FEB, 42 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
404 
the ground every year, spreads out in a circle 
about eight feet in diameter. 
The American Arbor-vilfe is eastly trans¬ 
planted, grows rapidly, will bear any amount 
of pruning, is easily propagated, is very hardy 
and requires but little Bpace ; for which rea¬ 
sons, if not too freely used, it is especially 
well suited t.o small places. 
Abies polita. —This is a new, very distinct 
Japan Spruce with leaves three quarters of an 
inch long, which arestilf and sharp as needles. 
It has proven with us extremely hardy and of 
quite fast growth. Why would not this serve 
as well for hedges as the arbor-vi'w, Norway 
8pruce. locust or Osage Orange ? It would 
certainly prove as effectual in turning animals 
as either. 
the branches grow almost directly downwards. 
We are not aware that there are any specimens 
of this taller than seven or eight feet. Our 
only plant, seven years from the nursery, is 
now between four and five feet in hight. 
Among the newer evergreen trees of high 
promise are 
Evergreens. 
We must not in planting our acre for¬ 
get evergreens —those “friends indeed” that 
cheer us when all besides is bare and shivering, 
and we have hut them to depend upon for a 
bright relief to the cold, cheerless landscape 
about us. These should be so distributed 
among the deciduous-leaved plants as to pro¬ 
vide, as it were, a Winter garden. We should 
not, therefore, as Is ofteu done, separate the 
one kind from the other. It is an easy matter 
bo to intersperse them that the deciduous trees 
may be the more prominent in Summer, while, 
as ihelr leaves fall in Autumn, the evergreens 
seem to maich iuto their plaaos and supply the 
loss. 
With hardy evergreens, as with deciduous 
plants, we are constrained to confine ourselves 
to a reference to the few that are admirable 
rather than dwell on the many which are de¬ 
sirable ; and our readers Bhould benevolently 
bear in mind that “tastes differ," and that 
what is most prized at the “Rural Grounds” 
might, for a number of reasons, be looked 
upon indifferently elsewhere. Of all ever¬ 
greens, our choice is 
Tub Hemlock Spruce (Abies Canaden¬ 
sis) although, unfortunately, it can never 
be of service to our Southern friends. The 
prettiest hedge, by far. that we have ever 
seen was one of this hemlock, and the nearest 
approach to perfection in single trees are sev¬ 
eral specimens wo recall in different parts of 
the country. Most of the spruces are stiff, un¬ 
yielding, formal; so are most of the pines and 
firs. But the Hemlock Spruce is as graceful, 
light and airy as a willow ; while its leaves in 
Winter are as green as those of any other con¬ 
ifer. We have specimens which we have cut 
back. This changes the form from one that 
is naturally conical, as shown in the cut, to 
one that is oblong, dwarfing the tree in bight 
by what it adds to the sprefcd of the lateral 
branches. There arc several varieties which, 
though very valuable iu a collection, are uot, 
as single plants, equal to tbo species. One is 
the Weeping Hemlock; another, the Broad¬ 
leaved, and another, the Little-leaved Hem¬ 
lock. 
and effective in color and form. They must 
not be novelties , they must not be small, ex¬ 
quisite gems; out their beamy must be useful 
in the highest practical as well as artistic 
sense, useful to the economical farmer as well 
as to the rich owner of parks or lawus. 
Oe»i Five Deciduous Trees. 
The Norway Maple— Acer platanoides. 
