Billerica Town (part 14 of 17)

"There are, properly," he writes, 'H^ut two styles of landscape-gardening, the natural and the artificial. One seeks to recall the original beauty of the country, by adapting its means to the surrounding scenery; cultivating trees in harmony with the hills or plain of tlie neighboring land ; detecting and bringing into practice those nice relations of size, proportion and color which, hid from the common observer, are revealed everywhere to the experienced student of nature. The result of the natural stylo of gardening, is seen rather in the absence of all defects and incongruities in the prevalence of a beautiful harmony and order, than in the creation of any special wonders or miracles. The artificial stvle has as manv varieties as there are different tastes to gratify.

It has a certain general relation to the various styles of building. There are the stately avenues and retirements of Versailles; Italian terraces; and a various mixed old English style, which bears some relation to the domestic Gothic or English Elizabethan architecture. Whatever may be said against the abuses of the artificial landscape-gardening, a mixture of pure art in a garden scene, adds to it a great beauty. This is partly pleasing to the eye, by the show of order and design, and partly moral. A terrace, with an old moss-covered balustrade, calls up, at once, to the eye, the fair forms that have passed there in other days. The slightest exhibition of art is an evidence of care and human interest."

"From what I have already observed," said Mr. Ellison, "you will understand that I reject the idea^ here expressed, of ^recalling the original beauty of the country.* The original beauty is never so great as that which may be introduced. Of course, much depends upon the selection of a spot with capabilities. What is said in respect to the 'detecting and bringing into practice those nice relations of size, proportion and color,' is a mere vagueness of speech, which may mean much, or little, or nothing, and which guides in no degree. That the true 'result of the natural style of gardening is seen rather in the absence of all defects and incongruities, than in the creation of any special wonders or miracles,' is a proposition better suited to the grovelling apprehension of the herd, than to the fervid dreams of the man of genius. The merit suggested is, at least, negative, and appertains to that hobbling criticism which, in letters, would elevate Addison into apotheosis. In truth, while that merit which consists in the mere avoiding demerit, appeals directly to the understanding, and can thus be foreshadowed in Rule, the loftier merit, which breathes and flames in invention or creation, can be apprehended solely in its results. Rule ap])lies but to the excellences of avoidance - to the virtues which deny or refrain. Beyond these the critical art can but suggest. We may be instructed to build an Odvssev, but it is in vain that we are told how to conceive a 'Tempest,' an 'Inferno,' a Trometheus Bound/ a 'Nightingale/ such as that of Keatt*, or the 'Sensitive Plant' of Shelley. But, the thing done, the wonder accomplished, and the capacity for apprenhension becomes universal. The sophists of the negative school, who through, inability to create, have scoffed at creation, are now found the loudest in applause. What, in its chrysalis condition of principle, affronted their demure reason, never fails, in its maturity of accomplishment, to extort admiration from their instinct of the beautiful or of the sublime.

'Our author's observations on the artiiical style of gardening," continued Mr. Ellison, "are little less objectionable. 'A mixture of pure art in a garden scene, adds to it a great beauty.' This is just; and the reference to the sen^'e of human interest is equally so. I repeat that the principle here ex[)ressed, is incontrovertible; but there may be something even beyond it. There may be an object in full keeping with the principle suggested^ - an object unattainable by the means ordinarily in possession of mankind, yet which, if attained, would lend a charm to the landscape-garden immeasurably surpassing that which a merely human interest could bestow. The true ])oet, possessed of very unusual pecuniary resources, might, possibly, while retaining the necessarv idea of art or interest or culture, so imbue his designs at once with extent and noveltv of Beautv, as to convey the sentiment of spiritual interference. It will be seen that, in bringing about such result, he secures all the advantages of interest or design, while relieving liis work of all the harshness and technically of Art. In the most nigged of wilderness - in the most savage of the scenes of pure Xature - there is a])parent the art of the Creator; yet is this art a])])arent only to reflection; in no res])ect has it the obvious force of a feeling. Xow, if we imagine tliis sense of the Almighty DesiiHi to be harmonized in a m(»asurable degree; if wp suppose a landscape wriosicombined strangeness, vastness, definitiveness, and magnificence, sliall inspire the idea of culture, or care, or superintendence, on the part of intelligences superior, yet akin to humanity - then the >entiment of interest is preserved, while tlie Art is made to assume the air of an intermediate or secondary Nature - a Xature which is not God, nor an emanation of God, but which still is Nature, in the sense that it is the handiwork of the angels that hover between man and God."

It was in devoting his gigantic wealth to the practical embodiment of a vision such as this - in the free exercises in the open air, which n^sulted from personal direction of his plans - in the continuous and increasing object which these plans afforded - in the high spirituality of the object itself - in the contempt of ambition which it enabled him more to feel than to effect - and, lastly, it was in the companionship and sympathy of a devoted wife, that Ellison thought to find, and found, an exemption from the ordinary cares of Humanity, with far greater amount of ])ositive happiness than ever glowed in the rapt day-dreams of De Stael.

It will be the policy of the Director to publish from time to time thoughts of various men-of-letters on the subject of landscape Design. This article by Edgar A. Poe ap|>eared in The Ladies' Companion - New York, October, 1842.

As this magazine is prepared to stimulate A KEENER APPRECIATION OF THE LANDSCAPE AND VEGETATION BEAUTY of the North Shore above Chicago; TO AID IN CONSERVING AND INCREASING THIS BEAUTY BY CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT ; to record tests of old and new plants, made to determine their special values for the creation and enrichment of landscapes, woodlands, lawns and gardens: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT PROPERTY OWNERS CO-OPERATE IN EXTENDING AND NAMING THEIR ROADSIDE PLANTATIONS UNTIL ALL RELIABLY HABDY WOODY PLANTS ARE THUS MADE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC ENJOYMEXT AND INSTRUCTION, and that thev ALSO CONSIDER THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLIC PROM THE HIGHWAYS and public reservations in the design of their places.

The Gardeners' Chronicle Of America

In addition to its contributed articles by well known authorities on horticultural subjects, digests of the leading topics appearing in American and European horticultural journals are regularly published in the Chronicle.

The Gardeners* Chronicle is the official organ of the National Association of Gardeners, and the American Association of Park Superindents. Published monthly. Subscription $1.50 a year.

INCLUDING PARTS OF CHICAGO, AND THE TOWNS OF EVANSTON, WILHETTE, KENILWORTH, WINNETKA, LAKESIDE, GlENCOB RAMNIA, HIGHLAND PARK, HIGHWOOD, FORT SHERIDAN, LAKE FOREST, LAKE BLUFF, NORTH CHICAGO AND WAUKEGAN ....

Of A Road

Instead of driving straight through a cornfield, the cultured Madisonians diverted the road a considerable distance so that everyone could en* Joy the tangle of sumac, wild grape, and other brush that had grown up beside a farm fence. They even ran a roadbeci on both sides of this natural shrubbery border, thereby saving a wait of five to ten years for mature natural beauty. Photo, by C. N. Brown.

Nature'S Handiwork And Man'S On Different Sides Of The Same Road

The sumac and wild grapes on the right were done by nature and inspired the planting on the left side wlilrh Is now achieving nature's dignity, simplicity and mellowness. On the famous country roads near Madison, Wis. Photo, bv C. N. Brown.

Roadside Pda Xt I Xo

Who would not endorse the '-Illinois Way" of roadside planting with its recognition of tlie beauty of our native trees, shrubs and herbs! It is high time that this way became the way of all our fortyeight states, each having distinctive landscapes of its own. These are so rapidly going out of existence that the next generation will know them as we now know the buffalo herds and the pigeon flights of the American days of yore.

Let us enumerate just a few of the groups, that could be many times multiplied, of representative plants that are characteristic of distinctive types of state landscapes.

The Cowberry, Hudsonia, Arbutus, Mountain Cranberrv and Mountain Cinquefoil of Northeast New England, that grow where few other plants will grow.

The Moccasin. Flowers, Gentians and Indian Paintbrushes of Minnesota, that in the wild make great and glorious colonies, but with cultivation disappear quickly.

and demand should be aroused, and is being aroused by soich rallying cries as the "Illinois Way" to save these ^^common things" of tlie field and roadside for the delight of the auto and railroad tourists from another local itv, for to them these plants are known only as rarities grown as single plants in a pot or as a few plants in a pie-shaped bed. Such people would well sjxjnd their time and money traveling to the homes of these pam|)ered waifs where they make glorious landscapes.

Tliere should be a word of warning lo the roadside planting enthusiast, however, in these davs of fast living automobiles when the driver must see far ahead to avoid danger. The mountain of densely crowded high shrub mass to the road edge of narrow roads is little sliort of a crime on roads that are in frequent use by swiftly moving automobiles.

(Hitting to make safe conditions means a temporary destruction of much l>eauty and serious public protest when this beauty is appreciated, but the work if wiselv done will substitute tlie low shrubs and vine growth that will always be kept, low enough to be looked over, or the high tree growth, under which there will alwavs be a clear view of the road.

Again a warning, do not destroy the existing growth for the sake of planting, for you will usually find from fifty to one hundred or more different plants from mosses to trees along the average roadside, from which, with watchful care and attention, almost any desired height of foliage can be produced and many charming floral effects. Other floral effects may be produced by a moderate amount of planting and by the use of seed of native plants sown freely.

