140 THE FLORIST. 



of knowledge generally fly from one flower to another ; and with so 

 little knowledge and discernment, that they slightly pass over the 

 most deserving, and bestow their applause with great injustice on 

 some of the meanest flowers on the stage. This sort of gentry often 

 betray themselves in the self-same instant that they would be es- 

 teemed amongst the most judicious connoisseurs, by desiring to be 

 shewn your finest flower, when possibly it is immediately before 

 their eyes. 



This has often happened to myself, when my answer has con- 

 stantly been, that the finest was that which pleased them most; 

 and without doubt this was the way to please them too, as well as to 

 avoid disagreeable and useless disputes, which are often the produce 

 of ignorance and self-conceit. E. P. 



Chevet Park, Wakefield. 



[To be continued.] 



LAWN TREES. 



[Continued from p. 84.] 



The Lilac {Syringa vulgaris), a class of shrubs not usually elevated 

 to trees, may be made, by culture, highly ornamental to the lawn. 

 They should be budded on stocks about four feet in height, raised 

 from seed (otherwise suckers are produced too bountifully), with 

 straight neat stems : they will, with attention to shortening the 

 strong shoots in summer, soon form compact round heads, and give 

 abundance of flowers. The most eligible varieties for this purpose 

 are, Charles the Tenth, which has large spikes of flowers of a very 

 deep red ; this is decidedly one of the most beautiful varieties of this 

 charming family of spring-flowering shrubs, which so enliven our 

 gardens in the " merry month" of May, — the • lilac tide' of Horace 

 Walpole : — and then we have S. valetteana (what a pity there is no 

 English name!), a French variety, producing long loose spikes of 

 flowers, red and pale lilac mixed ; this is very elegant and beautiful. 



Two robust-growing sorts, called the "Dark- Red Lilac" and 

 " Dark-Blue Lilac," form fine objects when in full bloom. The 

 Persian Lilacs also form very pretty small round-headed trees, 

 budded on neat stems ; and last, but not least, the variety received 

 from France as a " Scarlet Lilac," but which is the Red Siberian 

 Lilac {Syringa rothomagensis rubra), forms a most charming lawn 

 tree. I have a specimen, now about two years old, which has 

 formed a round yet graceful head ; every season it is covered with 

 its spikes of deep reddish-lilac flowers, and every year, for two or 

 three weeks, attracts a large share of admiration. 



These standard Lilacs have one great claim on our attention, — 

 they grow well in all soils and in all climates, and only require their 

 stems to be kept clear from suckers from the stock : they may, how- 

 ever, be budded close to the ground, and the shoots from the bud 

 be trained so as to form a straight stem ; in such cases the only care 



