DECIDUOUS FLOWERING SHRUBS 19 



shoots of the current year have become firm and 

 moderately ripe. 



The Japanese species, Daphne Givenka, forms a com- 

 pact shrub, ranging from two to three feet in height, 

 has lanceolate leaves and fragrant lilac flowers, which 

 are produced in clusters in March and April in advance 

 of the leaves. Common Mezereon (D. mezereum) is neat 

 in growth, attains a height of three or four feet, and 

 blooms in February and March, or March and April, 

 according to the weather experienced early in the year. 

 The flowers are produced along the growths of the 

 previous year, and are rose-red and pleasantly fragrant ; 

 they are followed by a crop of berries which assume a 

 brilliant fed colour when they attain maturity. There 

 are several varieties of the Mezereon, and the most note- 

 worthy are atropurpureum^ rich purple ; autumnale, rose 

 red, flowering during the autumn ; and flore albo, the 

 flowers white, followed by yellow fruits. 



DEUTZIAS. All the deutzias are remarkable for their 

 elegant habit and freedom of flowering, but they differ 

 materially in their value for the embellishment of the 

 flower garden. They will thrive in any good garden 

 soil ; but the best soil is a sandy loam, to which a dressing 

 of stable manure or leaf mould is applied every second 

 or third year, as may appear necessary, to maintain the 

 plants in a vigorous state without promoting an unduly 

 vigorous growth. Judicious pruning is necessary because 

 of the tendency of the plants to become so crowded with 

 old wood as to prevent the new growths attaining their 

 full development and flowering so freely as they should 

 do. The best course of procedure is to examine the 

 shrubs towards the end of the autumn, and then cut 

 away the weakly spray and exhausted wood with which 

 they invariably become crowded, but leave the young 

 growths untouched. Deutzias can be readily increased 

 by means of cuttings of the partly ripened shoots in 



