A report of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society says: " Mr. Strong mentioned first the Japanese maples of the polymorphum type, which may be properly classed as shrubs. There can be but one opinion as to the exceeding beauty of many of them. The variety known as atro-sanguineum purpureum is perhaps the best for our climate. But it is greatly to be feared that none of these are likely to prove vigorous, though it is probable they will withstand our winters if they mature a healthy summer growth. The difficulty is with our hot suns. On the estate of Mr. Hunnewell, where they nave the benefit of shelter and moisture, they seem to thrive, and are superlatively beautiful. But at Messrs. Parsons' nursery in Flushing, where they have been largely propagated, they do not get from the frames to the open ground to any extent. The general experience is that they will require such careful nursing as will unfit them for ordinary cultivation." We quite agree with the estimate placed on the atro-purpureum, or atro-sanguineum, as it seems to be indifferently called.

Most of these maples are curious, but this one has the germs of the widest popularity.

As to hardiness, the tenderness noted at Flushing we should regard as due to local or temporary causes. The writer has an atro-purpureum before him as he writes, which is approaching six feet high; and while some things supposed generally hardy have been killed, some in one winter, some in others, this plant has never shown any injury. It is on its own roots - not grafted - though we do not know this should make any difference. The purple English oak, growing twenty feet from it, has been killed, when the maple was uninjured.

E. Manning, near Harrisburgh. Franklin Co., Ohio, writes : "What is your opinion of the new Japan maples; do they generally succeed or not in latitudes like central Ohio? My own experience of eight varieties of them is anything but favorable. I have only one left, and I think it will soon go the way of the rest."

[We can only say that, excepting our correspondent's, we have received no complaints that the Japan maples do not thrive in his latitude. They thrive exceedingly well in Philadelphia, growing rapidly, and standing both heat and cold without the least injury. - Ed. G. M.]

I notice in your August number that Mr. Strong reports to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society that these plants in our nursery do not get from the frames to the open ground, to any extent, and that they require such careful nursing as to unfit them for ordinary cultivation.

If I recollect rightly, Mr. Strong has not visited our grounds since 1879, and I think that he should not, without careful inquiry, have made so sweeping an assertion. The fact is that nearly all our saleable stock of Japan Maples is planted in nursery rows and cultivated with the plough. There are some twenty-two rows two hundred feet long. There would be many more, except for the very active demand.

We have Polymorphum eight feet high, and Polymorphum sanguineum five feet high, growing luxuriantly in the open ground and rather too tall to be kept in frames.

Of valuable plants like hardy Azaleas, Viburnum plicatum, and many well known hardy species, we are in the habit of keeping very young plants in frames without glass, for convenience of culture. We do the same with Japan Maples until they are large enough to plant out for plough culture.

So far from being tender here, they are exceptionally hardy and have not been the least injured the past winter, in localities where Norway Spruce and Hemlock have been killed. They are hardier than Altheas, because, in the twenty years in which we have cultivated them Altheas have been winter killed, and these have not.

If any plant can be called hardy, the Japan Maples can, and they have also a luxuriance of growth which quite takes them out of the list of those which require "careful nursing."