REMARKS ON THE LILAC. 189 



tioned in the catalogue of the Edinburgh garden. The flowers of this 

 kind are of a much richer colour than those of the blue lilac, the 

 buds and under side of the petals being of a hue between purple and 

 carmine, that gives a kind of ripeness to the appearance of the 

 clusters, which are produced in larger groups, and with larger 

 flowers also, than any other lilac. This kind likewise gives out its 

 blossoms about fourteen days later than the common lilac, which 

 lengthens the season of these flowers very considerably. The Scotch 

 lilac is succeeded by the Persian lilac, which continues in blossom 

 until the end of June, thus decorating our plantations from eight to 

 ten weeks with the most agreeable attire. 



During the last year we enjoyed the forced lilacs from the begin- 

 ning of February until those of the open garden appeared, which 

 pleasure was lengthened by our meeting with them in full perfection 

 at Paris in the months of August and September, where 



Le li'.as qui pend, avec grace, 

 Offre ses bouquets ingenus, 



at a season we have not yet met with them in this country, although 



we have equal means with the French of retarding the time of their 



flowering. 



The art of retarding the ripening of fruits, and the flowering of 

 plants, is scarcely less desirable than that of forcing them, for by 

 this means we join, as it were, the two ends of the year. 



The common lilac grows to the height of eighteen or twenty feet, 

 when planted in a rich light soil ; therefore it should hold a middle 

 rank in the plantation. And we have already noticed how charmingly 

 it contrasts with the laburnum and the guelder rose ; the purple 

 variety being placed with the snow ball, and the white lilac advancing 

 its pale leaves before the cypress, the bay tree, or other dark ever- 

 greens ; whilst the blue Persian lilac may spread its more humble, 

 but not less graceful branches, in the foreground of its white relative. 

 The Persian lilac seldom exceeds five or six feet in height in the 

 most favourable situations ; therefore it should only be placed in 

 front of the shrubbery clumps or plantations. It often spreads to a 

 considerable extent, and covers its whole mass with its loose branches 

 of delicate flowers, which are of a more agreeable, though less 

 powerful odour, than those of the common lilac. We have seen 

 large bushes of the common privet-leaved lilac growing on lawns, 



