TREES AND SHRUBS FOR PLANTING IN TOWNS. 137 
spared from any list of suitable subjects for the town garden, it 
having been proved to be an excellent plant for the purpose. The 
racemes of white flowers which it bears are particularly showy and 
interesting. 
The Bladder Senna (Colutea arborescens) is entitled to rank 
high amongst town shrubs, for it may be seen flowering and fruiting 
in the most smoky parts of many of our largest cities. It does well 
in the very centre of London, and is largely planted in Liverpool, 
Manchester, and Glasgow. The pretty yellow flowers, and the 
curious bladder-like seed-pods, are both showy and interesting, and 
render the plant one of the brightest shrubbery ornaments during 
nearly half of the year. Few soils come amiss, but it succeeds best 
in a warm and sunny position, and is well adapted for use as a 
wall plant. 
Phillyrea Vilmoriniana.—This has been planted largely for 
experimental purposes in the very heart of London, and succeeds 
there in such a way as to entitle it to rank first amongst shrubs for 
town planting. It is a shrub of neat habit, is an easy subject to 
deal with, and requires the least of attention. 
Forsythia viridissima is another deciduous shrub that can with- 
stand the fumes and smoke of towns. It grows with the greatest 
freedom in very vitiated atmospheres, each spring breaking out as 
fresh and green as if it were growing in a sheltered country garden. 
Of vigorous constitution, it grows freely, and flowers most profusely 
in the largest cities. Stiffish soil suits it well, but it is far from 
particular in that way, and stands hard trimming in of its 
shoots with impunity. 
The Strawberry Tree (Arbutus Unedo) finds a congenial home 
in the great metropolis, and there may be seen flourishing, where 
daily it is subjected to poisonous emanations from chimneys. 
The thick, leathery leaves seem well able to resist the worst of 
town air impurities, for they look as fresh and green after every 
shower of rain as could well be desired. As an ornamental 
shrub the Arbutus ranks high, the creamy flowers and straw- 
berry-like fruit being peculiarly rich and attractive. Any 
soil of good quality, but not surcharged with moisture, grows 
it well. 
The Double Furze (Ulex Europeus flore pleno) is one of our 
handsomest flowering shrubs, and is of great value for planting 
in town gardens and squares. For clothing warm and dry banks, 
where few other plants would succeed, furze, does remarkably 
