The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25

is money in anything of striking
superiority. There is vast difference
in our nut-trees. Who will be the one
to find smooth-shelled butternut?
Who ever does it will have a bonanza,
for with smooth shell the butternut
would be quadrupled in value, and if to
this were added thin and easily
opened shell, we should have a native
superior to the English " walnut.
Nothing has yet been done to improve
our wild plums and cherries, and little
to select the best among the wildings.
Our native gooseberry is yet to be
much improved, and so on through all
our wild fruits. Our wild species are
in almost every case superior to the
wild species of the Old World from which
our cultivated varieties were obtained,
as well as better suited to our climate.
All they need is the attention which
has developed our native grapes to
their present superiority within short
lifetime. But we write only to intro
duce the following from the source
above mentioned:
We have received from Japan and
China some very remarkable and dis
tinct sport forms. The Retinosporas,
named in variety in the leading nur-
serymen's catalogues, are evidently all
forms of one tree, like, or nearly re-
lated to, our white cedar, Cupressus
thyoides. There is a wonderful variety
in the different forms, both in habit
and color of foliage; some are dwarf
and compact, others loose and graceful,
with slender, dropping or fine sprays of
branches; others have close, compact
leaves in dense tufts, or sharp and loose
leaves in delicate sprays. The plants
vary in color from deep, rich green to
lighter shades of the same color. Other
varieties have white-tipped branches,
or are of very bright yellow shade,
and still others have most charming
blush tinge. These varieties are nearly
all hardy, and as they are of dwarf habit
they are of the greatest value in the
ornamentation of small grounds. The
Japan naples, varieties of Acer poly
morphum, are also very distinct and
beautiful, but unfortunately they are
not all hardy enough for general cult
walton. There are many unique varie-
ties of trees and shrubs that are of
European origin, as the purple beech,
birch, hazel, barberry, golden elder,
poplar, oak and variegated cornell,
weigela and maple, the weeping
beech, fir, birch and elm. Many of
them have been in cultivation for many
years and are of the greatest value in
ornamental planting. We have varie-
ties originated in America that we can
be truly proud of. Weeping forms of
Norway spruce and hemlock, and
cornus florida, golden juniper, Parsons
dwarf or compacta Arbor Vites,
Woodward and little gem, and many
other Arbor VitRs, similar in character,
cut-leaved maple, variegated tulip
tree and many others of equal value.
When one is looking for these sport
variations there is seldom a season
passes without some new form present
ing itself to the view, but it is one thing
to find sport form and quite another
to propagate it. 1t may be weaker
growing than the type, it may be
small branch, and proper stocks to bud
or graft on cannot be obtained, and
many other difficulties present them
selves to the experienced propagation.
Probably many valuable varieties are
lost simply because the finder knows no
way of perpetuating them.