September, 
216 
THE ASH-LEAVED MAPLE. 
Kegundo aceroides. 
On the 4th of Jnly, 1876, I planted an 
Ash Maple or Box Elder tree near the porch 
at the southeast angle of my house. It was 
a Centennial tree; and it has proven worthy 
to be one. Wien planted it was a mere 
switch, four feet high, and without a branch. 
To-day it is 20 feet high .and has a top that 
casts a dense, griiteful shade over the porch. 
I know of no tree that I can recommend 
more highly for door-y.ard shade than the 
Box Elder. 
It can be grown successfully from C.auada 
south to Tennessee and North Carolina, or 
even f.arther south. It grows rtipidly, yet 
solidly, and so far .as I know is altogether 
free from disease, and no tree is infested 
less with worms, etc. It has a dense, spread¬ 
ing top; in fact, it has this fault—a tendency 
to make too much top, so th.at the limbs are 
frequently broken in storms, if the trunk is 
not broken. This, however, can easily be 
remedied by keeping the top well trimmed 
out. This must be attended to during the 
first ten years of the life of the tree, else it 
will be at least unshapely, if it is not alto¬ 
gether ruined. Keep the lower branches at 
least eight feet from the ground, for the top 
will become so large and spreading that 
there will not be a good circulation of air 
under it if the top is nearer the ground. By 
keeping the top trimmed out the breaking of 
limbs will be avoided, as the wood is not 
easily broken; it is only on account of the 
great resistance which the top offers to the 
wind, on account of its density, and not be¬ 
cause the wood lacks strength, that the top 
receives so much damage from storms. The 
leaves are not so large as of some trees, but 
they are of good size, and effectually inter¬ 
cept the rays of the sun, making a cool sh<ade. 
The tree is not injured by tramping, as are 
many trees used for shade. My Centennial 
tree is tramped about a great deal, being 
just by the pump and the steps, leading upon 
the porch; yet it has always grown thriftily, 
and to-day its trunk is almost a foot in di¬ 
ameter at the base. This amount of tramp¬ 
ing would prove fatal to the Oaks, Hickories, 
etc. While undoubtedly the Box Elder does 
better in some soils than in others, it has 
done weli wherever I have planted it. My 
farm is not all prairie land, but runs Into 
broken timbered land along a creek which 
flows through one side. But this tree has 
grown well upon the gravelly, sandy land 
that borders ifpon the creek as well as in the 
black, mucky soil of the prairie. 
'I'he Box Elder is a handsome tree. The 
top is spreading, symmetrical and gr.aecful. 
The foliage is d.ark green. The trunk Is 
smooth and well proportioned. In point of 
beauty it is excelled by none of our forest 
trees. It is equally commended by its hard¬ 
iness. It does well in lower Canada; and 
along the fortieth parallel, where I have ex¬ 
perimented with it, it is never Injured by the 
winter. L.ast winter was an unusually se¬ 
vere one in this locality, proving fatal to 
large numbers of my orchard and ornamen¬ 
tal trees, and injuring or killing outright 
quite a number of the forest trees; but so 
far as I have been able to perceive, not one 
of my Box Elders has been injured in the 
le.ast by the cold. Nor is it injured by heat 
or drought, .and the thermometer hanging 
on the shady side of my Centeuni.al tree 
marks 97 °; yet the foliage on the tree is 
fresh and thrifty. 
I have never had any .Box Elder fail to 
grow after transplanting, but I have always 
transplanted small trecs-^thosc one year old. 
Nothing is g.aiued by using older trees. The 
older the tree the greater the probability of 
its failing to grow; and ten years after 
transplanting, a tree one 3 'ear old will be 
Larger than one tlu’ee j'cars old when trans¬ 
planted. This is true of all trees with which 
I h.ave had experience. JQiiN M. STAin.. 
BEDS AHD WALKS IN THE LAWN. 
As a rule the lawn proper should not be 
cut up ivith flower-beds. Its broadest ex¬ 
panse .appears to the best advantage when 
in a clean, velvety,unbroken turf. Crowding 
in flower-beds and shrubs at every possible 
point, destroj'S the main beauty of the lawn 
—in fact changes the space intended for .a 
lawn into a shrubberj^ and flower-garden. 
Where the lawn is large, an occasional shrub 
kept neat and well-trimmed in harmonj'^ 
udth the closel}’^ shaven turf, often adds 
much to its appearance, relieving the monot- 
onj’’ of an extensive grass surface. 