Some Ixspirtxg Examples Of Roadside Plaxtixg

T have just returned from another visit to the twelve-thousand acre estate of Mr. Robert Allerton at Monticello, where I went to study the broad and long views of the prairie, and my memory is tingling with the beauty of the dwarf wild rose that blooms upon the banks beside the road. 1 hope I am betraying no secrets ])y saying that Mr. Allerton has planted about two miles of driveway. For a friend whispered to me, *This was planted to look as if it had never been planted, and I don^t know whether the society people from Chicago who oome here are to be given any hint that man has assisted nature in anv wav." I would not spoil the peculiar pleasure that comes to everv sensitive soul with the revelation tliat a seeming masterpiece of nature is in reality a masterpiece of art. The Allerton drives are the mellowest ana purest examples of roadside planting in the i)rairie country with which I am acquainted.

The chief secret of their charm, I fancy, is their democracy. For these drives are freely open to the public. There are no portentous gates of stone or iron to advertise exclusiveness or even pride of ownership. Xor are they planted with all the rare, costly, and foreign beauties that adorn conventional drives. On the contrary, native trees, shrubs, and vines are allowed to develop to the utmost their own precious personalities. Moreover, there is no solid wall of vegetation, such as we find in the svlvan roadsides of the Xorth Shore, but occasional glimpses are pennitted of the outer glory, rich rolling prairie stretching off to the horizon. Small wonder, then, if some motorists pass through the park without suspecting the nearness of a great house, and remember the place ever afterwards only as an example of what the public roads will be when America becomes as famous as Europe for her native beauty.

The s])lendor of these prairie vist^i? can be duplicated near Chicago only by bold spirits, wlio, like Mr. Meeker and Mr, Cudahy, have the courage to forsake the wooded lakeside and build in the open farming country. Beginning with bare roads and drives they can grow, in seven to ten years, superb masses of foliage for framing views of the ])rairie, as well as the distant woodland to which these noble forests that hide the s(K*rets of the Sangamon River coiTcspond.

The finest vistas within the road itself are furnished by four plants that are commonly despised by farmers. Wild grapes festoon trees and bushes to a height of about twenty feet, and these should not all be dismissed as "coarse," for the species known locally as "Summer Fox Grape/' which I take to be Vitis aestivalis, certainly wears a refined dress of soft gray wool. The Smooth Sumac (Ehus glabra) is the most satisfactory plant on these roadsides, in the opinion of Mr. Wm. F. Lodge, who helped Mr. Allerton do the planting. Descended from the first settler in Piatt Co., this rare spirit knows his flora like a Thoreau. The plant I enjoy most along the road is the Honev Locust, which makes an admirable gateway at either end of the drive. For, as you approach, it gives you glimpses through its branches of a road that winds in and out, up and down, inviting you to explore its cool and shady valleys. And, as vou emerge from this intimate retreat, a group of waiting Honey Ix)custs literally waves you out to the great wonderworld of colored sky, clouds, and crops by means of its wind-stirred, feathery foliage that plays with sunlight like an Acacia.

Lovely as these common plants are they must yield to the Shingle Oak when it comes to local color, for the polished elegance of Quercus imbricaria is, perhaps, the prairie's choicest gift to a land that cannot have Rhododendrons, This southern relative of the Willow Oak and Laurel Oak is supposed to be no more than a shrub along the northern limit of its range, but beside the Allerton roadways are two specimen trees about fiftv feet high, with trunks about two feet in diameter. One of these is doubly impressive because it stands in the middle of the road where public sentiment has long defended its beauty against the ruthless axe of the count V commissioner. Tt would be idle for the Xorth Shore to try to imitate this specialty of the Com Belt, but on the other hand, Xorthern Illinois can always excel the Central and Southern sections of the state in growing those treasures of the boreal zone which find their southern limit near Chicago, such as Red Cedar, Arborvitae, Canoe Birch, Aspen, Mountain Ash, Staghorn Sumac,

Less mature than the Allerton roadside planting, but of exceptional interest to the North Shore, is the roadside planting of Mr. Harvey J. Sconce, who o^vns a farm of more than 3,000 acres near Sidell, which is in Vermilion county, south of Danville. The point of view is very unusual, for Mr. Sconce is one of the new type of American country gentlemen, not a mere summer resident, but one who lives in the country the year round. Instead of ruining the land by renting it, he operates the farm and is maintaining its fertility. -He is a noted corn breeder, has won several times the grand prize for corn, and is president of one of the livest agricultural societies, the Illinois Corn Growers' Association. He has built a permanent country home - a. large and dignified brick structure in the Georgian style - and there is every prospect that his descendants will remain as attached to the land as have his ancestors. The money for building this house has come, not from the citv, but from raising corn on this very land.

The circumstances above related make Mr. Sconce's roadside planting far more significant than any amount of city-made wealth lavished upon private drives or even upon public roads, for Mr. Sconce enjoys the confidence of the common farmers, and therefore his example is more likely to be followed than that of the ordinary millionaire. Doubtless, other pieces of highway were previously planted with a high percentage of trees, shrubs, and vines native to Illinois, and some of them may have been planned by landscape designers, but, so far as I know, Mr. Sconce's work is the first that was consciously designed and planted in the "Illinois Way." This phrase was first used in a circular called "The Illinois Way of Beautifying the Farm," which contains 112 illustrations, and is still procurable from the ITniversitv of Illinois at TTrbana. Tlie "Illinois Way'' of planting is there defined as the use of a high percentage of permanent materials native to Illinois. Over ninety percent of the Sconce planting is composed of such materials, many of which have been transphmted from the flood plain of the Vennilion Biver, a spot that seems to be even richer as a collecting ground than the Des Plaines. About three-quarters of a mile was designed and planted for Mr. Sconce in October, 1913.

As to local color, the Flowering Dogwood is a great feature on the banks of the Vennilion River system, and some day it will make these Vermilion county roadsides famous for a type of beauiy that the North Shore will never know, unless Mr. F. V. Coville's suggestion, derived from "acid soil agriculture,^* prove as successful as we hope. The new theory is that Cornus florida can be grown around Chicago in a bed of sand on top of which half -rotted oak leaves are placed so that their acidity will be carried to the roots by rain or artificial watering.

The main problem of the Sconce planting is to idealize the prairie views, for although these are very fine from tlie standpoint of farm management, they are perfectly flat, and like other extremely valuable agricultural land, are generally devoid of trees and shrubs. To restore as much as possible of the old prairie magic, Mr. Sconce is framing t)roaa views of corn and wheat with "symbols ol the prairie," i.e. plants with strongly marked horizontal branches such as Scarlet Haws, Prairie Crab Apples (Pyrus or Malus ioensis). Honey Locust, and Sassafras. He also uses freely shrubs whose flat flower-clusters may be considerecl miniature editions or faint echoes of the prairie. These include the Black and Red Elderberry and many Viburnums and shrubby Dogwoods.

To restore sylvan charm and bring the birds back to his park, Mr. Sconce is planting in his woodlot the very things which the previous generation cut out in order to produce grass for cattle. The plan, which lies before me as I write, calls for Wild Crabs along the roadside to hide the old browsing line and give seclusion to the wild garden, while in the interior are many shrubs that feed the birds, such as the Dwarf and Aromatic Sumacs, Arrowwood, Black Haw, Juneberry and Gray Dogwood. Winter beauty is provided for by Bittersweet, Winterberry,

Cornus stolonifera, and High-bush Cranberry. Among the water-loving beauties designed to glorify a three-foot depression are Hydrangea arborescens, Spice Bush, and colonies of Iris versicolor. This plan has been modified by the discovery of rich stores of collectable material, including Red Cedar, Redbnd, Buckeye, Flowering Currant, Black Haw, and "carloads of Prickly Ash" (Xanthoxylum americanum), which furnishes safe nesting places for many birds. I must confess that I have long been prejudiced against Prickly Ash, believing that its foliage is ill-scented, but every time I have crushed its leaves this spring I have found the odor agreeable to all the members of our Walking Club who have tested the matter.

I wish that residents of the North Shore who are seriously interested in agriculture could know Mr. Sconce and see his farm. I am sure they would enjoy the hospitality of this delightful home.

A third example of roadside planting that is of special interest to the North Shore is tlie work of Mr. Spencer Otis, of railroad construction fame, on his wonderful farm near Barrington, 111., where he produces certified milk and other highgrade products. Here, again, the viewpoint is unique, for Mr. Otis has a large sum invested in three great experiments, inspired by Prof. Cyril G. Hopkins, and looking toward the "Illinois System of Permanent Fertility." One of them is designed to work out 'more just relations between the big farming corporations and \i% employees, the new spirit being shown by permanent housing which is associated with permanent native planting. I shall never forget the first glimpse of the great concrete bams and subsidiary structures, as revealed from a ridge in the rolling prairie. So perfectly are they tied together that they look like some superdreadnaught of the future plowing its irresistible way through the green billows of the boundless prairie. It is a vision of the new agriculture and may be very like the revolutionary new thing of tomorrow, for the man who conceived it is accustomed to dealing with great enterprises that must look ahead for a quarter of a century.

Mr. Otis has planted about a mile of public road running through his land with native trees and shrubs. The scenery of his region comprises rolling prairie, lakes, and Oak woods, while the roads naturally tend to grow up in Haw, Crab, Hazel and Wild Rose. Mr. Otis, who has always had a strong feeling for native beauty, resolved to intensify the peculiar character of his country instead of borrowing the finery of foreign lands, and he began this in a very simple way. He goes to the colonies which nature has produced along the roads, digs up suckers of Sumacs and the seedling Haws that are crowding one another, and plants them at either end of such colonies, so that they seem to be spreading without the aid of man. Five or six men belonging to the same social group are watching the first mile planted by Mr. Otis and it is likelv that four consecutive miles of public road will be planted by them during the next few years.

