THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 369 



flowers indoors, the plants can be easily taken up, potted, and intro- 

 duced into a little warmth. Forsythia viridissima is one of the 

 earliest flowering slirubs we have, and must not be passed over. 

 Double-flowering peaches, like the almonds, are capable ofproducinga 

 beautiful eflect in garden scenery if judiciously intermixed with the 

 dark foliage of the evergreens. The vlute-Jlov;ered, crimson- 

 flowered, and carnation-flowered varieties are all good, and ought to 

 Lave a place amongst all collections of spring-flowering shrubs. 

 Next to these we have the Syringas, whicb flower rather late in the 

 spring. 



The undermentioned are good : — Philadelphus coronarins, P. 

 speciosus, a free-flowering white kind, and P. ZeyUerii, with good 

 flowers, but scentless. A. few of the flowering plums are valuable, 

 for the sake of variety, though scarcely so good as some of the 

 shrubs already named. Pricnus domestica, myrohaJana, and P. fri- 

 lolata, with fine large double pink flowers, are the best. The 

 E-ibes are especially valuable, for they grow and flower freely in any 

 soil and situation, provided they are not overshadowed with large 

 trees. P. sanguinewn, crimson, and P. sangnineum flore plena, 

 double crimson, are the two best. P. alhidum and aureum are pretty, 

 but not equal to the foregoing. Another free-growing subject that 

 will do well anywhere is the Bohinia pseudacacia, with its racemes 

 of pale-coloured flowers, and handsome pinnate foliage. It should, 

 however, be planted in half-wild places only, for from the moment 

 the flowers expand in the spring until every leaf is down in the 

 autumn, it keeps up a perpetual litter. I shall have to dip deeply 

 amongst the Spiraeas, for we cannot well dispense with several, if we 

 are desirous of making our shrubberies as beautiful as possible. The 

 following selection of six cannot well be improved, so far as my 

 knowledge extends with them, and I know pretty well all that are 

 worth knowing : S. aricpfolia, beautiful free-flowering white ; S. 

 iella, beautiful pink ; S. caUosa, the best red ; S. Lindleyana, good 

 white ; S. Beevesiana, white ; and S. sorbifoUa. This brings us to the 

 Lilacs, which are, without doubt, some of our most beautiful flowering 

 shrubs, whether we take into consideration the extreme beauty of 

 the flowers, or their delicious fragrance. ' Syringa JEmodi and 8. 

 Josikcea are two fine species, but for real usefulness, none beat the 

 common Persian, 8. persica, and its white variety, and S. vulgaris 

 and its white variety. Though scarcely so show:y as the foregoing, 

 we must not forget the pretty Weigclia rosea, with its pretty bell- 

 shaped flowers. The last plant that I shall name belonging to this 

 section is by no means the least, for Wisteria sinensis is, I am 

 inclined to think, the grandest spring-flowering plant in cultivation. 

 It will do to cover trellises or walls, and form pretty objects trained 

 to tall poles, fixed in prominent positions. I should fancy that those 

 who have been fortunate enough to see the AVisteria in front of the 

 late Sir Joseph Paxton's house, adjoining the Crystal Palace at 

 Sydenham, and the one which forms a summer-house in Kew Gar- 

 dens, when in full flower, will not soon forget the impression which 

 they have received. I find that in my anxiety to make my selection 

 as brief as possible, I have omitted to mention the good old MaJionia 

 YOL. III.-— NO. XII. 24 