That I should pass over the American Elm, the 
Sugar Maple and the White and Pin Oaks may 
surprise some; but I choose the Norsvay Maple 
because it is a richly endowed tree lu all wayr, 
both practical and 01 namental. It is not only 
beautiful with Us large, shadowy, rich green 
foliage piled in broad, rouoded masses; but it 
has excellent every-day qualities in the way of 
hardiness in all exposures, moderate and yet 
vigorous growth, and, above all. a regular, 
healthy habit that retains it many years in 
shapeliness and beati'y with little or no prun¬ 
ing. One scarcely ever sees the Norway Maple 
exhibiting Us full beauty on the lawn, became 
it is scarcely ever allowed to grow brunches 
from the very ground upward. People have 
an uufortunate fancy for trimming up lawn- 
trees. If left to itself the Norway Maple 
spreads out Into a globe of missive green foliage 
of the most unique and imposing character. It 
is, moreover, an excellent 3hade tree on wide 
avenues, for it needs room to spread abroad its 
FOUR HANDSOME SHRUBS 
C. M. HOVEY. 
Viburnum plicatum.— Everybody admired 
the snovt-ball so common iu old gardens, where 
Us huge balls of snowy whiteness were so 01 - 
naiueutal and contrasted so well with that 
other old and neglected shrub, the lilac. But 
its proneness to attacks of insects, which 
spoiled Us foliage, caused it to be overlooked. 
This new Japan species not only has clusters 
of the whitest blossoms quite as beautiful, but 
its thick plicated foliage is also very hand¬ 
some, and with Us free flowering qualities 
renders it a grand substitute for our old co- 
specles, and one which should find a place in 
the smallest collection. 
Hydrangea taniculata grandifloka — 
Perhaps this may be too well known to need 
further mention or commendation, ranking, 
as it justly does, amoDg the best of all shrubs, 
new or old. For a small or large garden, for 
an eight by ten yard city plot, or a demesne of 
50 acres, it is equally well adapted; or indeed, 
for pot culture for the lawn or as a standard 
or dwarf. Easy to transplant, free to grow, 
perfectly hardy, abundant in bloom, and mas¬ 
sive iu its great heads of white (lowers, which 
bend to the ground, fading off to a pinkish 
tinge, it must claim the most prominent place 
in eveiy garden. 
Exochorda grandifloka.— While the by 
drasgea exhibits the massive beauty of flowers, 
this lovely shrub may be said to show all that 
Its growth is sleider 
BOSE OF SHARON—(HIBISCPS SYKIACU8.)—FIG. *2. 
Engelmann’b and Mbnzies’s Spruces. 
What thiymuy become ten years hence we 
cannot say. They have thus far proved ex¬ 
tremely hardy, and their sharp leaves, which 
are of a steel or grayish greeu color, moreespe- 
cially those of Engelraann’s, contrast well with 
the darker-foliaged evergreens behind them. 
Respecting Ibis gray or bluish tint, seedlings 
vary and it is a question how long this pleat¬ 
ing shade will remain. These two trees, and 
also the Douglas Spruce, are natives of the 
Rocky Mountains, and it is only within a few 
years past that wo have known that by seed¬ 
ling cultivatiop we could raise plants which 
would endure the climate of the north. The 
Norway Spruce is often used for hedges, but, 
on account of the more rigid, pointed leaves of 
Menzies’s Spruce, we Bhould think when it 
can be sold so low that it would be used for 
that purpose Instead of the Norway. 
The Swiss Stone Pine (Piuus (Jembra) 
among the pines is of slow sturdy growth very 
distinct in appearance. One thing in its favor 
is that it will grow in very poor soils and in 
almost any situation. 
For the furthest corners of our acre of 
ground, we may plant one or more of the 
Scotch Pine, which by disbudding in Summer 
can be forced into a much closer and hand¬ 
somer form than that it naturally assumes. 
These vury iu their silveiy appearance owing, 
many think, to the 6oil. But we should select 
from the nurseries those showing most decid¬ 
edly the silvei y color. 
The White Pine, treated as pointed out in 
another place, is well worthy of more Irequeut 
employment. 
The Japan Ketinosporas. —Of these the 
Golden Relinospora, (R. plumosa aurea.) has 
now been well tried aud found wanting in no 
respect that we know of. It is a dwarf plant 
with very dense, flexible, feathery branches. 
