Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-09-24
EARLY AUTUMN IN
ARBoREruM.
-fTUits More Conspicuous
Than Blossoms,

Autumn grccts us in the Arboretum
with bright face and an appearance Of
vigor and health very pleasant TO look
upon. A few touches OF high color are
to he observed. but In general the fresh |
greens OF summer still prevail with but |
little modification. says a writer in the |
Boston Transcript. | noted red maple
In the north meadow borders. indeed. |
whose foliage had turned to consider
able extent, making II conspicuous
mark, II was, however. far In advance |
OF It's fellows close by. who as yet gave
little II any Indication of change. A |
stray limb on one OF the liquidn mbers |
liant flame while the tree and It's com |
panion are otherwise quite green. The |
Towering dogwood. as usual, begins early |
to show warm color in it, leaves. some |
of the barberries. too. especially the jap |
anese (Thurbergs. are beginning 10
These. however. and other instances. are
exceptional
That picturesque plant, Aralia spinosa.
more farniliarly known as Hercules |
club" is now about to bloom. few flor
cts being already open and besieged by |
hungry bees upon the immense compound |
three feet long and eighteen to twenty
inches of more through Tho aralias are
small class OF plants with range
varying from tropical and sub-tropcai
species to one which is native to even
polar regions. Aralia polaris being found.
It is said. in that far southern region.
the Lord Auckland Islands. or some ID
degrees south latitude A spinisa. how
thr M
States, growing naturally in the Penn
sylvania region and southwark 10 inc
Gulf of Mexico. It seems quite at home
ir New England. however. and Is RANT
liar sight to most OF us in ornamental
plantations !ts chief fault lying in It's
rather bare and awkward winter appear
ance.
The cornes about the panels seem to
grow more and more interesting and az
tractive as their fruit develops ono
with very pretty clusters OF robin s-egs
blue berries has become thus consp'cu-
ously noticeable since we last re1erreo
to them. Cornus amorum by name. Inns
ia a large spreading shrub. with bright
pointed foliage and numerous clusters OF
fruit OF this not very common SHADE OK
blue. These three dogwoods &C. cam
adissima c. circinata and {, amo'nuH)
together with the high-bush cranoerrAes
Viburnum opulus and V. sargentD. are
very conspicuous and attractive ob)ects
throughout the Arboretum shrupper'es
now and show their value for decorative
purposes at this late period or the sea-
son with good effect. Niburnum diiata-
tum, which Is less frequently seen IL
another fine shrub. Its foliage heavy ana
dark is now edged with crimson or pur-
| pie to some extent. and Its fruit ~hich
stands up we'll. OF a brilliant scarlet
| color, making 1t a striking and agree
able object. The little snowberry,
| Symphorcarpus race-mosus a'so
among the pond strawberries has
brought Its ivory-like berries TO perfec-
ton There are several varieties OF this
pretty. old-time shrub. some OF the
newer ones showing considerable I'M
provement IN the amount and the char-
acter Of their fruit The borders OF the
ponds themselves show about the same
| cha ra cteristics OF floral decoration as
when last referred TO here. except that
| the spires of tho lythrum that digniheo
and delightful plant whose color ana
grace has been enjoyed there through 80
| many weeks, have now turned 10 Drown
| and that but few flowers are 10 DC
seen now upon the lovely rosemano"'
| The changes in the Order are very
nearly completed the Wide border along
its easterly bounds having been cleared
| Of superiluous plants and soVn 10 grass
Another season will witness a vast I'M
provement in this feature OF the Aroore-
tum over Its past conditions. Inc
growth Of vines upon the trellises
through the past summer indeed mas
been surprisingly good. those or tne
| grape, ampelopis, clematis aceinldia'
lonicera. etc. presenting even now an
excellent appearance. Many noVei'ies
are In preparation for Introduction mere
such for example as several ne" species
or varieties of actinida, some OF them
with Interesting variations from thc
foliage of familiar forms
Next to the native clematis 'rs'hian"
stands a speciman OF c. aprfola re-
eembling II somewhat IN Leaf ana mower
but coming from China and Japan-oo'h
are In bloom, as also Is C. panicu'ala'
with larger individual MOVERS ihe
elder" group grows In interest as us
fruit becomes mature. The clusters OF
the native Sanbucus Canadensis' are
very heavy and hang from their weight
| completely upside GOWN
The structure of the clusters seen thus
Otnoyn technically as eymes). becomes
an interesting study each one IL COM
posed of i've main stems; II set down
upon It's head. az they now hang. these
stems rise, one from each corner ana
one from the middle. to join the main
stenn Each of the Ave Is subdivided 10
smaller fruit stems and all are so grad
uated IN length that flowers or fruit
form a nearly even plane or head OK
course this is the common construction
of many flowers or fruit or seed -heads
OF plants Of the cymose class. but " IS
more conspicuously exhibited 10 the
eve when turned thus topsy -turvy by
the heavy fruit than when decorous'9
upright with flowers only In the earlier
season The weight Of tho fruit In the
cut lcaved variety OF &. Canadensis. sc
far overbalances other construction that
the bush Is made TO look lop-sided' ann
the use Of the pruning shears Is need
ed to restore II 10 a proper degre" oi
equilibrium. It Is very pretty shruh
however, and well worth the little ex'
ira attention.
There In no more striking tree than I'M
American mountain ash when Its fru'
, Is ripe This Is now the case, and man!
specimens are to he scattered through
, the Arhoretum plantations with excel
, lent effect The color Of the heavy clust
, ers OF berries Is an intense. nr'Iilan
, scarlet In most specimens OF carrying
, power rarely exceeded. This tree Is ma