402 
FEB. 42 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
many one would like to select. Magnolias 
should not be passed over; but, then, they are 
difficult to transplant. The Weeping Sopbora 
and Gingko are most curious and interesting 
trees. What shall I do ? At the risk of being 
unjust, I will name the Red-flowering Ilorse 
chestnut. It Is. at least, a striking, hardy tree 
of recognized value. A round mass of largo 
finely-tinted, light-green leaves is set all over 
in May with veritable bouquets of rose-colored 
flowers. The combination of foliage and 
bloom is unique in appearance, and loses none 
of its beauty as we examine it more closely 
The tree itself is medium-sized and vigorous 
looking though slow and regular in growth. 
It has alwayd been choice and rare; but to be 
effective it must be grafted on a stem five to 
six feet high. The Red flowering Horse-chest¬ 
nut is entirely hardy, but much prefers low 
ground. It will do well, however, on level, 
rich, loamy soil. At a considerable distance 
on the lawn this tree, with it6 rounded, mas¬ 
sive, light-green foliage and prominent red 
flowers, continues to be very striking. 
The Best Five Deciduous Sl>rul>n. 
The Japanese Snow-ball. This Snow-ball 
has been accorded, in the Rural New-Yorker, 
for September 21, '78, the highest rank among 
deciduous shrubs by a majority vote of the 
best judges. Nor can anyone fail, one would 
think, to recognize at a glance its great excel¬ 
lence, and experience will only serve to con¬ 
firm the correctness in this case of first im¬ 
pressions. Its round balls of flowers are while 
and solid and veiy unique and charming, and 
the dark-green, crinkled or plaited leaves and 
brownish shoots piled iu picturesque masses, 
impress one even at a distance, and near-by 
their excellence is not impaired by anything 
coarse or unattractive. It remains beautiful 
in foliage or flowers, as the case muy be, 
throughout the season, and is always specially 
effective. The flowers hang on sometimes six 
weeks, and then drop off undecayed. Its 
dense masses of foliage are, however, render¬ 
ed doubly picturesque by systematic pruning, 
Hydrangea fanioulata gbandifloka. This 
plant has beeu awarded very high, if not the 
highest praise among shrubs ; but is none the 
less coarse in appearance on close examina¬ 
tion. Yet its great, bending trusses of flowers 
a foot long, changing from white to red and 
crimson until frost turns all a pale-brown tint, 
alone entitle it to high rank among a selection 
of the be6t shrubs. It grows vigorously, is 
perfectly hardy, and veiy imposing at a dis¬ 
tance. Unquestionably a group of tnese 
hydrangeasisoneof the most splendid features 
to be seen on any lawn. Remember, too, it i6 an 
autumn-blooming shrub, which is a signifi¬ 
cant fact when we consider that there are very 
few fall-blooming shrubs, and noue approach¬ 
ing this hydrangea in excellence. 
Euonymus Eorofjeos. The Jawn wants 
bright-color effects sadly in Autumn before the 
leaves of maples and oaks brighten with iu- 
cipient decay. I choose, therefore, the Euony- 
mus as one of my five shrubs for its abundant 
display of showy scarlet berries, although in 
strictest sense it is a small tree. Its foliage 
and erect and positive form are alike beauti¬ 
ful. The leaves, retained late in Autumn, are 
shining-green, aud its reddish-brown branches 
are adorned in an indescribable manner by num- 
berlesB large, scarlet, four-hooded seed vessels. 
No flowers could be finer or enliven the land¬ 
scape more than the fruit of this well named 
Strawberry-Tree. 
Spiraea Thunbehgii. For the finest spray¬ 
like effects of deciduous shrubs we must turn 
to S. Thunbergii. Early in May, and even in 
April, its masses of pure white wreathes of 
flowers rest or enfold the drooping, graceful 
branches, like drifting piles of snow. The 
small, dainty leaves come out fully only after 
the flowers disappear, and take on at once the 
most tender and delicate green, These leaves 
are numerous and very small. Later on in 
Autumn, when they hang late, the delicate 
beauty of their crimson-and-gold tints is very 
striking. 
