The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18

New Rare Specimens Planted and Old Ones
Brought to Light.

Several thousand trees have been set out in
Prospect Park this spring. AS part OF the
scheme so to hedge the park about that city
sights and sounds may not reach It. screen.
to replace the original one has been started on
the east or Flatbush side. White pines. hem
locks, and Oriental srruces. which experience
has shown thrive best for general uso on
Long Island. have been employed for the
outer rows Nordmans frs stone pines and
the lofty Bhotans for the centre and the
smaller growing yews and rhctanasporas
for the inside. At the main entrance. two
hundred and fifty dwarf evergreens. all speci!
men plants. have been planted this season.
Among then are Thuyas. Biotas. Retinosporas.
box. yews. and a fine specimen Of the Fodocar
pus which is often mistaken for u yew. This
one comes from tho mountains Of Chill.
Among the yews is fine plant OF tho Baccata
aurea. with golden foliage and now little
brown from drought. although they have all
been drenched daily.
The Retnosporas. with their fastigiate forms
and fern-like foliage. give spirit to the group.
They are sometimes known as japanese cedars.
but this Is misnomCr. a. they are not cedars.
They are very generally admired and have
come into 80 general use that they are no
longer novelties. They are the ones used by
the Japanese to produce the tiny dwarf trees
so recently brought into general notice. The
natural specimens OF this group are especially
tiny dwarls at tho flower garden. The
Reiinospura obtusa gracilis comes from
W 1ne SnoWn as some "S the not othsP
varieties ni It's foliage is especially graceful.
The Retnospora mana compncta and Retino-
spora urgcntea, the latter with silver variega-
tons among its foliage. are very unusual.
There are also beautiful specimens OF Thuyas
and Biotas arba vita. In the flower garden
a beautiful little specimen of weeping yew has
recently, been set out, and on the Evergreen
" CTSptpmnrln which
coniferous. but not evergreen.
Visitors to the park this spring are ire
grown aud wcll-estahlish"d trees Why. is
this not a new tree: ! have never seen it he
the department has been dong lately in clear
ing away rubbish and cutting down superlu-
GUS trees: As ac3,4EseIncnce some OF tn" rarest
the first time. In many cases. when they were
first SGT out nurse trees were placed around
them and We're forgotten or overlooked. aud
lett to crowd and obscure what they were
originally intended to protect temporarily.
Probably III. choicest tree in Prospect Park
meadow northeast ut Lookout Hill 1t is
especially attractive Just now. with its old and
young cones, both hanging pendent together.
The height of this tree, about forty feet. is
markahIc for this country. and woul bear no
ones in Kew Garden. London. There is only
one finer tree OF the Kind ~ America. II is on
sb1nt stxty t"cf in i' The ce lars 81 Iemamon
do not bear cones until they ar" at least forty
years old. and sometimes not unit! they ha"c
The English eIms have attracted a great
deal Of attention, h"cause ri their singular
garianded aGr"qpran"G;i TIL" Srrat brown
covered with leai twGs. The artificial appear.
ance is due 10, the, unfoyorohlc climate Of
Long Island The finest English elm in New
York city is or the west slG" OF l.adisom square
Prospect PARK is said to hay" the most beau
the choicest dogwood, and the handsomest
tulip trees IL the city manyoi the latter hav-