CRATÆGUS, WILD-SERVICE TREE, HAWTHORN, &c.: A genus of the digynia order, belonging to the icofandra clas of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 36th order, Pomaceae. The calyx is quinquefied; the petals five; the berry inferior, dispersive. There are ten species, all of the tree and shrub kind, hardy and deciduous. Those most valuable for economical and ornamental purposes in gardening are the following.

1. The oxyanthus, hawthorn, or white-thorn, grows naturally all over Europe. In the state in which we are used to observe it, it is nothing better than a tall, uncouth, irregular shrub; but trained up as a standard, it swells to a large timber size, with a tall stem and a full spreading head. The standard hawthorn, whether we view its flowers in the spring, its foliage in the summer, or its fruit in the autumn and winter, is one of the most ornamental plants, standing singly, that can be scattered over a park or lawn. Its uses will be explained under the article HEDGES.

In order to propagate a quantity of quick, one method is generally practised; namely, first burying the haws, and taking them up to sow the October following; though, says Hambury, there is another way more preferable; namely, to prepare the beds, and sow the haws soon after they are gathered. Whoever pursues the former method, having gathered what quantity of haws will answer his purpose, should in some bye-corner of the kitchen-garden or nursery dig an hole or pit capacious enough to receive them; some of the earth which came out of the hole, after the haws are put in it, should be laid upon them; and being thus carefully covered down, they may remain there till October. Then, having ground well dug, and cleared of the roots of all troublesome weeds, and the mould being fit for working, the beds should be made for the haws. Four feet is a very good width for these beds, as they may be easily reached over to be weeded; and if the alleys between be each one foot and a half wide, they will be of a good size. The beds being marked out with a line, sufficient mould must be raked out to cover the haws an inch and a half deep. This being done, and the bottom of the beds being made level and even, the haws should be fown, and afterwards gently tapped down with the back of the spade; and then the fine mould, which had been raked out of the beds, must be thrown over them, covering them an inch and a half deep. In the spring the plants will come up, and in the summer following should be kept clear of weeds; though it does sometimes happen, that few of them will appear till the second spring after fowing. Sometimes the young young plants are planted out from the feed-beds at one, two, or three years old; but the best plants are obtained by transplanting them into fresh mould the first or second year, letting them remain in the nursery two or three years longer. The practice of the London nurserymen is this: The strongest of the feed-bed plants having been drawn at two or three years old for sale, they clear the beds entirely by drawing the remaining weak underling plants, and transplanting them into fresh beds in this manner, which they call bedding them: The ground having been trenched, and the tips of the plants as well as the lower fibres of their roots having been taken off with a sharp knife, they strain a line along one side of the bed; and by chopping with a spade by the side of the line, leave a cliff or drill of a depth proportioned to the length of the plants to be laid in; and drawing the loose mould somewhat towards them, leave the tide of the drill next to the line with a smooth polished face. Again this face the plants are set up, leaning towards the line, about three inches asunder, leaving their heads about an inch above the mould, and placing their roots at such a depth as to bury their stems from two to three inches deeper than they stood in the feed-bed. The loose mould being returned and pressed gently to the roots with the foot, the line is removed, and another row planted in the same manner about a foot from the first.

