72 COMMON SENSE GARDENS 



clows. When driving through the country one 

 often comes upon isolated bushes or groups of 

 Lilacs far from any habitation ; but a little explo- 

 ration will always reveal the ruins of a house, the 

 old well or the cellar, perhaps only a retaining 

 wall with Lilacs growing cheerfully from its top 

 or out of its joints. 



Large Lilac bushes are easily transplanted, for 

 they are shallow rooted. When nurserymen wish 

 to force them they dig up good specimens from 

 the nursery and place them in some out-of-the- 

 way corner of the greenhouse, throwing any old 

 rubbish that is handy over their roots, sphagnum 

 or a shovel or two of compost. I have seen them 

 blooming luxuriantly standing practically uncov- 

 ered on the floor of the potting shed. When their 

 flowers are all gathered they are put back in the 

 nursery, but do not bloom again for two years. 

 When looking for old Lilacs care should be taken 

 to select sound specimens, and even a certain 

 amount of size may be well sacrificed to this end. 



