File:The century book of gardening; a comprehensive work for every lover of the garden (1900) (20401404170).jpg

Title: The century book of gardening; a comprehensive work for every lover of the garden
Identifier: centurybookofgar00cook (find matches)
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Cook, E. T. (Ernest Thomas), 1867-1915, ed
Subjects: Gardening
Publisher: London, The Offices of "Country life" (etc. )
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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406 THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. than lyd. in height. The orange red blossoms are freely produced in the spring, and in autumn the golden yellow fruits add quite another feature. These fruits, which are as large as small Apples, make excellent jam. P. Smithi, known also as Mespilus Smilhi and M. grandiflora, as well as Crataegus grandiflora, is a medium-growing tree, with deep'green leaves, and showy white blossoms. The fact that it blooms towards the end of May or June, when the bulk of spring-flowering trees is past, is a point in its favour. It is of dense growth and pleasing in the pleasure grounds. It is now called P. lobata. P. speetabilis (Chinese Crab). — This Chinese species forms a free, somewhat upright-growing tree, with large semi-double flowers, bright red in the bud, but paler when expanded. It is one of the showiest of all the Crabs. Rosea plena is a double variety of great beauty. Its flowers crowd thick upon the shoots in spring, wreathing them in tenderest pink. long in a satisfactory manner. The varieties can be grafted in the spring, but they do not unite readily, and, as in the case of flowering trees and shrubs in general, grafting is a pernicious practice. Always raise from seeds and by layering if possible. As there are so many Oaks, a selection is a difficult matter, but those enumerated are all good : . alba..—One of the American Oaks that derives its name from the whitish character of the young bark. This forms a noble tree, and the oblong lobed leaves die off tinged with reddish purple. . Cerris ( Turkey Oak).—This is a vigorous-growing tree, with branches and twigs altogether straighter than those of our English Oaks, from which it is also distinguished by the cup of the acorn being bristly. . COCCinea. The brightest of the American Oaks, as the large, glossy, deeply-lobed leaves change to a scarlet colour some time before thev drop. It is a large tree, and very handsome ; splendens is even a richer form. It is impossible to convey in words how wonderfully effective
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Kll US CO IIS US. P. TorillgO is a slender-growing Japanese Crab, with a profusion of small pink flowers. Its elegant growth and numerous flowers render it an extremely attractive shrub or dwarf tree. P. vestita.—This is altogether larger and more vigorous than the White Beam Tree, which it resembles to a certain extent. The Crabs form one of the most precious families of all. Besides the species and varieties named above, there are such forms as John Downie, remarkable for the profusion and brilliancy of its fruit, the Dartmouth Crab, and a recent weeping variety of much merit named Elise Rathke. It is a family that should be well taken in hand, and the best forms selected and grouped. QuerCUS (the Oaks).—The Quercus is a very numerous family, embracing the Oaks, representatives of which are to be found in all the temperate regions of the globe. Most of them produce acorns freely, from which young plants can be raised in quantity. They should be sown as soon as possible after ripening, as they do not keep these American Oaks are in the landscape by reason of the brilliant colouring of the foliage. Q. maerocarpa.—Notable for its very large, deeply-lobed leaves and the size of its fruits, the acorn being nearly buried in the cup. The foliage dies off a reddish colour. Q. nigra.—A tree about 2oft. high, with tortuous branches, dark-coloured bark, and large curious Pear-shaped leaves. They change to a blackish red in autumn, but soon drop. Q. PheliOS.—This North American Oak is readily distin- guished from all other natives of that continent by reason of its long, narrow, Willow-like leaves, and its straight shoots. Q. Robtir.—.Under this head are included our two British Oaks, which by some are considered distinct species, that with the acorns borne on long stalks being Q. pedun- culata, and the short-stemmed one Q. sessiliflora. The bold rugged appearance of our native Oak gives character and interest to many an English park. Varieties of the British Oaks are numerous, there being upright,

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