Dutch Treat 
(Continued from front page) 
flowering primula (Primula Moer- 
heimi being a fine strain of their 
own). The bulb fields were of 
course finished, except for Ane- 
mones many acres of which were 
still at peak of color. Outstand- 
ing ornamentals envied by a visit- 
ing Californian included Berberis 
thunbergi atropurpurea nana (2 
feet), Clematis recta, Rhodohy- 
poxis Baueri, Tropaeolum polyphyl- 
lum, prostrate Anchusa caespilosa 
-(very blue), Lonicera tragaphylla, 
Prunus avium contorta (sensation- 
al), Malva moschata alba, and so 
on. 
On June 25 | was to catch train 
for Hamburg at 8 A. M. | caught 
a train at 8 A. M., but on wrong 
platform so had to spend the day 
in the nearest stop which was Am- 
ersvoort, Holland... . 
Amersvoort is a beautiful old 
town in a most beautiful part of 
Holland, all of which, that | saw, 
is beautiful. After about an hour 
of wandering around | asked di- 
Fections of a middle-aged gentle- 
man who not only understood 
what | was talking about but who 
formerly was a nurseryman in Min- 
neapolis! He insisted upon my be- 
ing his guest for the day. Had 
lunch and tea with him and his 
family; and Mr. Baars and | walked 
all over the town, out to Doorn 
past the last residence of the for- 
mer Kaiser, through fields, over 
canals, through gardens, fifteenth- 
century houses etc., and finally | 
took him and Mrs. Baars to din- 
ner at the best restaurant in town 
under great limes and chestnuts 
overlooking a green-banked canal. 
For dinner we had (for $1.72 
apiece American dough) crisp 
fried eel, consomme with meat 
balls, Dutch bread toast with balls 
of sweet butter, sweetbreads 
wrapped with what looked like 
Canadian bacon and smothered 
in mushrooms, new peas, pototoes 
whipped and toasted to look like 
well-browned meringue, tiny bis- 
cuits with more sweet butter balls, 
salad of water cress and plum to- 
matoes (yellow) with clear dress- 
ing and grated Dutch cheese, and 
WHAT'S IN A NAME? 
O Tannenbaum! 
At the outset, our plant of the month may seem 
ill-chosen for July as we have selected the New 
Zealand Christmas Tree, METROSIDEROS TOMEN- 
TOSA, as our topic. However, consider the re- 
versed seasons found south of the equator, and 
you will understand the selection of this tree in 
July in our latitude, for bright red stamenous 
flowers which deck the grey-green foliaged tree at 
this season present a testive sight indeed> » » 
This is one instance in which we must ask you to 
go elsewhere of you'd like to ''see what you're 
getting’ for Metrosideros makes a complete trans- 
formation as it grows, so what you buy in the can 
resembles not at all what you'll have later on! And 
the best place to view this New Zealander in flower 
now is the street planting along Fourth Street be- 
tween San Vicente and Montana in Santa Monica, 
where perseverance (for that it takes!) has made 
standard trees out of this usually low-branching 
tree. Though Metrosideros can be grown as a 
large shrub because of its relatively slow growth, 
it will eventually become a good sized tree. Speci- 
mens grown without pruning can be seen in Pali- 
sades Park at Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica. 
One of the great virtues of this attractive tree 
for us is its joie de vivre in the face of salt spray 
and sandy soil where it simply thrives, making it 
a most desirable subject for seaside homes. It will, 
however, resist only a few degrees of frost, again 
indicating a coastal situation. Sturdy yet-to-be- 
transformed plants in five gallon cans are $4. 
a large bottle of white dry wine called Cotreaux 
Varcise blancs... 
| was met in Hamburg by an assistant trom the 
International Horticultural Exhibition, about which 
| can and shall write at greater length. 