In Spriug and Summer the new growth is of a 
very delicate, pleasing light green. This iu 
Autumn changes to a yellow color, so remain¬ 
ing during the entire Winter. A variety with 
silver variegation is less desirable, the silver 
leaves looking in Winter rathei dull or discol¬ 
ored above the suow. Both, however, are very 
hardy. 
Retinoapora obtusa and pisifera are beauti¬ 
ful evergreen trees, and have stood our Win¬ 
ters through six yearB. But we. hesitate to 
recommend them to our readers, for the reason 
that, being comparatively new iu this country, 
they have uot been tested uuder the widely 
different conditions which Buch a recommend¬ 
ation would subject them to. 
We must not forget, while considering ever¬ 
green ±rees, the 
American Ardor vit^e. —True, its Winter 
color is not so bright as that of a few other 
conifers, but. wheu compared side by side, the 
difference is not so great as might be sup¬ 
posed True, its form is uot spreading, and, 
whether left to grow naturallyor cut back, 
it still assumes a monumental, formal appear¬ 
ance. Navertbeless, a specimen here and 
there helps to make up variety, which in our 
selection of plants should never be lost sight 
of. From the window at which we write may 
be seen several arbor-vitsoa 15 feet iu hight, of 
such a narrowly conical shape that they are 
scarcely wider than one’s body, at their base. 
One specimen, which has been cut back occa¬ 
sionally, h of an egg-shape, the broader end 
resting nearly upon tbe gronnd. Another, 
which has been cut back to within 18 inches of 
is delicate and refined 
and regular, and the profusion with wh'eh it 
garlands every little twig with the whitest of 
blossoms surmounted with the pearliest of 
buds, makes it a fit companion for the 
most rechtiyh* of greenhouse plants. Indeed, 
it is difficult to imagine a more attractive ot- 
jeet thau an Exochorda about five feet high. 
In full bloom. It is not so easy of propagation 
as we could wish, but it well makes up for 
this slight defect, which will caueo It to be less 
common than it otherwise would. 
Azalea mollis —What a grand acquisition '■ 
We thought the Ghent Azaleas, as they are 
called, were beautiful enough, as in fact, they 
are. But this Japan species treads close upon 
them, it it does uot surpass them. For size of 
bloom and freeness of flower in a young state, 
they certaiLlv are their superiors. What they 
will do as they acquire age remains to be s ien. 
They are certainly lacking in fragrance; but 
with the knowledge of what has been done in 
improving the Ghent Azaleas, we may expect 
equal, or greater, results with this Japan spe¬ 
cies. For massing for small beds, thi.v have 
i.iquiDAMBAR.— (After the London Garden.) 
no. 74. 
WnRATLEY's English Elm— Ulmus campes- 
tris Wheatleyii. It will doubtless seem strange 
to many that I should pass over the American 
Elm for an English Elm. when it is well 
known that the English Elm is not popular in 
America, bat remember I am selecting lawu 
trees and uot street trees. The American Elm 
is somewhat coarse and too spreading in habit 
to suit a place c f only an acre in extent. As 
an element of landscape-gardening t fleet, the 
European Elm is invaluable for the pictur¬ 
esque way in which a mature tree piles round¬ 
ed masses of foliage one upon the other. It is 
lofty, too. and even epirey on occasion. This 
Wheatley’s Elm. for instance, will grow six 
feet daring the first two years after grafting, 
which is no bad growth for any elm. Then the 
American Elm loses its leaves early in Au¬ 
tumn, while Wheatffy’s Elm holds its foliage 
particularly late. The foliage of tue latter is 
rich and effective aud the form erect and pyr¬ 
amidal. It is, indeed, in many respects, only 
an excellent variety of the ordinary English 
Elm, but its excellence is so great that I be¬ 
lieve it fully worthy of the high rank I have 
given it. We neglect these European Elms on 
our lawns mi justly. 
