Hk |&Mjj 
ciously introduced 
into a plot of this 
character, as lor 
instance a Purple- 
FIowori; ig Magno- 
case (lie specimen 
will strike the eye 
as novel in color, 
size, or peculiarity 
of bloom. 
I think the usu¬ 
al mixed flower¬ 
bed, frequently 
seen in such loca¬ 
tions, is poor taste; 
a n d although I 
yield lo no one in 
my love for this 
class of plants, I 
should manage to 
create a pretty bed 
on the side rather 
than at the front 
of the house. Here 
let it receive a 
graceful flow i n g 
outline,rather than 
the old-fashioned 
circle. In it the PFQTPT1 
plants should al- hJkblKU 
ways receive due care in their arrange¬ 
ment, with an eye to fitness and position as 
well as beauty. Above all things slum 
the now 
I'nsliloiinblc Misnomers Termed Vases, 
I allude, of course, to those little nonde¬ 
script articles that are a burlesque on the 
name and an outrage on good taste. In 
many of our country towns I have seen al¬ 
most every indosure disgraced with these 
wash-basins perched up on posts, with often 
a sickly-looking plant leaning over the edge, 
as it ashamed to be seen in snob questiona¬ 
ble company. And not only one but fre¬ 
quently several together in imitation of a 
crockery establishment where the owner is 
desirous of displaying his wares. Now I do 
not wish to be understood as deprecating al¬ 
together this class of adornments, but in the 
name of good taste do let us exercise some 
discretion in the matter. Where the grounds 
are of sufficient size a handsome vase of fair 
proportion, mounted on an appropriate ped¬ 
estal, is nltyays a pleasing object, especially 
when filled with healthy, suitable plants; 
and I have seen rustic vases formed of twigs 
and branches, with the base surmounted by 
r hurt culture 
globular heads of snow-white flowers; Wd- 
gda horkmvi nivea , with Its silvery hells ; the 
dwarf variety of Wdgela rosea, with vorie- 
galed foliage and pale, rosy-pink flowers; 
Sjnvan Thunbergi, with narrow linear leaves 
and minute white flowers; and (lien Hie 
Rhododendrons and Azaleas. The sooner 
we disabuse ourselves of Hie idea that special 
recipes are needed for preparing I he soil for 
the last two kinds, the sooner these lovely 
plantswill become popular. Nothing what¬ 
ever is necessary before planting, excepting 
to merely pare offllic grass thinly, and then 
pulverize llie soil beneath. Decaying grass 
roots preserve the soil in a mellow state, and 
afford nourishment to the mass of small fibers 
common to all erieaccous plants. A mass of 
Rhododendrons is always attractive, from 
Hie peculiar nature of their glossy green 
leaves, hut when in bloom the blending of 
colors presented by Hie many hardy kinds, 
render them pre-eminently tlie queen of 
flowering shrub*. The Ghent Azaleas, al¬ 
though deciduous, arc nevertheless gorgeous 
in flower; their colors of almost every line 
an; dazzling hi their brightness, especially 
iho crimson, scarlet and orange shades of 
color. The pure while and different shades 
of rose are likewise, especially charming. It 
is not necessary for me to give you a list of 
hardy shrubs to plant, that can be procured 
from any nursery man's catalogue, but before 
leaving this class of plants 1 would merely 
mention the Peonid Moutan , or Tree IVonv 
small cottage is 
a 1,1(3 prevalence of 
ing to receive a 
(For Description see page 396.) lesson in floricul- 
ture from the Puis- 
lea ot fitness to Hie place ley weavers of England, we may then date an 
. I lie handsomest vase 1 era of progression which is sadly needed 
nedium size, with a vigor- throughout our land to-day. The few hours 
kumlta juncea in the cen- spent during the evening, or early in the 
vet the edge was dnaphu- morning on a bed of choice flowers will re- 
rmingling with the delicate turn compound interest in pleasure on a 
tain Veitcha. The slender, capital invested in labor; and my renu- 
ORN AMENT AL PLANTING. 
A Paper Rend llef'oi-c tlio New York Rural 
Club, Bee. 7, by Josluli lloopcs. 