The White Fringe— Chionanthus Virgini- 
ca. 1 wi6h I could include the Japan Judas- 
tree aud Stuartia pentagyua. They are un¬ 
surpassed in their way; but since I can only 
take five shrubs, their defective hardiness as 
compared with that of the White Fringe, 
must secure the honor to that plant. Chion- 
antbus Virginica, or the White Fringe, be¬ 
comes almost a tree in time—is actually a tree 
in strict parlance. It is of medium growth 
and has firm-looking, rounded contours and 
shining, effective foliage, very beautiful even 
without its flowers. But what a crown of 
glory its masses of lace-like, white flowers are 
in June, as they rest lightly on the rich, solid¬ 
looking foliage. Near-by the effect is delicate 
and exquisite; at a little distance it is au 
impressive and delightful surprise. Please 
note that I am particular to select shrubs 
which bloom at different seasons. 
Best Five Evergreens. 
The Conical Spruce. Evergreens are per¬ 
haps less important in this climate than de¬ 
ciduous treeB or shrubs, because they are 
harder to transplant and harder to keep alive 
after they are transplanted, beset, as they are, 
by the peculiar conditions of our American 
climates. The most popular of all the finer 
evergreens, although not necessarily therefore 
the best, is the Conical Spruce. Its symmetry 
is its strong point, and perhaps the fact that 
it i8 a perfect form of the familiar and favorite 
Norway Spruce. It needs no pruning and does 
well in most situations; in fact, it behaves 
with credit where more exquisite hardy ever 
greens fail. 
Engelmann’s Spruce. Another evergreen, 
as yet very little known but equally worthy ot 
renown, is the Engelroanu’s Spruce. It is 
as hardy as the Couical Spruce, less symmet¬ 
rical and more picturesque in outline, and, 
above all, lumiuously bluish or grayish-green. 
The contrast it affords to other evergreens 
would alone give it title to rank high on out- 
list. 
The Golden Retxnospora — Retinoepora 
plumosa aurea. The special charm of this 
evergreen is its contrasting beauty. It is 
bright-golden all the year, deepening in yel¬ 
lowish tint towards Winter, and shewing i... st 
green during the full growth of June. In habit 
it is picturesque, feathery and dense. It is 
veiy easily transplanted arid is kept down by 
pruning to the most dwarf size without loss 
of beauty. Indeed, it rnuBt be thoroughly 
and regularly pruned to keep it fine aud 
bushy. Hardy in mo6t places and easily 
propagated, there are few, if any, of the new 
Japan evergreens that are likely to grow in 
popularity more in the future. 
The Nordmann’s Silver Fir. And now 
for our king of evergreens—Nordmann’s Sil¬ 
ver FirL What can be more majestic, im¬ 
posing, picturesque and symmetrical than its 
masses of dark-green foliage, with beautiful 
silver linings ? Set out a tree that has been 
transplanted and pruned iu some proper 
fashiou, aud you will find it the most magnifi¬ 
cent and generally satisfactory evergreen on 
the lawn. Ii is slow-growing, and will long 
suit the dimensions of small places, if proper¬ 
ly pruned, while it will equally well adorn the 
largest park. 
The Weeping Hemlock. I close with 
what is, in some respects, the most beautiful 
of all evergreens. The common hemlock is 
sometimes, during youth aud early growth, 
as beautiful in the form of its weeping sprays ; 
but ou the true Weeping Hemlock the most 
attractive of these forms is permanent. Add 
to this a peculiarly picturesque, evergreen, 
fountain-like form attained in mature age, 
and you certainly have an excellent evergreen. 
It still remains rare, though introduced by 
Mr. H. W. Sar-ent a score of years ago; but 
it is somewhat difficult to propagate, and 
therefore has not received as much notice from 
growers, as it would if it could be grown as 
readily as a Hovey’s Arbor-vit*e or the Golden 
Retinospora. 