The Purple Beech —Fagus sylvatica atro- 
purpurea. All kinds of beeches are alike 
beautiful in foliage, branching aud trunk for- 
inatiou. Thty are slow-growing, long lived 
aud richly aud even exquisitely endowed in 
every way. Their shade is unsurpassed, and 
they frequently hold their foliage far into De¬ 
cember. The Purple Beech, however, is 
shapely, pyramidal and sometimes spreading, 
au elegant and stately tree. It is unquestion¬ 
ably the most attractive purple-leaved tree 
known on our lawus. The variety, Rivers’s 
Purple, is the richest iu coloring, ai d in May 
and June the young growth, seen against the 
sun, fairly glows with the moat splendid rosy 
tints. 
The Weeping Beech.— Excellence of form 
rather than special beauty of foliage charac¬ 
terizes this tree, although tbe leaves of all 
beeches are very beautiful. The behavior 
of the brauches of the Weeping Beech is 
literally wonderful. They curve and weep 
in every shape imaginable, and reach up 
and down and about in the most grotesque, 
and yet graceful manner. Always beautiful, 
the Weeping Beech is now merely pointed and 
drooping and again entirely cathedral-like and 
spreading—altogether the most splendidly en¬ 
dowed ornameutal tree on the lawn. 
Tile Rbd-flowering Hoksb-chkstnut. I 
hesitate, I acknowledge, in choosing the fifth 
tree. It is the last chance and there are so 
calico bush—(kalmia latifolia.)—fig. 71. 
Should we mention the Norway Spruce next, 
and th ;n the Balsam Fir ? No, we. do uot pro¬ 
pose to mention these two popular trees for 
our acre at all. We cannot look at our many 
other kinds of 6piucc without the convictiou 
that they are decidedly superior to the former, 
and must, as time permits, take its place for 
ornamental grounds. As for the Balsam Fir, 
bright as it is during youth, it begins to lose 
its beauty when 12 years of age, and is ugly iu 
most cases at 1C. 
The Oriental Spruce (Abies orieutalis) is 
far better adapted to small grounds than the 
Norway. It is hardier, never being injured here 
as the Norway is upon those of its lower 
brauches exposed to the northwest. Its fol¬ 
iage is probably more compact than that of 
any other spruce which attains to its size, 
which is, as we learn, not over CO feet at its 
best. We have seen but one tree of this spe¬ 
cies, that was old enough to display its nature 
habit, aud that, we think, is one of the finest 
evergreen epruces of any kind we have evar 
beheld. It is solid, heavy, dark, with none of 
the horizontal layers of branches which char¬ 
acterize the Norway. 
The oddest evergreen that wo know of is a 
seedling of the Norway called the 
Conical Spruce, and it is odd for its singu¬ 
lar regularity, it could uot with the shears be 
cut into a more perfectly conical shape than is 
the specimen growing in these grounds. The 
branches grow closely together so that it is 
compact and tho color of the leaves is brighter 
than that of the species. It is mentioned as a 
dwarf spruce, but ours is now growing at the 
rate of nine inches a season, so that it bids 
fair to become a sizable tree in a few years. 
Speakiug of dwarfs, 
Gregory’s Spruce, also a seedling of the 
Norway, is one to be recommended. Tho 
branches grow so closely together that were it 
not for the sharpness of the leaves one might 
sit upon the rounded heuded as upon a cush¬ 
ion. Our specimen, bcvcii years from the nur- 
Bery, is now two feet high and four broad. 
The Inverted SntucE, another variety of 
the Norway, is remarkable from the fact that 
A SELECTION OF THE BEST HARDY 
PLANTS. 
SAMUEL PARSONS 
The editor of the Rural has asked me to 
STUARTIA VIKUINIOA.—FIO. 73. 
name, and give reasons for uarniug, the five 
best deciduous trees, the five best deciduous 
shrubs, and tho five beat evergreens for a lawn 
of, say, an acre in extent. That means, l un¬ 
derstand, that I must select this number of 