Both the Sconce and Otis plantings were designed under my direction by Mr. P. A. Aust of the Division of Landscape Extension. This pioneer work owes its existence largely to the far-sighted wisdom and moral courage of Professor J. C. Blair, head of the Department of Horticulture in the University of Illinois.

The fourth and last example of roadside planting which I shall bring to the notice of North Shore residents is the famous work that connects Madison, Wis., with some of the lovplv lakes that J?urround this beautiful city. For description and planting lists I must refer the reader to the reports of the park and driveway association which has done such wonders by raising subscriptions for planting these AVisconsin roadsides with native trees, shrubs, and vines. (We are indebted to Mr. C. X. Brown, secretary, for the accompanying illustrations). These drives are open to motor traffic only under rather severe restrictions, for thev are too narrow and winding to be safely used by speed lovers. Tt will l)e an expensive matter to provide for heavy motor traffic, and I fear that much beauty will be lost in straightening the roads. Some people hope that these improvements will never be made, for the charms of roadside planting can be enjoyed to the utmost only on a secluded drive where the automobile's speed can be reduced to a minimum, or where horses are not yet a curiosity.

The technical literature of roadside planting is still to be written. Its general features are covered by the writer of this article in the Fourth Beport of the Illinois Highway Commission, dated 1913. This is procurable from the Commission, which may be addressed at Springfield. On pages 334 to 345 will be found an illustrated article entitled "The Illinois Way of Roadside Planting."

The possibilities of roadside planting are enormous, for they offer a chance to create a great state park system without the cost of buying the land, and at a cost of maintenance far less than that which is necessary for city parks. Automobile owners in Illinois often complain that there is "little inducement to take a ride in the country because there is nothing to see." All this will be changed when the good example set by certain residents of the North Shore spreads to the open prairie. The cultured people of the North Shore are just the ones who can do so much to make Illinois one of the most beautiful regions in the world by making roadside planting fashionable. Every technical objection that can be raised by engineers, farmers, road officials, and lawyers can be met, I believe, by such competent landscape designers as Mr. Warren H. Manning, whose work I have studied in fourteen states.

The state of Illinois has about two-anda-half percent of its surface in roads, an area greater than that of Rhode Island, and sufficient to make the largest and most beautiful country park system in the world. Roadside planting offers one or the greatest opportunities for beautifying America. Eventually it may bring millions of tourists to the state to see a type of scenery created in a region that was formerly thought to have no scenery worth mentioning. Tt should make new business for fanners and merchants, add greatly to the joy of living, and educate generations of children that will prefer to live in the country.

Robert Douglas, Father

The haberdashers lost a good tailor when the late Robert Douglas of Waukegaii discarded the threaded needle for the pine needles. Their loss is our gain, and we of the ^Middle West and especially those along this North Shore should rejoice in the change, for to him we owe a debt of gratitude for the many interesting fonns of evergreens he has introduced to our grounds.

Born at Gateshead, England, in 1813, he came to America in 1836 working as a tailor in Xew England. In 1844 he started overland in a buggy for the greai West. Beaching Chicago in June he found the population mainly a floating one owing to the swampy condition of the soil. Pushing on for dry land his horse gave out at Waukegan where he settled and started a small nursery.

His first venture was raising Apple and Pear seedlings, most of the supply at that time being imported from Europe, as were all exotic sjK?cics of evergreens. Open air raising of evergreen seedlings liad proved a failure, and our gardens had to depend upon seedlings collected in the woods for their supply of native forms. His experiments in tliis line gave free play to his genius and i)roved successful. Studying the conditions under which the forest seedlings thrived - partial overhead shade and an even conditi(m as to moisture - lie erected arbors covered with brush, under which he raised his seedlings. His successful method is the first on record and is now the accepted way.

He was an enthusiast in his chosen profession and loved his business. In order to obtain dependable seed he explored the forests of the Far West and soon gained the experience that the seed of conifers gathered from trees on the Pacific Coast did not prove hardy in the northern portion of the Middle West; while seeds from the same species from trees growing on the cold and bleak promontories of the Bocky Mountains were hardy. Tliousands of dollars were lost by him and others until he discovered this fact.

In a private letter <m this subject written October 1, 1896, he states "I used to grow large quantities of Red Cedars from native seed. One year the trees did not seed in this county. 1 bought a few j)ounds in southern Illinois and a larger (juantity in Tennessee, but the trees raised from them were tender and worthless here.'^

As an indication of the hardships he underwent in his search for seed and the enthusiasm he displayed I will quote from the same letter. - ''My last experience was four years ago with the Weeping Spruce. I had written to collectors to get me the seeds at anv cost. Mv son, who was there in ('alifoniia, tried every way to get some one to collect it, so I wired him in August, 1892, that I woula come out and tve would have it. A small group of these trees stands on the summit of the Siskiyou Mountains where they cross the Coast Bange, and I thought that trees on such an exposure would stana like those on the bleak promontories m Colorado. After leaving the railroad at the highest point we went forty miles in a hired carriage, left it there and another day brought us up to the summit of the peak of the Siskiyou Mountains on horsel)ack, but such a day - how can I describe it? I was in ecstasies from the waist up, but in abject misery from my waist down. Such noble grand trees, varying in species as we ascended, but when we reached the summit in the evening the fog was such as I had never experienced. 1 have seen the heaviest London fogs and the heaviest fogs of the Bed Woods on the coast, but I never saw a fog like that Siskiyou fog."

Mr. Douglas introduced to our gardens many of the Bocky Mountain evergreens, including the popular Colorado Blue Sj)ru(e (Picea pungens) also disseminating the Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga Douglasi). ^lany people presume that the tree was named after Bobert Douglas, but tney are mistaken. It was discovered by Menzies in 1795 when accompanying Vancouver on his western journey, but it remained for David Douglas, a collector for the Boyal Horticultural Society of London, England, who landed on the banks of the Columbus Biver in April, 1S25, to introduce it to the gardens of

Eobert Douglas was one of the first to take advantage of Dr. Warder's discovery that the Catalpa (C. specdosa) of the west was a different species from that found in the east, and was hardier and much better fitted for a timber tree. He raised seedlings in great quantities and it is said that in Scott County, Kansas, alone over three millions of his seedlings were planted. He has been called the apostle of tree planting in the west and was a co-worker with Parry, Engelmann, and Sargent, visiting the Rockies in company with the latter. He was so fond of trees that he wanted everybody to grow them and willingly gave them to any of his fellow citizens who would plant them as street trees. He filled the sandy flats bordering the Lake near Waukegan with a varied assortment of evergreens in order to test their adaptability for the situation, and we of today reap the benefit of this experiment.

He was essentially a man of the soil. Gilded palaces had no charm for him, but in nature and her doings he was deeply interested. He wooed her secrets and won them and we profit through his victory.

An incident happened a short time before his death, which occurred in June, 1897, that well, indicated his character. He was spending a day with me. On his arrival we drove directly from the deix)t to Ravine Oaks, the summer home of the late Charles W. Fullerton. ^Mr. Fullerton had just completed a handsome Grecian temple on a site overlooking Lake Michigan and was justly proud of it. It was finished in steamer-white and glistened in the purity of its color. We entered it and partook of a glass of wine. Mr. Douglas took in the whole proceeding as a matter of course, but made no comments. Later on when on my grounds, I notic-ed that he was tiring somewhat, so I steered him to a straw thatched rustic summer house. He sat down and stretching out his legs on the dirt floor, gave a sigh of relief and turning to me exclaimed: "This is something like it, when I was in that thing of Fullerton's I felt as if I should have had my boots blacked."

His interest in his work was well illustrated in the remark he made just as we reached the depot on his return home. Placing his hand upon my knee he said, "You don^t know how much I've enjoyed myself today. Oh, how I have suffered at times for someone to talk trees to !"

On Landscape Gardening

The three materials with which the rural designer must go to work - the colours, in other words, of which his landscape must be composed, are earth, water, and trees. Little change can be attempted, by means of digging away, or heaping together earth; the levelling of rising grounds, or the raising of artificial hillocks, only show that man has attempted what is beyond his powers. Water is more manageable, and there are places where artificial lakes and rivers have been formed with considerable effect. Of this our author, Sir Henry Steuart, has given a very pleasing instance in his own park. But to speak generally, this alteration requires ver}' considerable advantages in the previous situation of the ground, and has only been splendidly successful, where Nature herself had formerly designed a lake, though the water had escaped from its bed by the gradual lowering or sudden bursting of the banks at the lower end. These being replaced by a dam-head, the lake will be restored to its bed, and man will only have brought back the state of the landscape to that which nature originally presented. But, we doubt if even the ingenious process recommended by Sir I^. Price, would satisfy his own just and correct taste, when carried into execution, and we are, at anv rate, confident that it is only in rare instances, and at considerable expense, that artificial water can be formed with the desired effect.

Trees, therefore, remain the proper and most manageable material of picturesque improvement; and as trees and bushes can be raised almost anvwhere - as by their presence they not only delight the eye, with their various forms and colours, but benefit the soil by their falling leaves, and improve the climate by their shelter, there is scarcely any property fitted for human habitation so utterly hopeless, as not to be rendered agreeable by extensive and judicious plantations. But, to obtain the immediate command of wood, mature enough to serve as shade, shelter, and or^ nament, has been hitherto denied to the improver. He has been compelled to form his plan, while his plants are pigmies; to await their slow progress towards maturity; and to bequeath as a legacy to his successors and descendants the pleasure of witnessing the full accomplishment of his hopes and wishes. He also frequently bequeaths his land to the care of careless or ignorant successors, who, from want of taste or skill, leave his purposes unfulfilled.