I am with you this evening, ladies and 
gentlemen of the Rural Club, because I love 
trees, and plants, and flowers ; and because 
I love them, 1 desire all my fellow-country¬ 
men to join with me in Ibis reasonable devo¬ 
tion. Aliicb can be said in its favor, but not 
one word agaiusl it. Show me the man 
who really dislikes Nature's works in all her 
varied foi'Uls, and I can point to one whom 
I would not willingly enroll among my inti¬ 
mate friends—one whom I would shun with 
an involuntary feeling of distrust—one with 
whom there could not possibly be the least 
bond of sympathy or congenial taste. But 
in glancing over the present audience I feel 
an assurance that lie is not here to-night to 
listen to my pleading for those silent mes¬ 
sengers that are ever breathing with their 
fragrant breaths that most eloquent of all 
sermons, “On earth peace and good Mill 
toward men.” 
Therefore, can there be a more rational, a 
more healthful, ora more pleasant, employ¬ 
ment for us ail during our leisure moments 
than the cultivation of trees and flowers? 
Alike, the laborer and the millionaire may 
enjoy this bountiful blessing, From the 
simple grass-plot with its solitary tree front¬ 
ing the vine-covered collage, lo the costly 
park surrounding the mansion of the rich, 
up through a regular gradation, all can be 
made to yield abundant food for enjoyment. 
To the latter class, however, I cannot in my | 
remarks this evening offer much advice; 
but to those whose taste for horticulture is 
sufficient to induce a personal superintend¬ 
ence of their own door yards, I feel that my 
mission is with them. To all such, upon 
every occasion, I invariably commence with 
a stereotyped phrase! 
“Don’t Plant Tiarac Trees in .Small Vur<ls.” 
One of Hie greatest of ail errors, and one 
lor what might be termed second-class 
places. For a group of low-growing trees, 
commend to mo always certain species of 
Hie Magnolias. The M. conrtpicua, with pure 
white bloom ; M. tiouUtngeana, with its white 
flower, Striped and shaded with purple; M. 
eonlata , with golden yellow, odorous bloom ; 
and lastly, but very far from least, the beau¬ 
tiful M. Thompmdarta, with creamy-white 
fragrant flowers. \Ye have here a. group of 
four trees that cannot be excelled—hard)', 
beautiful in foliage and flower, and so en¬ 
tirely free from injurious insects that they 
seem to combine all Hie excellences one 
could desire. 
Another pretty group of small-sized trees 
may lie composed of the Halem telraptera , 
or Silver Bell; Laburnum, or Golden Chain, 
and the Cents Odnademia, Red Bud or Judas 
tree. Still another 
group of the same size 
can lie formed of the Primus Padua , or Eu¬ 
ropean Bird Cherry; Rhus cotin-ua, or Purple 
Mist; Ohvmanthua Virginica, or White 
Fringe, and the Cladrastis tinctoria, Yellow 
Wood or Virgilia. 
In a corner of the grounds a closely- 
massed group of the different colored double- 
flowering Peaches will he very pleasing 
when in bloom, and where they will suc¬ 
ceed, nothing can excel the numerous varie¬ 
ties of Thorns. In the center of the Peuchos 
I would insert a tree of Reid’s Weeping 
Variety, a graceful drooping tree, and 
among the Thorns plant the weeping variety 
of it. These have a tendency to remove a 
certain uniformity of outline prevalent in all 
such masses. 
As we leave the small class of trees, and 
advance to those of larger growth, I unhesi¬ 
tatingly place in the front rank, if not at 
the very head, the Norway Maple. Seldom 
di- we find its equal in all that pertains to a 
specimen tree. With ample foliage of the 
richest shade of green, globular in form, 
perfectly hardy and healthy in almost every 
situation, it appears peculiarly adapted to 
stand alone upon a beautiful lawn. Another, 
although of a widely different character, is 
the While Birch (Betula alba,) and its deli¬ 
cate cut-leaved variety. The Silver-leaved 
Linden succeeds well everywhere and is un- 
class cannot be excelled. The ribbon style 
must l.e formed of prolific-blooming kinds, 
us the \V bite Daily for while; Hermosa for 
piuk and Agrippina or Louis Philippe for 
crimson. These are all reasonably hardy, 
and when the bloom is over in autumn, they 
should be cut severely back and covered 
with coarse litter. The succeeding year, 
should the soil be well enriched, they will 
without pedestals. The surface of one was 
completely covered with the metallic leaves 
ot an hchevena —tlie other with a very dwarf 
Alternanthera, Around the base of each was 
a bed of some large-leaved Ivy, encircled 
with a ring of the variegated variety. 
Vines Over a Cottage. 
One of the greatest improvements to a 