-*♦-*-- 
Roses. —The Prairie Roses are the best; they 
are very hardy, copious, and come into blos¬ 
som when other roses are mostly past. The 
Ayrsbires are rampant growers and flourish 
on poor soil, and the Climbing Hybrid Per- 
petuaia are well fitted for training to pillars or 
against wails, and have as large, double and 
beautiful flowers as their dwarfed namesakes. 
Clematises. —Free-growing, copious, showy 
and most of them hardy. Our woods teem 
with white-flowering ones. C. graveolens, 
from Thibet, is yellow; C. coecinea, from 
Texas, glowing scarlet; and among our garden 
varieties are many shades of white, blue and 
purple, also single aud double flowers. The 
‘‘patens” type blooms in the Spring; the 
“florida” and "lauuginosa” in the Summer, 
aud the “viticella” and “ Jackmanni” in the 
Summer and Fall. 
Chinese Wistarias. —Showy and much ad¬ 
mired, and useful anywhere where a long- 
reaching vine is needed. The white-flowering 
variety is less appreciated than the blue. 
Golden Bell (Forsytbia).— Bears a pro¬ 
fusion of yellow blossoms in Spring before the 
leaves appear; a rapid grower ; does well in 
sunny places, and is fitted for door-posts, pil¬ 
lars or In liises. 
Honeysuckles. —Special favorites. Some 
have yellow, others red flowers ; some are fra¬ 
grant and a few evergreen ; the golden-netted 
Is prettily variegated. 
Pii-e Vine.—A n excellent shade or shelter; 
has a rank growth of massive leaveB. In hot, 
dry places the leaves often get seared by red 
spider. 
Trumpet Vine.— Quick-growing, handsome 
on high pillars where its branches can hang 
out around it. Old plants bloom more treely 
than young ones. 
A kkbia.— Pretty for fences, pillars, porches, 
or strings against the wall; hardy, fast-grow¬ 
ing, retains its deep-green leaves till nearly 
Christmas. 
\ irginia Cheeper —Good for screenery or 
drapery ; thiives in light or shade. 
Periploca Gh.-eca.—A pretty twiner from 
Southern Europe ; old plants are hardy in the 
North, but young ones barely so. 
Climbing Wax-work. —Its showy fruit in 
Fall claims for it a garden place. It likes a 
moist but sunny spot. 
GARDEN VINES. 
WILLIAM FALCONER. 
Ornamental vines as garden plants are 
craved by poor aud rich. They are for use as 
well as show ; they give us shade in Summer, 
act as wind-breaks for more tender nurslings 
and screens to hide unsightly objects, rob the 
garden of a formal look, and with their drap¬ 
ery add a furnished show, aud, where trees are 
wanting, serve well pro tern, as substitutes. 
And to their graceful forms and greenery is 
often added a wealth of lovely blossoms; for 
instance, clematises and roses, golden bells and 
clusters of wistaria. Most ot them are of rapid 
growth, tough constitution, easy cultivation, 
and among them are subjects available for al¬ 
most all positions. Poor, indeed, is the garden 
without a vine. The round-sheared shrubs, 
the closely-shaven lawn, the glowing beds and 
fancy fence cannot atone for those bare wallB, 
that shadeless veranda, that naked porch, 
that unclad, green-painted lattice fence, set 
there to hide the back yard from the front. 
Vines give a cosy look unto a dwelling—a far 
more “homey” feeling than any vineless 
house can have. 
Woody Vines 
are the most useful, ornamental and perma¬ 
nent. They are especially available for cover¬ 
ing long distances, 6uch as the whole length of 
a house front or arbor; ascending to the tops 
of high pillars, their laterals depending all 
around in easy grace; or furnishing, in like 
manner, the long, bare trunks of trees. Once 
planted and in good soil, their after care con¬ 
sists in regulating and training the branches, 
and sometimes thinning and shortening them. 