This has been hitherto the main obstruction to the art of laying out ground, that no artist could hope to see the perfection of his own labours; nay, the pleasure of superintending their progress till the effect begins to appear, is granted but to those who live long, or who commence their improvements early in life. The ambition of man has not remained passively quiescent under this restriction of his powers, and since the days of Sultan Adhim in the Tales of the Genii, down to the present time, various efforts have been made bv different means, and under various circumstances, to transfer trees in a considerable state of maturity to the park or pleasure-ground, and apply them to the composition or improvement of real landscapes. The modes essayed may probably have been successful, in some instances, where the operation has been peculiarly favoured by circumstances; but, in general, the result has been fruitless expense and disappointment. The practice has been, therefore, latterly considered as, in a great measure, empirical, so slight were the chances of success. Miller dissuades his readers from tlio attempt; and ^fr. Pontey judiciously considers the mutilated and decaying trees on which the experiment had been made, rather as a deformity than a beauty to the landscape. It was even denied that any real advance was gained by transplanting a tree of ten years old, and it was averred (and truly, according to the ordinary practice) that a plant from the nursery, placed beside it, would.

Nevertheless, the obstacles which have been so long considered as insuperable, have given way, in our own time, before the courage, patience, and skill of an individual, who has been enabled, with a success which appears almost marvellous, to cover a whole park at once with groups and single trees, combined with copse and underwood of various sizes, all disposed with exquisite taste.

It is familiar to all acquainted with plantations (although the honour belongs exclusively to Sir Henry Steuart of having deduced the natural consequences), that the constant and uninterrupted action of the external air on a tree which stands completely exposed to it, gives that tree a habit, character, and properties entirely different, and in many respects, directly opposite to those acquired by one of the same species which has grown in absolute shelter, whose energies have exerted themselves in a different manner and for a different purpose, and have, therefore, made a most material difference in the attributes and constitution of the plant.

Tliere is a singular and beautiful process of action and reaction which takes })lace betwixt the progress of the roots and of the branches. The former must, by their vigour and numbers, stretch out under ground before the branches can develope themselves in the air; and, on the other hand, it is necessarv that the branches so develope themselves, to give employment to the roots, in collecting food. There is a system of close commerce between tliem; if either fail in discharging their part, the other must suffer in proportion. The increase of the branches, therefore, in exposed trees, is and must be in proportion with that of the roots, and vice versa; and as the exposed tree spreads its brandies on every side to balance itself against the wind, as it shortens its stem or trunk, to afford the mechanical force of the tempest a shorter level to net upon, so numerous and strong roots spread themselves under ground, by way of anchorage, to an extent and in a manner unknown to sheltered trees.

Our autlior has enumerated four properties which nature has taught trees that stand unsheltered to acquire by their own efforts, in order to suit themselves for their situation. First, thickness and induration of bark; secondly, shortness and girth of stem; thirdly, numerousness of roots and fibres; and fourthly, extent, balance, and closeness of branches. These, Sir Henry has denominated the four protecting qualities; and he has proved, by a very plain and practical system of reasoning, founded upon an intimate acquaintance with the most distinguished writers on vegetable physiology, that in proportion as the subject for transplantation is possessed of these four qualities, in the same degree it is fitted to encounter exposure as a single tree in its new position.

It is well known that in all stormy and uncertain climates every species of tree shows what is called a weather side, that is, its branches shoot more freely to that side which is leeward during the prevailing wind, than in the opposite direction. Hence the trees, in a windy climate, excepting, perhaps, the sycamore, are but indifferently balanced, and seem, from their growth, to be in the act of suffering a constraint which they cannot resist. Now an ancient rule which is echoed and repeated by almost all who touch on the subject, affirms that a transplanted tree must be so placed in its new site, that the same sides shall be weather and lee which formerly were so. Sir Henry Steuart, in direct opposition to this rule, recommends strongly that the }X)flition of the tree be reversed, so that the leo side, where the branches are elongated, shall be pointed towards the prevailing wind, and what was formerly the weathersido, being now turned to leeward, shall l)e encouraged, by its new position, to slioot out in such a manner as to restore the balance and symmetry of the toj).

But were this species of mutilation less directly injurious to vegetation than it certainly is, we ought to remember that the purpose of transplanting trees is chiefly or entirely ornamental ; and if we render them, by decapitation and dismembermient of every kind, di.<gustring and miserable spectres, we destroy the whole purpose and intention for which they were transplanted, and present the eye with a set of naked and mutilated posts and poles, resembling the unhealthy and maimed tenants of a military hospital, after a great battle, instead of the beautiful objects which it was the purpose of the improver to procure by anticipating the course of nature. It is true, good soil, and a tract of years, may restore such ill-used subjects to form and beauty, but, considering the length of time that they must remain disgusting and unsightly, we would far rather trust to such plants as nature might rear on the spot - plants which would come to maturity as soon, and prove incomparably more thriving in their growth, and more beautiful in their form.

The days of Orpheus are no more, and no man can now pretend to make the rooted denizens of the forest shift their places at the simple expense of an oldsong. It must be held sufficient if the expenditure does not so far exceed the object to be obtained, as to cause the alterations produced to rank with the extravagant freaks of Nero, who was the first of landscape gardeners, and his successors on the school of gigantic embellishment. But the country-gentleman of easy fortune, who does not hesitate to lay out two or three hundred pounds for a tolerable picture or two to adorn the inside of his house, should not surely be induced to grudge a similar expenditure to form the park, by which it is surrounded, into a natural landscape, which will more than rival the best efforts of the pencil. The power of adorning nature is a luxury of the higheJJt kind, and must, to a certain extent, be paid for; but the following pieces of evidence serve to show, that the price is uncommonly moderate, if contrasted with the effects produced.

The committee of the Highland Society remark, that the transplantation of grown trees belongs to the fine arts rather than those which have had direct and simple utility for their object, and that the return is to be expected rather in pleasure than in actual profit: sheltered and riclily ornamented park. But, excepting in the article of shelter, he has no more immediate value than the purchaser of a picture."

But this apologetical introduction is so far short of the truth, since it omits to notice that the improver has created a value - ^unproductive, indeed, while he continues to retain possession of his estate, but which can be converted into actual productive capital so soon as he chooses to part with it. The difference between AUanton, with its oniamented park, and Allanton as it was twenty years since, would soon be ascertained were the proprietor disposed to bring his ancient heritage into the market. The committee proceed to state, that the formation of the two acres of copse, intermingled with standard trees, already mentioned, appears to have amounted to 3 pounds i)er acre; and they exj)ress their belief that no visible change, to the same purpose, could have been effected by the landscape gardener, which could have had effect before it had cost the proprietor three times the sum.

Locality Index Of Roadside Trees At Lake Forest

Only roadside plants in the North Shore region, or such as can be seen from public roads without endroaching upon private grounds, will be designated in these notes. The side of the road is indicated by the compass abbreviations, N., S., E., W.

Other lists of noteworthy plants will be printed in later issues to indicate the location of plants accessible to the public. You are asked to co-operate in compiling notes for such lists.

The Director is recently in receipt of a copy of one of the latest books on the garden art in this country - "The Well- Considered Garden," by Mrs. Francis

While at the start the book is a record of personal experience, it touches upon '^various gardens" from east to west. Great emphasis is placed upon color arrangement in the garden; ever}'^ planting is subjected to the test of color harmony. Tliis point of view toward the garden is inspired by the work of that color enthusiast in England, Miss Gertrude Jekyll, and Miss Jekyll has given the book her approval in a preface. The particular value of this part of the book lies in the fact that it is the first discussion that is truly American in point of its examples. Mrs. King says that beauty or lack of beauty in a color depends upon its relation to other colors. She urges a more critical study in garden arrangements from the point of view of color, habit, and season of bloom.

While several vital phases of garden building, such as the purpose, design, construction and maintenance of the garden, are but lightly touched upon, the book speaks for an intimate study of one's garden problems.

In the appendix are "Notes on Garden Clubs" in America, a summary all too brief telling haw the amateurs of this country are working together. Something of the organization, membership and work of the larger garden clubs is outlined, and we are surprised to learn that the oldest club, that at Philadelphia, is but twelve years of age.

^The best garden club is doubtless yet to be formed: it can now be a composite. It will adopt the more important and practical plans of those already in existence; it may start with tlie benefit of their experience. Existing clubs are already recognized, reference to our gardening journals shows, as powerful factors for the right develo})ment of horticulture in America. May their tribe increase!"

The timely article on the beautifying of the roadside, "Some Inspiring Examples of Roadside Planting," is contributed by Br. Wilhelm Miller, head of the Division of Landscape Extension of the University of Illinois. Dr. Miller is an enthusiast on the "Illinois Way" of planting, and he describes this roadside improvement from the personal point of view. The photographs that appear on the title page were loaned by the University of Illinois through Dr. Miller, who obtained them from' Mr. C. N. Brown of Madison, Wisconsin.

To carr}' out the idea of tree planting for landscape effect, with which this issue deals largely, some thoughts are chosen from the essays of Sir Walter Scott, Bart., entitled "On Landscape Gardening." This excerpt is taken from a collection of miscellaneous essays, collected by the author, and printed in America by Carey & Hart in Philadelphia in 1841.

