400 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
planted at the time of the Restoration, was blown down 
in April. 1911; it was one hundred and forty-two feet 
high, with a trunk circumference at four feet from the 
ground of twenty-seven feet. This was believed to be 
the largest tree in Great Britain and perhaps in Europe. 
Ulnius vegeta is a tree with paler hark than that of Ul- 
mus camjtestris, large main branches spreading at nar¬ 
row angles, giving the tree a vase-shaped form, rather 
pendulous hranchlets and larger leaves than those of Ul- 
inus campestris, and usually only slightly roughened on 
the upper surface. This tree is not rare in English parks 
and has been largely planted in Cambridgeshire where in 
the neighborhood of Cambridge there are many fine 
specimens. Brooklands Avenue in that city, planted with 
this tree in 1830, shows its value for such planting, for 
in all England there is perhaps not a better example of an 
avenue of planted trees. The Huntington Elm was cer¬ 
tainly introduced into New England much later than 
Ulmus campestris, and probably the oldest trees here are 
not more than sixty or seventy years old. This Elm is 
perfectly hardy here, it grows with surprising rapidity, 
and if exotic Elms are to he planted in the United States 
it may well he more generally used here than it has been. 
Persons interested in the plants best suited for the 
parks and gardens of eastern North America can find 
much to learn in the Arboretum from this time until the 
end of the year, for it is in the autumn that conifers are 
seen to the best advantage and that the mature leaves of 
I he few broad-leaved evergreens which flourish in this 
climate best show the beauty and value of these plants 
for the late autumn and winter garden. Perhaj)S no¬ 
where else are so many different plants with brilliant au¬ 
tumn foliage and handsome and abundant autumn fruits 
assembled; and in no other garden can such plants be so 
easily and conveniently studied. Such plants give a 
character and beauty to the autumn garden which can be 
found only in eastern North America, and perhaps in 
Japan where the leaves of many of the native trees and 
shrubs assume brilliant colors before they fall. 
The autumn color of a few plants is already brilliant. 
The earliest of the American trees to change the color of 
its leaves is the Red or Scarlet Maple, Acer rubrum. On 
specimens of this tree growing in swamps the leaves are 
now often bright scarlet, while on trees growing on 
higher and drier ground the leaves are still bright green 
or only slightly tinged with red. The so-called Water 
Willow, Decoclon verticillatus, often known as Nesaea, 
is a native of all the region from Maine to Florida and 
Louisiana, and is a shrub with arching stems growing- 
only in the wet, often submerged borders of streams and 
ponds where it often spreads into broad thickets. By the 
borders of the ponds in the Arboretum the leaves of this 
plant are already bright scarlet, and for a few weeks the 
plants will be conspicuous among the green sedges and 
swamp grasses with which they are associated. 
The leaves of some of the forms of the so-called Vir¬ 
ginia Creeper of eastern North America are already 
bright scarlet. The earliest to adopt its autumn dress and 
now in brilliant color is Parthenocissus vitacea. This 
plant rarely has adhesive discs at the ends of the ten¬ 
drils, and therefore cannot attach itself to the trunks of 
trees or to brick and stone walls, like Parthenocissus 
quinquefolia which is often sold in nurseries as Arnpel- 
opsis Englernannii. There are many forms of the Vir¬ 
ginia Creeper which can be seen on the trellis near the 
entrance to the Shrub Collection from the Forest Hills 
Gate. 
A few of the fruits which ripen in early autumn arc 
already conspicuous. There is perhaps no shrub more 
beautiful in the autumn than one of the American Cor¬ 
nels, Cornus riigosa, or, as it is sometimes called, C. cir- 
cinata. It is a tall, broad, round-headed shrub with 
greenish branches and round, oval, dark green leaves; 
the llowers are not more showy than those of the other 
Cornels, but the clusters of light blue fruits on red stalks 
make them objects of .much interest and beauty. There 
are a number of these plants in the Cornel Group at the 
junction of the Meadow and Bussey Hill Roads, and 
there are great clumps of it among the Hickories and in 
other parts of the Arboretum. The red Osier Cornel, 
Cornus racemosa, often called C. stolonifera or C. can- 
didissima, is also beautiful at this season, for the leaves 
are beginning to turn dark red and the plants are covered 
with abundant clusters of white fruits on bright red 
stalks. This plant has been largely used in the Arbore¬ 
tum; it spreads rapidly into large, dense clusters, and 
with its good foliage, abundant llowers and beautiful 
fruits, few shrubs are more desirable for park and road¬ 
side plantations. 
The fruit of some of the new Chinese Cotoneasters is 
handsome and the autumn coloring of their foliage is 
often splendid. Most of these plants are perfectly hardy, 
and among them are certainly some of the most valuable 
garden shrubs of recent introduction. They can be seen 
in the special Chinese Collection on Bussey Hill and in 
the Shrub Collection, and deserve study with reference to 
the autumn garden. 
“THE MONTHLY SUMMARY OF COMMERCE AND FINANCE” FOR JUNE, 1914, GIVES THE FOLLOWING REPORT OF 
IMPORTS OF PLANTS, TREES, SHRUBS AND VINES. 
ARTICLES 
JULY- 
SEVEN MONTHS ENDING JULY— 
1913 
1914 
1912 
1913 
1914 
Quantity 
Value 
Quantity 
Value 
Quantity 
Value 
Quantity 
Value 
Quantity 
Value 
Plants, trees, shrubs and vines : 
Bulbs, bulbous roots, or corms, cul¬ 
tivated for their flowers or foliage 
3,815 
40,868 
7,415 
5,012 
5,619 
66,325 
75 
8,905 
21,571 
150,117 
12,891 
722,869 
12,181 
117,098 
12,867 
794,751 
16,704 
174,209 
8,100 
820,633 
.{ dut 
Total. 
53,295 
75,305 
885,877 
924,716 
1,002,942 