Iu Europe house walls are often beautifully 
clad in ivy-fashion with pyracantba and the 
small-leaved cotoneaster, the shoots being 
tacked to the walls like vines. Both flour¬ 
ish under such circumstances and produce ex¬ 
ceptionally large crop6 of flowers and showy 
fruits. Myrtles (Myrtus), Edwardsiae, Berberi- 
dopsis, Azam and other somewhat tender 
shrubs are used in the same way. But 1 can 
not recommend the use of 6hrubs as wall-vines 
in America. Among woody vines the follow¬ 
ing are hardy and good:— 
Herbaceous Vines, 
as a rule, are hardy, rapid growers, and, al¬ 
though available as screens, are mostly grown 
for theii ornamental drapery and pretty flow¬ 
ers. They are more lasting than annuals and 
of the easiest culture ; good soil and a sunny 
position prolong their growth and multiply 
their blossoms. 
Climbing Hemp-weed— Delights in moist 
and partly 6hady places and to scramble over 
bushes ,- a fit companion to the Virgin’s Bower; 
has llowiug wreaths of whitish Eupalorium- 
like flowers. 
Ground-nut— Grows where the Hemp-weed 
does; bears brownish-purple, violet-scented 
flowers in great profusion in late Summer and 
Autumn. 
Chinese Yam or Cinnamon Vine. —Quick 
aud dense-growing, neat, handsome in leaf and 
fragrant in flower. Multiplies itself by axil- 
iary tubers. Old tubers reach deep into the 
earth. 
Hops.—R eady growers, but often defaced 
by insect vermin. 
Bkacted Bind-weeds— Calystegia. — Fast 
growers; will crawl or climb; have pretty 
flowers, but vile spreading roots. The Chinese 
double-flowering sort is a good and showy gar¬ 
den plant. 
Man-of-thk-Earth Creeper.— A strong¬ 
growing Morning Glory, whose bulky roots 
reach veiy deeply into the ground. 
Thladiantha. —A Chinese member of the 
Cucumber family; very hardy, fast-growing 
and profuse, bearing bell-shaped yellow blos¬ 
soms all the Summer long. It has chain-iike 
tubers like the Grouud-nut; beBt naturalized 
in half-wild places. 
Everlasting Peas.—I n open places and 
rich land, and trained to stakes or branchy 
pillars, these (white and purple) are among the 
choicest of gardenJiowers. 
Annual Vines 
are showy-flowering plants, and some of them 
are useful as a hasty covering. They need hut 
little care beyond good feeding, lots of water 
in Summer to prolong their growing and 
blooming period, and strings, stakes or other 
means of support. Some of them, as maurau- 
dias, Cypress-vineB and ornamental gourds, 
may be started in a hot-bed in Spring for curli¬ 
ness’ sake, but all of them should prove satis¬ 
factory if sown out out-of-doors in April or 
early May. 
Climbing Fumitory.— Handsome in leaf 
and flower; a rapid grower ; self-sows Itself ; 
annual or biennial. 
QuAMOGLrr ooccinea. — Like a Morning- 
Glory in leaf and Cypress-vine in flower; a 
good grower; a late bloomer. 
Nasturtium.—E verybody’s flowers. 
Cypress - Vines. — Sown in little circular 
patches aud trained up strings in sharp pyra¬ 
midal fashion, they are great favorites. 
Canary Vines.— Pretty vines with many 
yellow blossoms; need, a cool, moist place. 
Maubandia Babclayana. — Exceedingly 
profuse and free-growing; likes good feeding 
and an open, sunny exposure. 
Morning-Glories.— Common but pretty. 
Ornamental Goubds. —Rapid-growing and 
far-extendiDg plants, whose chief ornamenta¬ 
tion is their variously formed and colored 
fruits. 
Mild Balsam Apple. —Free-growiug; likes 
damp, rich ground and a sunny exposure ; in 
late Summer bears a copious crop of bunches 
of little white flowers. 
Svicli Peas. Ou moist, rich land they grow 
freely and bear great crops of lovely, fragrant 
flowers. 
Scarlet Runners.— Ornamental and useful. 
Clinging Vines. 
