WORTHY OF GENERAL CULTURE. 
19 
collection of thirty kinds of Lilacs, and every plant with ample room for itself, forms one group ; fifteen kinds of 
Magnolias are growing in close proximity ; the finest full “double” Snowballs of America and Japan occupy one bed 
together, and in another bed near by are the single ones (different species of Viburnum). And this grouping is also 
evident in the case of Aralias, Hydrangeas, Spiraeas, and other popular shrubs. 
Experience here is emphatically in favor of young nursery stock as the best trees to plant, and as strongly against 
trees from the woods, or old trees from anywhere. When planted, a bed-like circle 3 to 4 feet in diameter is left around 
each tree, as a guard against the mowing-machine in summer, also for convenience in mulching, for all the young trees 
are mulched with salt-meadow 
hay or sea-thatch, as a pre¬ 
caution against drouth in 
summer, also to keep the 
ground clean and the soil 
open. In deciduous trees the 
tops are kept moderately thin, 
branches that cross and rub 
against others arc cut out, lop- 
heavy branches are shortened 
back, and dead wood, watery 
sprouts, and suckers always 
removed, and the trees are 
given a well-balanced natural 
contour. If well attended to 
when young, the trees soon 
outgrow any need of further 
pruning. 
Evergreen trees are 
treated much in the same 
way as deciduous ones, except 
that particular attention is 
given to preventing them 
growing upward too rankly ; 
the leader is kept well short¬ 
ened back to encourage a full, 
broad, dense array of branches 
from the ground up. When 
any branch shows a tendency 
to outgrow and overreach its 
fellows, its growing points are 
rubbed off in May ; this saves 
using the knife later on. 
Under this treatment, even 
such naked stemmed trees, 
naturally, as the common 
Balsam Fir, are here repre¬ 
sented as perfect pyramids of 
green from the ground to the 
tip of the leader. 
Many of the smaller- 
CEDRUS DEODARA. 
growing evergreens, as \ ews, 
Junipers, Retinosporas, Arbor-Vitais, Box, Holly, and Umbrella and Sunray Pines, with the lovely Japanese Maples and 
some other choice deciduous trees, are planted near together, but far enough apart to give every plant plenty room for 
full development, in wide triangular plats. The surface of these plats is entirely mulched over by sea-thatch, to pre¬ 
serve the ground from severe drouth in summer, and although the land is sandy and the exposure open and facing south, 
all manner of plants revel in it, and this mainly on account of the protection afforded to their roots by the mulching. 
Every second year a heavy coating of barn manure is spread broadcast over these plants, and left there on the surface, 
with the thatch over it ; for healthy trees and evergreens are greatly invigorated by surface manurings. 
The beds occupied by Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Kalmias, and the like, are also mulched heavily, but with forest-tree 
leaves only, and the mulching is left on permanently, and added to year after year. In these beds, larger numbers of 
Speciosum, Auratum, Superbum, and other Lilies are grown, and part of the Azalea bed is carpeted with Lily-of-the- 
Valley. One mixed bed is edged around with Moss Pink, then an inner band of varieties of Heather, English Ivy, and 
trailing Euonymus is added. 
