ORNAMENTAL AMERICAN SHRUBS

With the shortage of imported garden material, it is increasingly important to familiarize ourselves with American native shrubs. Following a brief resume of the evolution of shrubs, and their history, the author, of the Department of Agriculture, goes on to suggest the criteria of judgment --hardiness, color of flower and fruit, leaf and bark, type of foliage, size and shape, fragrance, and diversities within the bounds of the U.S.A. He then discusses a subject of primary interest to professionals, methods of propagation. The main part of the book deals with various families and classifications, their natural habitat, where they can be grown, and the shrubs under each species. One gets a useful background on salient facts regarding each shrub, in such a way that either a landscape architect or an amateur could pick out shrubs for specific localities, know how to place them and what to expect of them.