As this magazine is prepared to stimulate A KEENER APPRECIATION OF THE LANDSCAPE AND VEGETATION BEAUTY of the North Shore above Chicago; TO AID IN CONSERVING AND INCREASING THIS BEAUTY BY CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT ; to record tests of old and new plants, made to determine their special values for the creation and enrichment of landscapes, woodlands, lawns and gardens: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT PROPERTY OWNERS CO-OPERATE IN EXTENDING AND NAMING THEIR ROADSIDE PLANTATIONS UNTIL ALL RELIABLY HARDY WOODY PLANTS ARE THUS MADE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC ENJOYMENT AND INSTRUCTION, and that they ALSO CONSIDEE THE VIEWS

Forest, Lake Bluff. North Chicago And Waukegan

INCLUDING PARTS OF CHICAGO, AND THE TOWNS OF EVANSTON, WILMETTE, KENILWORTB, WINNETKA, LAKESIDE, GLENCOE, RAVINIA, HIGHLAND PARK, HIGHWOOD, FORT SHERIDAN, LAKE FOREST, LAKE BLUFF. NORTH CHICAGO AND WAUKEGAN

Stephen F. Hamblin Contents

The article printed with title ^'Evergreens in Indiana" was sent in to the Director by Mrs. Wm. E. English of Lexington, Indiana, in the form of an open letter of garden experiences, and in that spirit is given to the readers of "Billerica." Though I^exington is somewhat soutli of the North Shore, the tests of garden plants will show results not too different, and intimate personal observations like these have a local interest and value that the more genenal articles by the horticultural journals could not know. Let us hope that other garden lovorf, will be inspired to record their experiences.

The article on Koadside Planting ])y Mr. 0. C. Simonds of Chicago, a man who stands among the very first in his profession, is esjjccially appropriate because it is doubtful if there is another man who has done more toward making roadsides beautiful in Illinois and elsewhere than has Mr. Simonds. His love of Nature is as great as his skill in developing it.

The cone-bearers are exceedingly important elements of broad landscape w^hether they appear as native forest growth or in artificial plantations.

Wliile the dark greens, gray greens and yellowish greens are distinct from the greens of deciduous trees, the marked differences are in the immobilitv of the foliage and the branches. The cone-bearers in their greetings to you are as rigidly erect as the trained sentr}^ on duty or they nod and sway in stately rhythm, while the deciduous leaves and branches are flickering and flying at every breeze. There is a steadiness, a maturity, even in young cone-bearers, that makes one feel that they are really essential to hold the landscape together. They are all-the-year fighters, for they do not shed all their leaves and go to sleep in winter.

Bobert Douglas of Waukegan, concerning whom Mr. Egan wrote in the last issue, could have no finer memorial than a great cone-bearing forest. To Mr. Douglas the North Shore Region, as well as the eastern L^nited States, owes a debt of gratitude for his work in discovering, testing and introducing evergreens. Let those who are responsible for the "Illinois Beautiful Movement" bear this in mind.

also contribute valuable data to our knowledge of this class of plants. Such knowledge not only makes it possible to add to the beauty of broad landscapes by the introduction of the cone-bearers in the forest, but also contributes to economic values, for no class of trees has greater economic values for wood and for lumber than the group in question.

The Director Evekgkeexs Ix Indiana

There is a confidential intimacy about the little paper "Billerica" that has inspired me to write to it as one would to a friend. While I have written occasionally upon horticultural subjects for the press, it is the first time that I have taken up my pen in the direction of magazine writing, and I am not quite sure in what class the scientific, technical or professional horticulturists would place me; but whatever they choose t^ call me, whether it be amateur, dilettante or just a woman interested in gardening, being free from the shackles of the trade and having no horticultural reputation to sustain beyond my own locality, I have more latitude to make mistakes and greater privileges for asking questions.

I wish to sav that 1 had the honor and the pleasure of reading in manuscript several of the articles that have been published in "Billcrica," and I think we are all delighted to have them preserved in print so that we may have them for future reference.

"Billerica" seems to me to fill a longfelt want, and while my gardening has been devoted to a section of the countrv three hundred miles south of the North Shore, in Southern Indiana, yet I am more or less familiar with the beautiful gardens as seen by the motorists in touring around Chicago. I am further interested in the trees and shrubs that are liardv on the North Shore, because of a ])lace I have just acquired on the opposite shore of Lake Michigan above Frankfort. T don't yet know what the difference is as to dimate, but I believe the soil is practically the same as that of the North Shore, which makes another one of the many reasons w^hy "Billerica" appeals to me so strongly.

There has already been written in ^^illerica" a great deal in regard to the coniferous trees of the North Shore and it 60 happens there has not been one mentioned that I have not grown, and there are many more which in my mild climate I am able to grow. It has occurred to me that my experiences with so many varieties may have developed a knowledge of a few choice ones hardier tlian the majority and this knowledge might be of interest, if not benefit, to those interested; therefore, it is in this **letter" frame of mind I address the readers of "Billerica."

Considering the large family of Cypresses in its various groups, the Retinospora (Japanese Cypress) for one, does not do nearlv so well with me as the Biota varieties (Chinese Cypress). Of the Retinospora, 1 Iiave grown Retinosj)ora obtusa var. nana, Retinospora plumosa var. aurea, Retinospora pisifera var. aurea and Retinospora filifera. The last variety I don't consider worth growing. The aurea varieties are apt to suffer in an extreme winter, but Retinospora obtusa var. nana does very well if you desire that small, compact Cypress; personally I should prefer the Biota oriental is var. nana when one wislies a lowgrowing Cypress; and the aurea variety of Biota nana and Biota orientalis are extremely pretty and hardy, both being the hardiest golden evergreens that I grow. There is another golden Biota very lovely, Biota orientalis var. semper-aurescens. Tlierc is a filiformis variety of Biota which I rank with Retinospora filifera, and Thuya filifolia I place wuth these also, the three of them not worth growing in my estimation, but interesting if one wishes to study varieties. Of the Thuya (our American Cypress, Arbor Vitae or Tree of Life) the varietv which is sometimes called sibirica and sometimes called Wareana (tucked away in a cell of my brain is the knowledge that either one or the other of these terms is obsolete, but which it is I don't remember) has proved w^ith me to be the hardiest, as I had several of them live through the winter of 1911-12, which was the hardest winter in my garden that I ever had, having lost nearly a hundred of the verv choicest Rhododendrons and some of these hybrids had grown to a height of eight feet. Thuya pumila is another form which grows along with sibirica and does just as well. Of course the common Thuya occidentalis does well with me, and the pyramidal form is very fine when one wishes, that form. "Queen Victoria" is a white-tipped variety that is very hardy, very pretty, and the Thuya Vervaeneana is well worth experimenting with if one wants for effect a bronzed form in the autumn months, and I have had one for ten years.

The Thuyopsis borealis latifolia var. glauca is such a beautiful tree that I have tried to grow it in almost every situation, but it will not grow for me, I am sorry to say. I have had the same experience with iheCedrus family, having grown theCedrus atlantica var. glauca, Cedrus Libani and Cedrus Deodara and none of them will winter with me. I remember in Kew Gardens, in London, the deep respect 1 felt for a magnificent, large specimen ol the Cedar of Lebanon (Oedrus Libani) as I stood before it! Such a size, nor had any size of the variety been possible with me. I have had the same experience with Cephalotaxus Fortunei and its varieties, but I have been foolish enough just this season to try them again by planting out the variety drupacea. The Cupressus Lawsoniana var. Alumii does not do well with me, nor does the variety albo-spica, both variegated forms. The Cryptomeria japonica is one of the most beautiful trees I have ever seen, and I have tried nursing that along season after season, but to no avail. I see a resemblance between the last named tree and Juniperus squarrosa ^'eitchii and I have grown the latter, but a peculiar thing happened to it - ^the top died. 1 had it carefully sawed out and the result is quite a pretty, small, low, round, bushy tree. I have never attempted any of the Chamaecyparis family, that is, under that name, perhaps the pronunciation of the word was too much for me, but I feel sure some of the experts who read this will smile, because I have a suspicious feeling that it is no more nor less than the Cypress after all. I have been successful with Sciadopitys verticillata, the Umbrella Pine, but I cannot recommend it for the North Shore. While it lives with me, it doesn't flourish as it should in my climate which is more conducive to tender growth. In studying over what I have grown in the way of evergreens. I see my Juniper family is the longest, but Juniperus communis, strange to say, does not do well with me. Its Irish variety, hibernica, I have wanted particularly as a matter of sentiment and have always kept three growing around a stone that we brought from the Giant's Causeway, but I have had to replace them very regularly. The Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) that I buy from nurseries, seldom does well with me; while the natives that spring up all around me invariably are beautiful specimens. The Red Cedar growing in its natural habitat will vary almost more than any tree I know. I suppose this is due almost entirely to soil, sunshine and location. I set out years ago a mixed planting on a hillside opposite a hill which had been converted into a rock garden, and in this mixed planting were Red Cedars, Hemlocks, Dogwoods, Rhododendrons, etc. The Hemlocks did remarkably well and are flourishing today, but the Red Cedars were a disappointment. The low growing form of Red Cedar, variety Kosteri, in time becomes shabby so that I cannot recommend it. I have never tried any of the inverted forms or varieties of any of the coniferous family as I considered them freaks and not very hardy ones. To go back to the Juniperus family and the various forms, glauca, Schotti, Ijeei var. elegantissima (being a white tipped form), excelsa var. stricta variegata, also a creamy wliite, grayish-green variety not very hardy, and chinensis, they all give a variety of coloring which is very pretty. Of the trailing Juniperus I think I have tried all that are listed in all of the catalogues. For a trailer I very much prefer the recurva var. squamata variety of low growing Junipers, and I should appreciate it if someone who knows will tell me if that form does not grow wild in the North Shore region, as 1 am quite sure that form is over on the west shore of Michigan. I so prefer it to the variety prostrata that I don't plant the latter any more. The various varieties of Juniperus Sabina, such as tamariscifolia, etc., are not hardy with me and I don't plant them any more. Juniperus canadensis and its golden form aurea are very fine.

