P1K 
have on recent occasions been considered • 
^as removable. Among the deciduous 
trees of the genus which may be called 
ornamental there are the bird-cherry, 
P. Padus, and its variety, rubra, 
the Cornish bird-cherry; P. Virgiru- 
ana, the Virginian cherry; P. Se- 
rotina, American bird-cherry; Caroli- 
niana , evergreen bird-cherry; malialeb, 
the perfumed cherry; avium, coronne 
cherry; chicasa, or chicasaw plum ; and 
Pennsylvania, all desirable on account of 
their abundant display of white blossoms 
in early spring, and, in most instances, 
for their handsome fruit at a later sea¬ 
son. In those which have a shrubby 
habit there are the useful laurel, P. lau- 
rocerasus, and Portugal laurel P. Lusi- 
tanica, both well known, and present in 
all gardens ; P. depressa, the sand cherry; 
hyemalis , dwarf choke-cherry; pygrave, 
very dwarf; and P. maritima, the sea 
cherry, besides others of less interest. 
All the species grow in ordinary gar¬ 
den soil, and are quite hardy. The com- j 
mon laurel was introduced from Holland 
in 1629 ; it is a native of the Levant; 
the first plant was grown in the garden of 
a merchant, Mr. James Cole, of Righgate, 
who, according to Parkinson, used to 
cover it in winter with a blanket. The 
Portugal laurel appears to be a native of 
Madeira; it was brought to this country 
from Portugal in 1618. The arborescent 
species are usually increased by grafting 
on the wild cherry, or raised from seed; 
the dwarf kinds are readily propagated 
by layers or seed when produced. 
PUNIC A, Pomegranate. Mat. Ord. 
Myrtctcea. P. granatum, the true pomegra¬ 
nate, is a native of the south of Europe, 
extensively cultivated at Genoa and Leg¬ 
horn for its fruit; with us it succeeds 
when trained against a south wall. There 
are two species, but the other is more 
tender and altogether inferior to the pre¬ 
sent. It should be planted on a border 
of light rich loam, and in pruning it must 
be observed, that as the flowers come out 
singly, or several together, at the ends of 
the branches, only the weakest shoots are 
to be removed, never shortening those 
which remain, except to get additional 
wood. A good practice is to train the 
shoots erect from an horizontal base, as 
in the manner of grape vines, and to cut 
every alternate branch each vear, so as to 
leave half the number to flower, and by 
the removal of the others to provide for 
a future supply of new wood where it is 
most wanted. The flowers of P. grana¬ 
tum are scarlet, and there are several va¬ 
rieties having double and single rose- 
coloured or yellow blossoms, and also 
others with double flowers of the colour 
of those of the species ; the flowers are 
produced in succession throughout the 
summer, and upon the single varieties 
are followed by the fruit, which, with the 
assistance of a glass case may be ripened 
to a flavour very nearly or quite equal to 
those imported. Independent of this, 
however, the plants are worth every 
attention merely as ornamental objects. 
They are increased by layers, or cuttings 
may be struck in sandy soil, beneath a 
hand-glass upon a warm border; the 
scarcer kinds are also grafted upon the 
common sorts, in the manner of apples. 
PURSHIA (Decaxdolle). Mat. 
Order, Rosacea. One species only, tri¬ 
dent at a, is yet known to us. _ This is a 
rather pretty dwarf shrub, with yellow 
flowers displayed in May and June ; it 
should be grown in very light peaty soil, 
and sunny situation, where it flowers and 
seeds abundantly, offering a ready means 
of increase. 
PYRUS (Lixx.) Mat. Ord. Rosacea. 
In this genus we have a few ornamental 
species, both shrubs and trees. Among 
the latter, the most popular are the com¬ 
mon mountain ash (P. aucuparia ) and 
the purple-berried mountain ash _ (P. 
Americana') ; these are excellent subjects 
for suburban districts, as they bear the 
smoke and confined air very well; they 
are gay in spring, with their large bunches 
of white strongly-scented flowers, and hi 
autumn with the still larger clusters of 
bright-red or purple berries. Besides 
these, there are the white and Swedish 
beam tree, P. aria and P. intermedia, 
with the several varieties of each, all of 
them handsome timber-trees, of consider¬ 
able size. P. hybrida, and pinnatifida, 
the bastard service tree, are also worthy 
a place in the shrubbery or plantation, if 