American houses, by means of any plant yet 
discovered, cannot be clothed in evergreen as 
are the ivied buildings of the Old World ; but 
in Summer we can cover them with as bright 
a green and in Fall with as glowing a red as 
Europe's wails can show. The following vines, 
by tueaus of rootlets all along their stems and 
branches, 6tick closely and tenaciously to walls 
of mason-work or wood :— 
English Ivy.—Evergreen, hardy in cool, 
open, comparatively sunless situations, as on 
a north-facing wall. 
Ampelopsis Tricuspidata (Japan Creeper, 
like our Virginia Creeper).—Its thrifty growtlg 
neat and compacted habit, profuse, bright aud 
glowing leafage, tenacity to the wall, which it 
will thickly cover to a bight of 40 feet, and 
hardiness, have secured for it a place no known 
rival can usurp. 
Climbing Hydrangea.— Its merits in Amer¬ 
ica are yet untested, but it is quite hardy. 
Euonymus Radicans.— This and its varie¬ 
gated form are true evergreens, hardy, neat in 
growth, and fine for covering boulders in the 
rockery; or well cut-back plants of it make a 
pretty bordering, Some assert this euonymus 
is good for covering walls ; our plants do not 
grow quick enough. 
Barely Hardy Vine*. 
In the Southern States many vines can be 
enjoyed that will not survive our Northern 
Winters, unscathed, unless protected. Among 
them are Arauja albcns, that iu great profus¬ 
ion bears its white, rose-tinged blossoms all 
the Summer long; Passion flowers cf various 
huesof flower and fruit; Soianum jasminoides, 
of graceful habit and all Summer through 
abounding in clusters of white ; Tea Roses, 
the gloiyof the Spring and Fall; Bignonia 
capreolata, evergreen and floriferous; jessa¬ 
mines of several sorts ; the bold-leaved Staun- 
tonia hexaphylla—almost hardy here ; fancy 
ivies for the cool and shady nooks, and many 
other pretty things. 
Other Vines. 
Besides tho above are many lesser vines—as 
Thunbergias—as great or greater; for instance, 
the sterile grape-vines. And were I to include 
the many tender vines that thrive far better 
when planted out-of-doors in Summer than 
when nursed in rooms or greenhouses, the list 
would be very much extended. Among these 
tender vines may be mentioned Passion-flowers, 
cobaea, mignonette vine, iponueas, bignonias 
and dioscoraeas. 
THE RESOURCES OF OUR FORESTS. 
PRE9, E. GALE. 
In a new country, when urging home orna¬ 
mentation and rural improvements generally, 
we are often met by the plea of want of means, 
or if not by that, at least by ignorance in re¬ 
gard to the varieties of trees, shrubs, creepers, 
ana twiners, that will endure our climate. But 
these excuses reveal only ignorance of our 
own resources. We have iu our owu forests 
and along our own water-courses a variety of 
shrubs, creepers and twiners that can be ob¬ 
tained for the labor of collect ng them, which, 
if properly planted, will make an attractive 
rural picture of any prairie home. Not only 
can those shrubs and vines be obtained in 
abundance without cost, but their hardiness is 
settled. It is difficult to repress the convic¬ 
tion that it is only from ignorance that men 
neglect our Dative flora for the costly aud half- 
hardy exotics with which our grounds are 
often filled. Not that it is uuwise to gather the 
beautiful productions of the entire temperate 
zone, but the pioneer planter will find it ne¬ 
cessary to experiment cautiously in this direc¬ 
tion. When we have made all we can of our 
native shrubs, vines creepers aud twiners, we 
can safel y go further. 
We might begin with the Red-bud, that 
avant-coureur of the early Spring; and the 
Buckeye, with its delicate green, responding 
to almost the first SpriDg sun. Then we could 
go on to the Dogwood, Button-bush and Buck¬ 
thorn, White Thorn, Prickly Ash, Alder, Red 
Osier, Black Willow, Elder aud even Sumach, 
aud, last to name here, the charming Wahoo, a 
beautiful plant always, but most attractive in 
Winter. 
It may be no special compliment to the plant- 