We gardeners always have our special pets, and one of mine is the Pseudotsuga Douglasii, and I never can see why any one will plant Picea excelsa, the common Xorway Spruce, as a windbreak or for any other purpose when they can get other trees so much better and prettier. In that family I don^t like the Colorado Blue Spruce, probably because it is a very common form and I class it with the Salvias and Cannas, which the ordinary gardener plants to excess, not seeming to know that we have hardy plants which would absolutely take the place of Salvias and Cannas if he would only make an effort to learn something about gardening and not follow blindlv the masses. I love the White Spruce (Picea aJba), and the varieties orientalis and Xordmanniana are splendid forms, but the latter is too gloomy a tree to be around a house. In direct contrast to the Xordmann's Spruce is the lovely Colorado Fir (Abies concolor). I have just had shipped to me Abies arizonica, and as this is an altogether new variety to me I shall watch it with great interest. Fraser's form of Balsam Fir (Abies Fraseri) is a very pretty, hardy tree with me. The English Fir (Abies pectinata) will not winter with me. In an article in "Billerica" the Larch is mentioned, and I notice only the English Larch is spoken of. I have growing as w^ell as my English Larch, the Japanese Larch (Larix leptolepis) which is equally hard v. Larix occidentalis, which is one of my highly prized trees because it was so difficult to purchase froni minrorios (and is native to tlie Xorth Shore I believe), is an xAmerican Larch or what is commonly called Tamarack. I was years in getting mine from a nursery, but finally located it and it is thriving in my rock garden along with the lovely Southern Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum). I have given up altogether trying to use Box for hedges in my rock garden. It winterkills with me to vsueh an extent that it is useless to try to keep a Box hedge in my climate in good condition. I have often thought that the Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata) would make a splendid low hedge for a rose garden, or wherever a low hedge is needed, as it is very hardy and would stand shearing well. I have the repandens form of Taxus baccata, English Yew, which is a choice spreading little specimen ; also the aurea form w^hich has stood many winters. That reminds me of the disgust in which years ago a wellknown nursery man regarded my English Golden Yews planted at my entrance gates, in a wild jungle planting. I also had there some Japanese Maples which he classed with the former, but as they thrived and were the beginnings of my taste for floriculture as developed in travelling through Europe years ago, I left them there, where they still thrive. I don't even apologize for them any more as I look upon them as milestones in my horticultural career and as tributes to my ignorance.

I am very proud of a group of American Holly (Ilex opaca) which I have growing, but neither the English nor Japanese Holly will grow Mith me at all. If there are any gardeners of the North Shore who desire to attempt the American Holly (and- there may be many who already have done so successfully), I insist that the only way to transplant the American Holly is to strip the entire bush entirely of its leaves at the time of setting out. I made a thorough test of this and know that that advice is absolutely safe and the only way in which a transplanting can be made.

I have left the Pine family to be my last. Tliere is never any question which is the finest Pine of all, and that is the White Pine (Pinus Strobus). I have a Pinus resinosa which was sent to me from Northern Michigan and is doing splendidly. I am a little in doubt as to which variety of Pine is native in Southern Indiana - I always thought it was the Nor-» way or R-cd Pine, but it is so different from this Michigan Pine, which I am sure is a Xonvay as it has the two long leaves shown in all the books, and I am not quite sure what our native Pine is. I am almost inclined to believe it is the Jersey Pine or Scrub Pine (Pinus virginiana) but I am not sure. Of course, with a little careful investigation I oould and should easily determine. The rigida variety or Pitch Pine is very |x>or for ornamental purposes and I have not much choice between Pinus austriaca and Pinus sylvestris, both being quick-growing, large, rugged trees. A nursery once sent me Pinus Thunbergii and it lived for years on the bank of a made pond, but the severe winter of 1911-12 killed it. I have always wondered what tliat tree reaJly was, because it grew like the Austrian and Scotch pines. For a small Pine nothing e<]uals the Swii:.s Pine (Pinus Cembra) either in appearance or hardiness. Pinus Mughus varies considerably with me as to habit of gro^i-th, some being quite tall (that is, tall for a Mountain Pine) and others never getting above one anrl a half feet.

In this little article of mine, which may not be worthy of seeing the light of day or of print, I have confined myself exclusively to Evergreens; but it has been with difficulty as so many subjects are touched upon in our "Billerica" that it is a temjitation to wander off among the shrubs and plants. As I said in the beginning, my climate is a little milder than tiiat of the North Shore, yet the work of a lavman mav be of interest to those who have given so much more of their time to it than I have.

Along The North Shore

Originally most of the area known as the "North Shore" was covered with a thick forest growth. On the poorer land - the sand dunes and sand and gravel regions from Chicago to Evanston - tlie Black Oak predominated, but Red Oaks, Bnr Oaks, White Oaks and other trees were also found here and there. In the comparatively level district of Wilmette and Ken il worth, with its rich black soil, Elms, Lindens and \A\ trees predomiuattMl, and farther north, where the land is a stiff elav, our various native Oaks and the Sugar and Red ^raj)les made up the greater part of tlie forest growth. Hardlv any region was without scattered speci mens or groups of Lindens. There were also groups and sometimes extensive thickets of wild Crab Apples, Tljorn Apples, Juneberries and Viburnums. Ironwoods were abundant and less frequently Blue Beeclies were found. Hickories were numerous and occasionally there were Black Walnuts and Butteniuts. Through this region, as it gradually became settled, roadways were cut. sometimes straight,

>onietimes curved, and the native growth was left on each side of oj^enings approximately "^0 feet in width. These roadways were noted for their Iwaiitv. The margins showed Nature's own arrangement of trees and shrubs. Large forest trees, sometimes singly and sometimes in attractive groups, shaded the roadway. In the more oj3en spaxres shrubs of all sizes, from the Dewberries, Wild Roses, Blueberries and Aromatic Sumac to the larger > Viburnums, found favorable conditions for growth. Later sidewalks were often placed at the edge of streets near the proix»rty line. These streets usually had a width of 66 feet, so an area of not less than 15 feet wide was left partly covered with native growth between the walk and roadway. Usually these walks were placed only on one side of the street. Later, as the various suburbs increased in population, improvements (?) were made by cutting .away all of the smaller growth and re})lacing this ground-covering with grass. This procecnied until many roadsides were quite bare in appearance and then this bareness was relieved by planting again trees and bushes. This treatment giving an irregular parklike effect was all verv^ well as long as people were content to ride in easy-going horsed rawn vehicles. But with the arrival of swift-moving ^^achines" - bicycles, motorcycles and automo]>iles - ^the beautiful low growth was found an element of danger. On this account ordinances were passed restricting the use of shrubs and sometimes prohibiting them altogther along public streets.

With this brief outline of the development of our roadsides, let us take into accoiint the present conditions and consider what would be the wise method of treating planting strips along our highways. Wliat ()p])ortunitie8 do tliese strips of land give for beautiful growth without bringing in any element of danger ? We wish to have eliarming home grounds. It is necessary to reach these grounds either by driving from the city, or by riding or walking from the railwav station. There is as much reason for making the lines of approach attractive as for making our homes beautiful. The chief place of danger is either at the intersection of one street with another or at the juDction of a street with a private drive. On a curved street any growth that prevents one from looking ahead is also objectionable.

It may perhai>s be granted that groups of attractive 8hrul)s, such as Hazel bushes, Viburnums, Elderberries and Dogwoods, placed near our large shade-giving trees make attractive combinations. Let us admit also that wherever there is danger of collision of swift-moving vehicles, there should be no growth of thick foliage between three feet and ten feet above the ground. Would it still be possible to have beautiful roadsides? I believe that it would. Of course, in many places the ground would be covered with lawn, but the monotony of this might be relieved even at points of intersection by wild roses and other low forms of shrubs which have been mentioned and by creeping vines and low-spreading herbaceous plants. There are always some areas away from intersections and along the outer edges of curved streets, that is, on the opposite side from the center of curvature, where masses of foliage, no matter how high, will not prevent drivers seated in approaching vehicles from seeing each other. Thus it is still possible to give varied outlines to the long stretches of open space above roadways and make these really beautiful without making them dangerous. Sometimes this open space may widen and connect with openings of home grounds, or it may connect with that open space above a valley that allows us to look off for miles to distant liorizons ; or it may even connect with the space above Lake Michigan extending beyond our range of vision. In most places it will connect with the infinite space above the tree tops that allow^s us to see clouds or blue sky. Through this latter connection - openings between the tree-tops - sunlight will come in, giving a brilliant light on masses of low foliage to be seen against the shade of overhanging trees. Thus it is quite ])ossible to have all the grace of form, picturesqueness of outline and liarmony of composition in which artists delight, while fitting these to requirements of travel.

safety, and sliall also give us all of the <'flfects which w^e call beautiful. Such effects depend primarily on the shaping of the open spaces, but when the proper shaping of such places has been secured, the texture of the foliage, the color and shai)e of the leaves, the light and shade of the various masses and the growth of flowers and fruits, can be studied. The beauty of outlines is that which we get on moonlight nights when it is impossible for us to distinguish delicate differences of color, but with bright sunlight the coloring may please us and we may notice every detail. We see the clean-cut leaves of the Red Oak with their polished surfaces, the fruits of tiie Thorn Apples growing near them, the black fruits of the Elderberry upon which the catbirds are feeding, the graceful spreading of the Elms, the red and yellow coloring of the Sugar Maples, the gorgeous leaves of the Sumac, or the autumn leaves of the Witch Hazel with their beautiful lemon vellow. Xearly all the beauty and charm of our native woods might be retained or secured for our roadsides. This charm does not consist alone in the things that please the eye. I recall the perfume of Hoses and \Vild Grapes that come with early summer, the perfume of the Crab Apple blossoms and the delicate aroma that late in the season fills the air about the blossoming Witch Hazels. Tliere are almost as manv sweet smells as there are beautiful objects; and with Sweetbriars, lliorn Apples and thickets of various kinds, we are quite apt to have the music of feathered songsters, because tliey will seek the places 1 have named for their nests.

