New-York tribune., 1882-02-21

shall we 90 in search of additional speciesI AS tine
corresponding coasts of continents are found 70 pos
similar foras it Is natural to expect 'ha. 'no
best results would be obtained for us from plants
taken from the region of Mantchura, Northern
China and Northern Japan" Theory aside, IL Is
Unknown fact that many of native species are
repeated exactly or with slight variations In the nora
of Eastern Asia. 1t IS matter of experience thas
some of our most valuable decorative plants nave
come from that region. Such vines az the wis'aiia
akebia. woodblne and honeysuckles of various
species are familiar examples Among weii-kho"n
shrubs are various roses, weigelas, deutzas and
spireas the Japan styrax the rhodotypus' the eNo-
chorda, the kerra singuarly beautiful form OF the
snowfall tyiburnum plicauml and the azalea molis.
Among the conifers introduced from this region are
the Ginko tree the umbrella pine (sciadopitys
verticelata) the Chinese Juniper, the glyptosrobus,
the psendolarix the pnus densfora. and the won
deIfully varied forms of retinospora. To these
should be added many we'll known deciduous trees,
like the ailantus, the sophora, the kolreu
terra, the paulownia, Chinese magnOlias and
Japanese NAPLES All these have proved them
selves 'dy and thrifty in latitude, and there
are MANY other trees nearly related to our native
species which have been described and will un-
doubtedly prove perfectly at home in our climate.
Rich discoveries, TOO. may be expected when the
unknown 1OfeStS VI Tue CDuutrlcs spohou VI hd'O
been explored, and no doubt Corea Also of which
we know nothing. will in time surrender many
sylvan treasures Perhaps, indeed, some of our Jap
anese introductions came originally from that
country with which the plant loving Islanders
long held commercial and other relations. Ii Is
probable that at least of our wel-known Jap
anese lilies came from Corea through Japar Little
can be hoped from any other quarter OF the globe
unless from few regions OF restricted hmits
Thibet perhaps may contribute something, ana
Iurkestan. and il is to he remembered that two of
our finest confers, the Nordmann fir and Oriental
spruce came from the region of the Caucasus.
1t is to be hoped that Mr.. Roblnson's essay Will
be widely read and that out of the abundant stores
of his exact kno wledge he will give us more of the
same instructive kind The subject of ornamental
planting needs intelligent and scientific treatment,
and one ract like this which gives genuine infor-
nation and intelgbe reasons for its doctrine, Will
do more to give proper direction and effect to
efforts at planting than all the fervid exhortatons
delivered by unframed apostles OF rural improve
ment, and all the bounties offered by ignorant
legislators to encourage the lndiscriminae setting
out of trees along the highway. 1t will be ques-
toned, however, by some readers whether Mr.. Rob-
insons condemnation of European trees is no: too
sweeping and severe. In the valuable list OF trees
of approved excellence appended to his essay only
admitted that the European linden is inferior to our
native species. But why not plant bothY Within
an hours ride from our City Hall be seen speci-
mems of the European species 100 feet high of
majestic form and a body of foliage breaking into
grand depths of shadow. The European beech
and its cut-leaved variety certainly most bean
tiful and hardy. English and Scotch elms, the
Norway maple and the larch are acknowledged to
be thrifty and superior to our own under some con-
f,r fl,n
Norway spruce-whicb is so rigid and formal in its
early growth and which becomes ragged before |
it reaches maturity. After passing this second
stage it throws long, irregular branches chang
ing its entire character and expression and develop
ing into grandly picturesque tree. European trees
may not attain their highest development in Massa- |
chusetts or New-York But neither will the Southern
cypress, nor the great-leaved magnolia Neverthe-
less they are worth planting. 1t may be worth |
while on this point to quote the experience of |
Mr. George b. Emerson, as given in the preface to |
his TrcPs of Massachusetts," /" have been culti-
vatng" he writes, without special care for more |
than twenty years, on land excessively poor and |
exposed to all winds, few rods from Boston Bay, |
all the varieties of English oak, beech, birch, |
linden maple. elm, ash, mountain ash and pine, and
find them more hardy than the corresponding |
American trees with single exception" This was
in 1879 and Mr. EmersOn's plantation may have |
since then succumOed TO the Boston zephyrs. The
experiment. too, may have been made on soil and IN
a location where our trees were at disadvantage.
But it is worth noting that many of our own trees
have been cultivated for 200 years in England and
q rule which doesn't work both ways is TO be sus-
pected.
On another topic Mr. RoDinson's zeal has hurried |
him beyond the bounds of discretion, fortunately ia
regard to a matter outside Of the general scope of
his argument. AllusOn is made to his unsparing |
and almost unqualified condemnation of trees
with varegated leaves, trees of weeping habit and
by inference of all tree forms which are not strictly
" normal" whatever that may mean. No doubt |
there are amateurs and dealers who run wild over |
some sickly sport. But sane man thinks of Civ |
ing the first consideration to these peculiar forms.
No one plants CamperdOwn elms or Lombardy pop
lars exclusively and yet who would wish to Danish |
the weeping sophora and every other tree of pense
habit or the pyranidal oak and every other ias-
tgiate tree from cultivation! The same Consdera-
tons which would drive from our lawns the purple
beech the golden oak, the variegated sycamore
maple and the purple-leaved variety of the same
species the silver-leaved eleagnus the golden yews
and retnosporas, and many shrubs of striking
foliage, would condemn our white birch and red
I Tigged dogwOOd because their bark is not of the
regulation color All these varied forms and
coors can be grouped effectively by sklful hands,
and IL is an 3iectatlon OF severe taste TO condemn
them lndiscrimnatcly to the rubbish heap Surely
Mr. Robinson appreciates the flaming cOlors of our
autumn woods and the softer tints of our early
spring foliage. 1t is not improbable that his en-
admiration for the pcea pungens has been
kindled by the "abnormal" blue color Of this
cOniier's needles.
But this is only n blemsh on thoroughly good
work. The list of trees for planting has genuine
value, although it does not appear why the Usage
orange, for example, of our native trees or the
Rhus Osbeck and the magnolia hypo-euca (of which