144 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



cur along any one or more of the four sides or occasionally 

 it appears as a wing out from any corner of the house. All 

 of the old plantings seem to be those with broadly ovate leaves 

 and blue or purplish to white flowers {Syringa vulgaris). 

 Some of the older and many of the later plantings have nar- 

 rowly ovate leaves and white flowers {Syringa persica). In 

 Buffalo county the lilac rarely grows higher than six to eight 

 feet. Often it is pruned to give a desirable ornamental 

 hedge effect. It is hardy and does well in this region but 

 during the present drought it was noticeable that conditions 

 had nearly reached the limit for its continuance. No evi- 

 dence was found that any had succumbed during a previous 

 drought. 



The lilac was evidently much in favor with tlie early 

 pioneers. This is apparent not only from tlie age of the 

 bushes but also from their occurence about long-ago abandon- 

 ed house sites. In many cases practically every trace of a 

 pioneer dwelling had disappeared save for a single clump of 

 lilac. Sometimes nothing was to be seen of the dwelling save 

 a scarcely visible quadrangle, a remnant of the foundation, 

 or more or less of a depression indicating the former cave or 

 cellar; but the lilac remained as a solitary sentinel of the past 

 and forgotten. In one instance I found a lone clump of lilac 

 in the midst of a cornfield. It was the last trace left of an 

 ancient dooryard. 



Spiraea or bridal wreath is the next shrub in frequency 

 and seeming favor. It is planted singly and as a hedge ; the 

 hedge being planted as a border and the shrubs in any con- 

 venient opening. The shrub is well adapted to this region, 

 showing little if any discomfort from the drought. The 

 bright green foliage is a welcome sight at any time and the 