It is desirable that roadsides should be treated in a way to harmonize with adjacent home grounds. Openings showing distant views have Ixjcn mentioned, but there are areas where private grounds will be rather thickly planted. Opposite such areas the trees and shrul>s of the highway might also be planted thickly, the growth on one side of the lot line augmenting the (>ifect produced by that on the other side. The roadside planting then becomes a border for the adjacent homes.

when the abutting property has been cleared, but when the native trees have been allowed to remain it is a mistake to plant additional trees in a formal manner. Within Cook County I have known beautiful Bur Oaks that had been growing for fifty years to be cut down to make room for small Elms planted in rows. Near the Bur Oaks were native Tliorn Apples, the combination making a picture that any good photographer would have been glad to reproduce. To have such combinations tliat should fill one with joy ruthlessly destroyed gives a feeling of sadness, not alone on account of the loss of the beautiful objects, but also on account of the lack of appreciation of natural beauty which the destruction of these objects indicates. Another mistake often made is to plant a small tree under the spreading branches of a large one, the planter regarding it a« of vital importance to have trees just so many feet apart, and doubtless regretting the existence of the fine old patriarch of the forest.

The people of our northern suburbs, where lots often have a frontage of several hundred feet, have an opportunity for preserving or creating wonderfully charming roadside eifects. The existing trees, sometimes two feet or more in diameter and high and broad in projiortion, are a real advantage. They should be treated yd\h respect and admiration. The smaller trees, often with a wealth of bloom, the flowering shrubs and creeping vines may all be made to help out the formation of pictures more beautiful than any that have been painted. What is needed is first a greater general appreciation of natural beautv. We must be able to see this beauty so that we shall have a strong desire for it and be willing to make some sacrifice in order to secure it. Then there must be some one with the skill of an artist to sav that such and such trees should be preserved and otliers cut out' and that certain shrubs or vines should be planted in places designated. The planting alone is not all that is required. Newly planted things sliould be cultivated and sometimes watered and trimmed, but there should not be too much trimming. Often beautiful streets have been spoiled by cutting off the tops of trees. It is always safe to cut away dead wood. If a tree is half dead the chances are that it should be removed altogether. One should always try to preserve the graceful outlines that are formed by the smallest branches, - the branches of tlie present yearns growth. Trees should look well in winter. They will do so when free from stubs and scars and when the small branches of the last yearns growth form a graceful, spraylike outline.

With a thoughtful treatment of the margins of public drives they will exhibit along every mile as much variety in form and color, as much real beautv as can be found in any park.

Cultivation

Phlox paniculata, one of the original parents of our hardy garden Phlox, has l>een found sparingly in northern Illinois, but not nearer than Glencoe, and P. maculata (Wild Sweet William), the other parent, and the one that gives to some varieties their perfume, has also been found near Glencoe and farther west.

P. glaberrima, P. pilosa, P. bifida, and P. divaricata are natives, the latter being quite common with us in rich open woods, and may be used effectively for an early blooming show in the wild.

The hardy garden Phlox are so well known that I will sav but little about them. I think, however, that it might be a matter of interest to those who may use them freely and have different positions, as half shade or full sun to offer them, to give a list of those whose flowers on my grounds fade under the influence of the hot sun, a feature that impairs their beautv, and which would not occur if planted in semi-shade. A glance at the catalogue descriptions will show that most of them are of the darker shades, the crimsons and the reds. They are Dr. Koningshofer, Danton, George A. Strohlem, Pierre Bayle, Prof. Virchow, Pantheon, Siebold, Tragedie, Von Goethe, B. Comte, Baron Van Dedem, and Coquelicot.

nium maculatuni), which blooms aboat the same time. This species, and G. carolinianum, with whitish pale pink flowers, also a native, are essentially wild garden plants.

An extremely free blooming plant for the borders is found in Geranium sanguineum and especially so in its white form "album.^* It is a hardy spreading perennial, growing about eighteen inches high, the type producing bright crimson flowers amid a wealth of finely laciniated foliage.

Monarda didyma, Oswego Tea or Horse Mint, is not a native to the North Shore, but has been found in South Chicago, and at Riverside, Illinois. We have, however, in abundance, the Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) growing naturally in dry open woods. When massed in large colonies its pale purplish bracts give a pleasing color effect to the landscape. Both mav be used in the border in well-drained situations.

We have three native Thalictnims. T diocimn, the Early Meadow-rue, is common in our woods and ravines and is sometimes called the False Maiden -hair. It blooms in May, and its small yellowish flowers are of no beauty. After the middle of June, by which time its foliage is well hardened, it makes a splendid green for bouquet w^ork. The Tall Meadow-rue with small whitish flowers and Purple Meadow-rue (T. purpurascens) may be used in the w41d planting, but they grow so tall that they need artificial support. The handsomest of all this family is the Asiatic species, the Columbine-leaved Meadow-rue (T. aquilegifolium). The flowers are white in a corymbose panicle, small, numerous and foamy in appearance. AA'hile not a strong grower, reaching a height of two feet, it is at home in any wild planting. There are purple varieties of it which I have not seen. T. flavum, a yellow form, is not, to me, an attractive plant.

There is but one sf)ecies of the Pyrethrum that can be depended upon, - the one with that elegant specific name "uliginosum/' meaning moisture-loving. In fact, it is a European swamp plant, bearing the common name of Great Ox-eye Daisy (Clm'santliemum uliginosum). It grows like a weed in most situations, but I couldn't establish it in one part of my grounds. It is an admirable subject for wild planting and as a tall plant for the back of borders. P. roseum (Chrysanthemum coccineum), a native of the Orient^ and one of the plants that fumislies us with the Persian Insect Powder, is rather fickle and seldom lasts more than a few seasons; even by tliat time there will be many vacant places in the gi'oup. Planting on raised or slanting beds keeps them much longer. Tliey are such splendid cutting flowers in early spring that everyone should grow some for that purpose, but the reserve bed or vegetable garden is the place for them.

Sa|X)naria officinalis, a European species, masquerading under many eonimon names, such as Bouncing Bet, Soap- wort, Grow-soap, Fuller's Herb, and Hedge Pink, has escaped cultivation and is found here on roadsides and in old fields. The flowers are a light pink, but when grown in shade they are nearly white. The variety caucasica has deeper colored flowers. The Rock Soap- wort (S. ocymoides), a low growing species, jAoes not last long.

There are ten native species of Galium, all weeds but Galium boreale, the Northern Bed-straw, growing about two feet high, covered like a mist with small, creamy-white flowers in July. It could be gro^vn in sunny meadows with effect.

The perennial Yellow Foxglove (Digitalis ambigua), also known as D. grandiflora and I), ochroleuca, also a European sj)ecies, is a good border plant that does well in half shade and in full sun.

We grow so few species of the Foxglove in our gardens that when its name is mentioned we naturally think of the biennial Digitalis purpurea.

(In fortunately it is not reliably hardy here, so that we seldom see tuch fine specimens as may be found in England. Selfsown seedlings hero generally perish during the winter. I sow the seeds in May or June, carrying the plants in a cold frame over winter. Some, however, winter them in the open, but often lose them. While they are quite showy in the border, their real ])lace is in open spaces in the woods or along the margins, for they are essentially a ^Svoodsy" plant. In using them in the borders in apparent masses one should use some judgment, bearing in mind that by mid-summer their flowering stems become shabby and have a tendency to make the whole bed look untidy. I use them as I do the cup-and-saucer Canterbury Bells, also a biennial, and which I treat in the same manner from seed bed to the compost pile. I plant them in between late flowering perennials, Anemone japonica, for instance, wliieh are planted some eighteen inches apart. When the Fox-gloves, or Campanulas, are past their usefulness they are pulled up, but in the meantime the Anemones are far enough advanced in growth to fill the void.

One winter I had a double sash frame filled with the Common Foxglove placed six inches apart, making a planting six feet square and containing over one hundred and twenty plants. The field mice or small garden moles got in the frames and ate up entirely every plant, tops and roots, leaving plainly marked holes where each root had been. I had to smile audibly, although sadly disap|)ointed, for the cold-frame bed looked like one huge porous plaster.

Is the Digitalis poisonous to the human family and not to these garden j)ests? I have used poisoned wheat ever since in my cold-frames, placing it in hollow tiles laid on the surface in between the plants. When spring comes the tiles are handled carefully and all remaining grains of wheat, or any spilled on the ground, are buried deeply beyond the reach of the birds. I now have no trouble with plants being eaten.

There are seven species of the Asclepijas indigenous to the region near Chicago, only one of which is worthy of cultivation. This plant. Butterfly-weed (A. tuberosa), gave me the first hint of the advisability of massing color. 1 had seen it near Evanston in sandy soil and occasionally on the beach here, generally in scattered groups of three or four plants, and while admiring its color, did not pay much attention to it. In 1876 1 saw at the Centennial Exposition in Piiiladelphia a bed of it some eight or ten feet in diameter. The deep orange glow of color it presented was a marvelous piece of color. Egandale was but a dream then, and did not materialize until three years later, or I would have gone home at once and started a bed. Afterwards I tried some plants, but they did not succeed. I must try it again in very sandy soil.