The common hawthorn sports in the following varieties: The large scarlet hawthorn; the yellow hawthorn; the white hawthorn; the maple-leaved hawthorn; the double-blossomed hawthorn; and the Glastonbury thorn. The large scarlet hawthorn is no more than a beautiful variety of the common hawthorn. It is exceedingly large, oblong, perfectly smooth, and of a bright scarlet; and from the additional splendour it acquires by the berries, it is propagated to cause variety in plantations for observation and pleasure. Yellow hawthorn is a most exquisite plant. The buds at their first coming out in the spring are of a fine yellow, and the fruit is of the colour of gold. The tree is a great bearer, and retains its fruit all winter, causing a delightful effect in plantations of any kind. It was originally brought from Virginia, is greatly admired, and no collection of hardy trees should be without it. White hawthorn is but a paltry tree compared with the former. It hardly ever grows to the height of the common hawthorn, is an indifferent bearer, and the fruit is small and a very bad white. Maple-leaved hawthorn will grow to be near twenty feet high, and has very few thorns. The leaves are larger than the common hawthorn, resemble those of the maple, and are of a whitish-green colour. The flowers are produced in large bunches in June, and are succeeded by remarkable fruit, of a shining red, which looks beautiful in the winter. Double-blossomed hawthorn produces a full flower, and is one of the sweetest ornaments in the spring. Nature seems to have peculiarly designed this sort for the pleasure-garden; for though it be the common hawthorn only with the flowers doubled, yet it may be kept down to what size the owner pleases; so that it is not only suitable for wilderness-quarters, shrubberies, and the like, but is also useful for small gardens, where a tree or two only are admitted. These beautiful double flowers come out in large bunches in May, and the tree is so good a bearer that it will often appear covered with them. Their colour at their first appearance is a delicate white: They afterwards die to a faint red colour, and are frequently succeeded by small imperfect fruit. Glastonbury thorn differs in no respect from the common hawthorn, only that it sometimes flowers in the winter. It is said to have originally been the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, that noble counsellor who buried Christ. He, according to the tradition of the abbey of Glastonbury, attended by eleven companions, came over into Britain, and founded, in honour of the Blest Virgin, the first Christian church in this isle. As a proof of his mission, he is said to have stuck his staff into the ground, which immediately shot forth and bloomed. This tree is said to have blossomed on Christmas-day ever since, and is universally distinguished by the name of the Glastonbury thorn. Hanbury says, I have many plants that were originally propagated from this thorn; and they often flower in the winter, but there is no exact time of their flowering; for in fine seasons they will sometimes be in bloom before Christmas, sometimes they afford their blossoms in February, and sometimes it so happens that they will be out on Christmas-day.

2. The azarolus, or azarole thorn, is a native of Italy and the south of France. It will grow to be fifteen or sixteen feet high. The leaves are large, nearly trifid, serrated and obtuse. The flowers are large, come out in May, and in the different varieties are succeeded by fruit of different size, shape, and relish. The principal varieties of this species are: The azarole with strong thorns; the azarole with no thorns; the jagged-leaved azarole; the oriental medlar.

3. The aria theophrasti, called the white-leaf-tree, is a native of most of the cold countries of Europe. It will grow to be more than twenty feet high. This tree is engaging at all times of the year, and catches the attention even in the winter; for then we see it stand, though naked of leaves, with a fine straight stem, with smooth branches, spotted with white, at the end of which are the buds, swelled for the next year's shoot, giving the tree a bold and fine appearance. In the spring the leaves come out of course, and look delightfully, having their upper surface green and the lower white. Their figure is oval; they are unequally serrated, about three inches long, and half as wide. Several strong nerves run from the mid-rib to the border, and they are placed alternately on the branches, which appear as if powdered with the finest meal. The flowers are produced at the end of the branches in May: they are white, grow in large bunches, having mealy footstalks; and are succeeded by red berries, which will be ripe in autumn.

4. The terminalis, wild service, or maple-leaved service, is a large growing tree, native of England, Germany, Switzerland, and Burgundy. It will arrive to near fifty feet, and is worth propagating for the sake of the timber, which is very white and hard. This tree grows naturally in several woods in England; and it is the fruit of this species that is tied in bunches and exposed for sale in the autumn: It is gathered in the woods, and by some persons is much liked. The leaves in some degree resemble those of the maple-tree in shape; their upper surface is a fine green, their un- Crataegus, der hoary; and they grow alternately on the branches. The flowers come out in May, exhibiting themselves in large clutters at the ends of the branches: They are white, and are succeeded by the aforesaid eatable fruit, which when ripe is of a brown colour, and about the size of a large haw.

5. The cocinea, or Virginian azarole, is a native of Virginia and Canada. It will grow to be near twenty feet high. The stem is robust, and covered with a light-coloured bark. The branches are produced without order, are of a dark brown colour, and possessed of a few long sharp thorns. The leaves are spear-shaped, oval, smooth, and serrated; of a thickish consistence, and often remain on the tree the greatest part of the winter. Each separate flower is large; but as few of them grow together, the umbels they form are rather small. They come out in May, and are succeeded by large dark-red coloured fruit, which ripens late in the autumn. The varieties of this species are: The pear-leaved thorn; the plum-leaved thorn with very long strong spines and large fruit; the plum-leaved thorn with short spines and small fruit.

