The Vashon Island record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1916-1919, 1917-03-22

producing good crop Of edible ber.
ries as well. ! shall be glad to send
you two or more plants OF hybrids In
February, 1918 / hope by that time
we shall have plants from cuttings
large enough to send out The best
blueherry on the Northwest Coast is
yaccinium membranaceUm, species
which grows three TO Ave feet high
and has very large. dark parple Der.
ries. think II would be well worth
your while to select some wild bushes
when they are in fruit and transplant
them to your acid soil nurseries"
The plants In the woods are fast
being destroyed by the clearing and
also by those who gather them whe,-
ever they can find them for decora-
tive green's for all occasions. can
think of no plant that requires less
care after II Is established | notice
no insect or fungoid pests on It, be.
lieye stump land could be used with
out the expense of blowing out the
stumps. The area could be planted so
that ii would be fully occupied and
the other growths could be kept down
with the grub hoe. After the berries
are matured they will hang long
time. There need be no hurry to get
them off to market The plants will
last probably two or three genera
lions
The most beautiful species of the
rhododendron Is our own r. Washing
toninum. ('rhe name means rose tree
from the Greek, rhodas, rose, and
dendron, a tree). Farther to the south
they have sun-kissed variety OF the
same color known as r. Californicum
Ours is somewhat variable. rang ne mi
color from almost white through diff
ferent shades of pink 10 beautiful
rose
Up in the Olympics and on some of
the islands of the Sound there is a
treasure-field of the most beautiful
oraainental variety in the world. Some
day these fields, too, will be exploited
and leased, and we will find clumps o
this variety in every dooryard. We
will see entertainments of II against
the easements of our public schools
and large masses everywhere in our
public parks. We will all learn to
love it as the Scotchman loves his ma
tive heather.
Mr. Harmeiing then proceeds in his
entertaining and informing way to de-
scribe thebarberry or Oregon grape;
the gaultheria shailon or salal, which
like the huckleberry, combines both
beauty and utility; the manzaniia or
kinnikiniek; the logwood family; |
sDires; honeysnckle; fuschia; flower
ing currant; gooseberry, etc. and con.
cludes.
This does not complete the list of |
shrubs indigenous to The state, bur 1t
seems we have mentioned enough va
iietes TO show that the Nor hives is
richer in the variety Of native ever
green shrubs than any other land
lying in the same parallels of either
north or south latitude, and that we
have right at our doors enough vari-i
ETY. OF beautiful specimens to produce
almost any landscape effect we wish.
We can produce almost any foliage
and flower effect we may wish to see
with our native trees, shrubs and
plants. Why import exotic plants
that do not fit into our landscape?
Why should we make of our land
scapes kind of plant menagerie?
Why not give our lawns and school
grounds all their own individuality as
if they naturally grew out OF this very
os mountains and streams
and woodland and waters?
When we look back at flower his
tory among the great and good OF the
earth we are thrilled with its elo-
quence though the words are few.
Solomon, the wise man Of the an
clients, wrote about flowers from the
cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that
springeth out OF The wall; and the
Christ, carrying in his heart the woes
of the world found time as He was
walking on the shores of Gallilee to