But to me a flower-bed out iu the lawn prop¬ 
er, always seemed in bad taste. Shrubs and 
trees seem much more in place there. Trees 
and turf are naturally found together, the 
grass growing over the roots and about the 
stems of the trees; but bright, tropical flow¬ 
ers and variegated foliage of foreign origin 
are not natural there and can hardly be made 
to appear so. Such beds make dead blotches 
on the green surface of the lawn in earlj^ 
spring, and mar what would otherwise be a 
beautiful prospect. About the hou.se, in the 
turnings of tlie walks and driveways, tastily 
arranged beds of suitable flowers are de¬ 
lightful. Tlie flower-garden is an institu¬ 
tion of itself as much as the vegetable-gar¬ 
den, and as a rule should be kept just as sep¬ 
arate. It may form a beautiful featui-e of 
some part of the grounds, but should not be 
mingled with the lawn. 
In laying out walks and didvewiiys in a 
lawn beauty and utility must be jointly con¬ 
sidered. A neat, well-made w.alk or didve- 
way located to .serve a useful purpose never 
mars a lawn, but rather makes the whole 
complete. However artistic a walk or drive¬ 
way may be it detracts from the bc.auty of 
the lawn when phu^cd where not needed. 
VVe often see superfluous walks laid out in 
this way, starting from no partieular point 
and iiaving no destination in viesw. After 
Innumerable serjientiue twistings and turn¬ 
ings, they usually come right back to where, 
they started witiiout having accomplished 
anything on tiie way more than to puzzle 
and annoy the traveler. 
In the smallest grounds one often llnds 
the greatest display of walks and driveways, 
the owners aiming to indtate the ])lans and 
.arrangements of large parks that they have 
seen and admired elsewlirwe. 'I’he (sfl\.,i|; „!• 
such Imitation is often hulleroiis. Kor In¬ 
stance, wliere the house! Is only a few rodd 
from the street, clumps of slirubbery are 
planted in the line of the driveway, necessi- 
Ling a turn and detour round the obstruc¬ 
tion. While where a clump of trees of cen- 
tm-ies’ growth obstructed the direct passage¬ 
way in a large park, such a turn would 
appear graceful and natural, when one sits in 
a carriage and looks directly over the puny 
clump to the object of destination beyond 
the effect is simply ridiculous', showing, as it 
does, the traiisp.arent imitation. 
Nor is it in good taste to take too round¬ 
about a course in laying a walk or driveway 
from one point ta another. Dead, straight 
lines are not generally agreeable or natural, 
but the line of a driveway need be neither 
circuitous nor straight. A road or walk 
may lead to its destination with a gentle 
curve that will be agreeable to the eye, and 
at the same time not lead one a round-about 
chase. _W. D. BOTOTON. 
TEANSPLANTING EVEEGBEENS. 
Altliough the safest season for transplant¬ 
ing evergreens of all kinds is spring, before 
growth has started, weU-grown nursery trees 
may be transplanted in August and beginning 
of September with perfect safety. With 
proper care, in fact, they may be transplant¬ 
ed at almost any time. A neighbor of ours 
who has a choice collection of evergreens, 
moves his trees from one place to another, 
as seems more desir.able, with utter disre¬ 
gard of seasons and weather, and never loses 
a tree. 
With coniferous trees, more than with any 
others, it is of the utmost importance that 
the small fibrous roots should be preserved 
as much as possible in transplanting, and 
never be allowed to become dry^ and shriv¬ 
eled up. Alter the trees liave been carefully- 
planted, the ground around them should re¬ 
ceive a heavy mulch which is to remain dur¬ 
ing winter; .and in the case of tender Idnds, 
a winter protection of evergreen branches 
or something equally effective, loosely tied 
around the trees, is to be highly recommended. 
HABDT BHODODENDEONS. 
'rhe definition of the term hardiness iu 
plants is frequently wrought with difficul¬ 
ties and uncertainties, but it will be safe to 
assert that anj' plant that has survived_the 
last exceptionallj’- severe winter ma)’^ be 
termed hardy. In the vicinity of New York 
many varieties of Rhododendron that have 
withstood the cold of more than one decade 
have succumbed this year. Especially nota¬ 
ble among the varieties that have come out 
of the trial unscathed are: It. grandijlorum, 
livere.itianum, giganteum, album idegans^ Lee'e 
purple, rosBum eleguiin, alrosangHiueum, glori- 
oeum anil purpitreum rlegaiis. 
INFLUENOE OP LANDSCAPE. 
'J’hi! influence of landscape upon happiness 
is far greater than is generally believed, 
says Ph. (1. llamertou. There is a nostal¬ 
gia, which Is not exactly a longinjr for one's 
birthi)lacc, but a weary dissatisfaction with 
the nature that lies around us, and a hope¬ 
less desire for the nature that we were born 
to eiijojf. 
FALL SEEDiNG,~ 
When the ground is in good condition, 
ea rly autumn Is as favorable for sowing grass 
sei!d as any time. On poor, uncultivated 
land a ixirfeet lawn cannot be ostiibllshed at 
iiuy season, without previous preparation. 