The Hemerocallis belongs to the lily family; all species and their varieties are worthy of cultivation in the border. I do not think they would lend themselves gracefully to wild planting unless here and there near water courses or ponds where they might be associated with tlie Iris, whose foliage somewhat resembles theirs. Their common name Daylily is also shared with the Funkias, which, however, are known as the Plantain-leaved Daylily. Were I attempting to use the Hemerocallis in wild planting I would^ choose the Tawnv Davlilv (H. fulva) on account of the rustv brill iancv of its tawny orange-colored flowers. It seems to me to look more like a wild flower among our natives than any other of its family. It is exceedingly reliable, even under adverse conditions. It will grow in deep shade, but not bloom, and may be used' as an underplant, where grass will not grow.

Lilacs now some fifteen feet tall some plants of the Bishop'vS-weed (Aegopodium Podograria) established themselves before 1 noticed. This is a pestiferous weed in the border and verv hard to exterminate. My first im])ulse was to get it out, but when I saw what a pleasant looking green it made, and how interesting it looked when a sheet of white flowers crowned it, I hestitated. I considered the situation. A macadam roadwav bordered it at one side and the ravine bank at the other. It could do no harm on either side, so I not onlv let it alone, bnt transferred sods of

It is but natural that such a husky, well-known and easily-grown plant as the Ifesperis matronalis should bear numerous common names. In various parts of the world it is kno\\Ti as Dame's Rocket, Sweet Rocket, Dame's Violet, Queen's (lilliflower, Rogue's Gilliflower and Damask Violet. It is found growing wild' aU over Bussia and Asia and domesticates itself anywhere. In England it has escaped cultivation and almost becomes ti ^'wild flower/' It could be used here in wild planting with success. It will grow in part-shade or in full sun.

The False Dragon-head, Obedient-plant (Physostegia virginica), is a native found on wet banks, thus giving us a hint of its requirements - in moisture, but welldrained. It is an attractive plant either in the border or in semi-wild situations. The name "Obedient-plant" is given to it on account of the tractability of its individual flowers. The flowers are arranged practically in perpendicular rows -on four sides of a central stem. For convenience of description we will assume that these rows occupy the same positions as indicated by the points of the compass. You can push one flower of the northern row in among these in either the eastern or western row, and it will remain there. You can push it back to its original position and it stays put, - in fact, it is as obedient as a newly wedded wife.

Shrubs Of Lake Forest

Only roadside plants in the North Shore region, or such as can be seen from public roads without encroaching upon private grounds, will bo designated in these notes. The side of the road is indicated by the compass abbreviations, N., S., E., W.

Other lists of noteworthy plants will he printed in later issues to indicate the location of plants accessible to the public. You are asked to co-operate in compiling i]Otes for such lists.

Beauty

In the article on roadside planting in our last issue Professor Miller described the vistas from Mr. Kobert AUerton's drives at Tlie Farms, near Monticello, 111., and mentions some of the finest effects produced by native plants. Mr. Allerton writes *'The roadside planting here was the result of nature, I myself having planted only three small willows and a few wild flowers. I, of course, planted the osage hedge and built the fences and then let it alone."

Woody Plaxts Are Thus Made

As this magazine is prepared to stimulate A KEEXER APPRECIATIOX OF THE LAXDSCAPE AXD VEGETATIOX BEAUTY of the Xorth Shore above Chicago; TO AID TX COXSERVIXG A X b IXCREASIXG THIS BEAUTY^ BY CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT ; to record tests of old and new plants, made to determine their special values for the creation and enrichment of landscapes, woodlands, lawns and gardens; IT IS KECOMMEXDED THAT PROPERTY OWXERS CO-OPERATE IN EXTEXDIXG AXD XAMIXG THEIR ROADSIDE PLAXTATIOXS UNTIL ALL RELIABLY HARDY WOODY PLAXTS ARE THUS MADE AVAILABLE FOK PUBLIC EXJOY^- :\rEXT AXD IXSTKUCTIOX, and that thcv ALSO COXSIDER THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLIC FROM THE HIGHWAYS and public reservations in the design of their places.

OrMtMt Tlma-Saving 0«vica« y«t >a> v«nt«tf. Oan ba applied to any Pull Saobat Chain In about 80 Mcondt. Simply out tho Ctioin and Splice In as shewn In cut. Insulators should be used In all Kitohens, Baths. Osllars and Basements.

Forest, Lake Bluff, Korth Chicago And Waukbgan

INCLUDING PARTS OF CHICAGO, AND THE TOWNS OP EVANSTON, WILHETTE, KENILWORTH, WINNETKA, LAKESIDE, GLENCOE, RAVINIA, HIGHLAND PARK, HIGHWOOD, FORf SHERIDAN, LAKE FOREST, LAKE BLUFF, KORTH CHICAGO AND WAUKBGAN

THE most Important part of your landscape planting Is that the specimen treea which really form the "climax" of your whole planting, shall be as perfect as you can possibly secure. We Invite your ronalderatlon of HIITb Specimen Evergreens, each of which la grown with ae much care as though It were the only one in our nurseries.

We grow our Bpeclmens from seed and transplant them frequently. This Is one of the great eerrets of successful evergreen culture; It Is absolutely essential fo the formation of a mass of thrifty roots and a well-built, shapely top. But there are other Important things to consider also.

Evergreens of exceptional quallly cannot be Brown in ]ust any soil that you happen to select. We located here because we found this section especially well adapted to evergreen culture. Then there must be special knowledge and skill in growing them - v.e have supplied that In our over 50 years experience.

Gardeners laying out planting calling for especially fine specimens, or owners desiring to increase the attractiveness of their grounds by the addition of notably handsome trees, are invited to correspond with us. We always have hundrede of attractive specimens coming on - well developed individuals which can be reserved until planting time or until needed by owner.

We Invite prospective buyers to call in person to Inspect our stock. This Is the most satisfactory way, although wc are always glad to supply catalog and all particulars by mall, when it is Impossible to come. '"Hill's Evergreen Book" Free on request. Write for it.

Contents

The article on the '^Best Varieties of Evergreens for Phmting along the North Shore'' is contributed by Mr. D. Hill, evergieen specialist, of Dundee, 111. This represents the lifelong experience of two generations of men who have devoted their lives to the cultivation of evergreens; their interest and enthusiasm in the subject are only equalled by their success in the business.

llie extract from the writings of the late H. W. S. Cleveland, landscape architect, of Chicago, is taken from his "Landscape Architecture as applied to the Wants of the West," published by Jansen, Mc- Cliirg & Co., Chicago, 1873. Mr. Cleveland's work is particularly noteworthy as it came immediately after that of Andrew Jackson Downing, and gave the public a clearer idea of the scope of the art of adapting land to the varied wants of civilization, particularly in the new regions of the West. And peculiarly fitting it is that results of his teachings should be so apparent in the North Shore region.

Do you realize that the alien among the plants in our fields is just as certain to modify our landscapes as the alien among our people is modifying the customs and the ideals of our nation?

In Ben Franklin's day there was a Welch tailor whose name was Ramsted, who introduced the Ramsted, or Butter and Eggs, into his garden at Philadelphia from his home in Wales. This is said to have been the original source from which this plant has spread all over the eastern and much of the central part of the Tnited States, giving joy to a multitude of children, whose pleasure it is to pick the gold and oi'ange spikes.

It is said that White Weed or Field Daisy that covers a similar territory wa» first introduced from abroad into a nurs- ( ry in the early Colonial Days near Old Orchard Beach in Maine. Here, again, is a plant that is so abundant in so many places and so beautiful that it can be picked by a multitude of people in great arm-fulls without spoiling the wild garde ns of the fields.

Governor Winthrop in the earlier days of the Massachusetts Colony introduced (he common English Barberry which has sj)read so far beyond his old home garden at Salem as to cover a considerable shareof the Northeastern United States. The Woad Wax, spreading more slowly from, that same garden, has so completely covered the Salem and Beverly hillside pastures as to make great sheets and billows of vellow, the like of which is not. to be seen elsewhere in New England.

The Chicory, not so many years ago, was an uncommon roadside weed. Now roadsides, hillsides and fields are almost as blue as the skies when the Chicory rtowers are fully opened.

To the New England Hills again the Orange Hawkweed, or Devil's Paint Brush, of the complaining farmer, another alien that is rapidly covering pastures of New England and gaining a foothold even as far North and West as Mackinac Island, gives fields of orange color to supplement the orange of the Dandelion earlier in the season.

lecognize that the changed conditions brought about by habitation there will bring about a change in your landscape similar to that which is going on in New England among the aliens of the plants. Is it not to be encouraged ? The most of these so-called weeds and pests have no terrors for the skillful, thrifty farmer. It is only the farmer who neglects his fields and roadsides and allows them to grow i^-ild that is concerned about their spread. Why should you not deliberately introduce the plants of this type, and have the benefit of the beauty of color that they give to take the place of the natives, such as the Gentians, the Indian Paint Bi-ush, the Native Orchids and the Cardinal-flowers, very brilliant prairie and woodland flowers, that the new conditions of drainage and cultivation have destroyed or forced into restricted areas, just as similar plants have been destroyed in similar sections of the country^?

New England promises to be like Old England and Italy with the spread of ground cover plants in the open. Doubtless a similar change will in the course of time come about in the North Shore Begion.

In one town in New England the Scotch Heather has spread to cover acres. In another town the wild English Thyme lias come to take the place of turf in many fipots. The Director.