6. The crus galli, or cockspur thorn, is a native of Virginia and Canada, and grows to about twenty feet high. It rises with an upright stem, irregularly sending forth branches, which are smooth, and of a brownish colour, spotted thinly with small white spots. It is armed with thorns that resemble the spurs of cocks, which gained it the appellation of cockspur thorn. In winter the leaf-buds appear large, turgid, and have a bold and pleasant look among others of different appearances. In summer this tree is very delightful. The leaves are oval, angular, serrated, smooth, and bend backwards. They are about four inches long, and three and a half broad; have five or six pair of strong nerves running from the mid rib to the border; and die to a brownish-red colour in the autumn. The flowers are produced in very large umbels, making a noble show in May; and are succeeded by large fruit of a bright red colour, which have a good effect in the winter. The principal varieties of this species are: The cockspur hawthorn with many thorns; the cockspur hawthorn with no thorns; the cockspur with eatable fruit. "The latter was sent me (says Hanbury) from America with that name, and I have raised some trees of the seed; but they have not yet produced any fruit, so that I cannot pretend to say how far it may be desirable; though I have been informed it is relished in America by some of the inhabitants there.

7. The tomentosa, gooseberry-leaved Virginia hawthorn, grows to about seven or eight feet high. The branches are slender, and closely set with sharp thorns. The leaves are cuneiform, oval, serrated, and hairy underneath. The flowers are small, and of a white colour: They are produced from the sides of the branches about the end of May; and are succeeded by yellow fruit, which ripens late in autumn. There is a variety of this called the Carolina Hawthorn, which has longer and whiter leaves, larger flowers and fruit, and no thorns.

8. The viridis, or green-leaved Virginia hawthorn, has the stem and branches altogether destitute of thorns. The leaves are lanceolate, oval, nearly trilobate, serrated, smooth, and green on both sides. The flowers are white, moderately large, come out the end of May, and are succeeded by a roundish fruit, which will be Crataegus ripe late in the autumn.

The respective species are all propagated by sowing of the seeds; and the varieties are continued by budding them upon stocks of the white thorn. This latter method is generally practised for all the sorts; though when good seeds can be procured, the largest and most beautiful plants are raised that way. 1. In order to raise them from seeds, let these be sown soon after they are ripe, in beds of fresh, light, rich earth. Let alleys be left between the beds, for the convenience of weeding, and let the seeds be covered over with fine mould about an inch deep. The summer following the beds must be kept clean of weeds, and probably some few plants will appear: But this is not common in any of the sorts; for they generally lie till the second spring after sowing before they come up. At the time they make their appearance they must be watered if the weather proves dry; and this should be occasionally repeated all summer. They should also be constantly kept clean from weeds; and in the autumn the strongest may be drawn out, and set in the nursery-ground, a foot asunder, in rows that are two feet distant from each other; while the weakest may remain until another year. During the time they are in the nursery, the ground between the rows should be dug every winter, and the weeds constantly hoed down in the summer; and this is all the trouble they will require until they are planted out for good, which may be in two, three, or more years, at the pleasure of the owner, or according to the purposes for which they are wanted. 2. These trees are easily propagated by budding also; they will all readily take on one another; but the usual stocks are those of the common hawthorn. In order to have these the best for the purpose, the haws should be got from the largest trees, such as have the fewest thorns and largest leaves. After they are come up, and have stood one year in the seed-bed, the strongest should be planted out in the nursery, a foot asunder and two feet distant in the rows; and the second summer after many of them will be fit for working. The end of July is the best time for this business; and cloudy weather, night and morning, are always preferable to the heat of the day. Having worked all the different sorts into these stocks, they may be let alone until the latter end of September, when the balsamating should be taken off. In the winter the ground between the rows should be dug, and in the spring the stock should be headed about half a foot above the bud. The young shoots the stocks will always attempt to put out, should be as constantly rubbed off; for these would in proportion starve the bud and stop its progress. With this care several of the sorts have been known to shoot six feet by the autumn; and as they will be liable to be blown out of their sockets by the high winds which often happen in the summer, they should be slightly tied to the top of the stock that is left on for the purpose, and this will help to preserve them.