242 THE GARDENER. [June 



its pure and chaste flowers to greet the eye of the beholder beneath. 

 Is this a double-flowering form of Cerasus Japonica 1 and who wonders 

 that it is such a great favourite with the ladies 1 for they eagerly beg 

 for a cluster of its snowy blossoms. There appear to be two types of 

 double flowering Cherries, the one after the model of the Bigarreau, 

 the other after that of the Morello, the former yielding the largest 

 and showiest flowers. 



Xext comes a group of four forms of the Prunus, comprising the 

 white and rose-coloured double forms of P. Sinensis, both early bloom- 

 ing, very free, and very attractive indeed in shrubberies. Here is the 

 curious Prunus triloba also, with its large and showy pink blossoms 

 and singular fruits, each one a cluster of several, all grown into one — 

 a curious botanical phenomenon. This, too, is an extremely effective 

 flowering plant ; besides, all three are well adapted for early forcing, 

 and should be laid hold of for conservatory decoration in early spring. 

 By the side of these lies a sprig of P. Serotina, taken from a large 

 tree, with spreading branches overhead, sheeted in white ; a tree for 

 parks and pleasure-grounds, as well as for small villa -gardens, that 

 produces in a most luxuriant manner racemes of white flowers : even the 

 young branches growing from the trunk amid the Laurels that sur- 

 round its base furnish their quota of flowers, though half -hidden from 

 view. Whitest of all, perhaps most profusely floriferous, is that gem 

 among white-flowering hardy shrubs, Spirea prunifolia florepleno, the 

 double-white plum-leaved Spirea. Flowers of spotless white fringe 

 half-pendent branches, and bring out by force of marked contrast the 

 wreath of orange-coloured blossoms of the bright-looking Berberis 

 Darwinii lying by its side. Here, too, is Viburnum plicatum, just 

 coming into flower, but as yet only in the first degree of its floral 

 service. 



And, lastly, here lie side by side the remains of three varieties of 

 double-flowering Peaches, that lingered on the trees as if waiting the 

 advent of the warm late spring showers, and to catch the far footsteps 

 of the coming rain. They are the white, the crimson, and the carna- 

 tion-striped, the flowers white with lines of pink. Exquisite even in 

 decay, what must they have been in the full flush of their highest 

 beauty 1 What glorious subjects for forcing ! 



The rehearsal is done — the last of our floral actors are laid aside. 

 If we have but quickened into an active regard for some of these spring- 

 blooming shrubs the hearts of a few of our readers, our bunch of flowers 

 will not have been passed in review altogether in vain. 



