August  7,  - 1902. 
-  JOURNAL  OF  KORTICULTURE  .4  \  D 
CO  TTA  GE  GA  RDEXER, 
blooms,  intermixed  throughout  with  sterile  ones  more  than  an 
inch  across,  having  a  fine  effect.  These  are  planted  out,  and 
stand  the  weather  unharmed.  The  plants  of  H.  liortensis  require, 
of  course,  protection  in  winder,  and  why  not  give  it  in  the  case  of 
planted-out  specimens,  so  as:  to  have  some  colour  in  the  late 
summer  months  in  the  shrubbery,? 
The  Smoke  Plant  or  Burning,  Bush,  Rhus  Cotinus,  is  like  a 
bush  on  fire  by  the  bright  colouring  of  the  hairs  produced  by  the 
lengthening  of  the  pedicels  after  flowering.  What  makes  the 
branches  of  this  shrub  die  off  suddenly  withCut  apparent  reason? 
Fungus.  What  and  when  do  the  fruits  appear?  I  confess  to 
being  unsuccessful  in.  txacing.cause.-  _ 
Syrian  Mallow,  Hibiscus  syriacus,  or  Althaea,  frutex  vars.,  so 
•seldom  seen,  though  highly  ornamental,  have  and  still  will  charm 
alike  by  their  varied  colouration,  large  single  or  double  flowers. 
The  Goat-scented  St:  Jdhn’s  Wort  has  bloomed  profusely,  its 
yellow  flowers  being  very  conspicuous.  H.  Hypericum  hircinum 
does  well  in  shade.  Aaron’s  Beard  or  Rose  of  Sharon,  H.  caly- 
white  berries.  It  flowers  much  finer  in  tiro  open' than  in  shade, 
and'the  plants  are  all  the  better  berried  for  that  and  a  relatively 
•dry •gravelly  soil. 
Magnolia  grancliflora  is  blooming  grandly  against  walls,  its 
white  flowers  contrasting  finely  with  the  noble  evergreen  foliage, 
and  the  air  is  laden  with  fragrance.  Sweeter  still  is  the  essence 
diffused  by  the  white  Jasmine,  and  to  heighten  the  whole  is  the 
glowing  colour  of  Fscal Ionia  macrantha,  the  shining  deep  green 
foliage  being  very  beautiful,  and  setting  off  the  racemes  of 
crimson-red  flowers  to  great  advantage. 
As  something  out  of  the  common,  I  may  mention  a  Spruce 
tree  in  nature  surmounted  by  Traveller’s  Joy,  Clematis  Vitalba, 
the  Spruce  being  over  45ft  in  height  and  the  Clematis  forming  a 
pyramid  of  white  blossom  about  12yds  in  height.  In  a  villa 
garden  a  similar  thing  occurs,  but  whether  by  accident  or  design 
I  do  not  know.  The  Old  Man’s  Beard  has  surmounted  the  Spruce, 
which  is  about  20ft  in  height,  and  in  August  was  “  a  sight.  ”  of 
white  bloom,  which  exhaled  a  sweet  almond  scent.  In  congruity 
Rose  Garden  at  Presdales.  (Sec  pa 
cinum,  is  still  better  in  dry,  shaded  places,  and  it  flowers  splen-  | 
didly,  being  nearly,  if  not  quite,  evergreen.  In  the  open  it 
flowers  earlier  than  in  shade,  and  the  flowers  are  much  larger. 
H.  elatum  has  also  been  very  fine. 
Leycesteria  formosa  forms  a  moderately  large  spreading  shrub 
in  gravelly  or  well-drained  soil,  is  very  handsome,  its  white  flowers 
tinged  with  purple  being  disposed  in  leafy  drooping  racemes,  and 
deserves  a  much  more  extended  cultivation  than  it  now  enjoys. 
Still  rarer  are  the  Adam’s  Needle,  Bear  Grass,  or  Spanish 
Bayonet.  What  more  beautiful  than  the  Mound  Lily,  Yucca 
gloriosa?  In  July  or  August  the  splendid  panicles  of  flowers 
tinged  with  red  outside  are  charming,  thrown  up  above  the  ample 
leaves  to  a  height  of  4ft  to  6ft.  The  form  known  as  Y.  recurva, 
syn.  Y.  gloriosa  recurvifolia,  is  a  charming  lawn  plant,  and  is  now 
throwing  up  its  panicles  for  blooming,  the  plants  having  been 
transplanted  in  the  spring. 
The  Snowberry  is  still  blooming,  though  the  white  berries  are 
as  large  a?  birds’  eggs,  the  cluster-flowered  Symphoricarpus  race- 
mosus  being,  perhaps,  the  best  variety,  and  blooming  from  July 
to  September  along  the  same  growth  with  the  berries  is  very 
interesting,  the  rose-coloured  flowers  contrasting  well  with  the 
I  have  not  come  across  many,  if  anything  more  pleasing  to  the 
eye  and  sense.  On  the  other  hand,  both  were  offended  by  a 
Dundee  Rambler  Rose  planted  at  the  foot,  of  a  large  Apple  tree, 
and  making  an  effort  to  reach  daylight  through  the  head,  can¬ 
kered  and  infested  by  American  blight.  Evidence  was  afforded 
of  the  Rose  not  being  a  parasite  of  support,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
White  Vine  on  the  evergreen,  and  it  in  consequence  was  a  poor 
thing  struggling  against  adverse  circumstances  for  existence. 
Thus  was  deduced  one  more  lesson  from  the  contrast  of  fitness  and 
unfitness  of  things. — A.  G. 
A  Giant  Tree. 
In  California  a  specimen  of  the  Sequoia  Wellingtonia  has  been 
discovered,  far  exceeding  the  largest  yet  known.  Its  breadth  is 
51ft  and  its  circumference  154ft  8in,  whereas  those  hitherto 
accounted  the  greatest  measured  from  80ft  to  95ft  in  length  and 
about  30ft  in  diameter.  It  is,  fortunately,  also,  the  property  of 
the  Government,  and  may  therefore  escape  the  millionaire  trust. 
