AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



535 



Syringa continued. 



them outside until required. Only those with plenty of 

 flower-buds should be selected for forcing. The difference 

 in flower and wood-buds is not always readily seen, as 

 both are on the points of the shoots. Plower-bnds are 

 globose, and much more plump than the others, and may 

 thus be distinguished. Light protecting material should 

 be placed round the pots for the winter, and a few plants, 

 as may be required, introduced to the forcing house at 

 intervals of two or three weeks from November onwards. 

 A moist temperature of 55deg. will be sufficient at first, as 

 it is important that the flowers should be induced to start 

 a little in advance of the leaves. When Lilacs are placed 

 direct into a high temperature, growth is unduly excited, 

 and the flowers often remain dormant, and eventually die 

 away instead of opening. When flowering is over, the 

 growths may be cut back to within 2in. of the starting 

 point of the previous year. Lilacs do not answer well 

 for forcing two years in succession ; consequently, two 



FIG. 561. FLOWERING BRANCH OF SYRINGA CHINENSIS. 



batches should be kept, one to remain in the ground 

 outside while the other is being forced. Where expense 

 is not an object, beautiful plants may be purchased 

 annually. They are imported from the Continent in large 

 quantities, both as dwarfs and standards, and are all 

 invariably well set with flower buds. 



Fungi. Few Fungi ever do conspicuous harm to 

 plants of this genus, and none .are known to be really 

 dangerous to their welfare. The only ones that call for 

 even a passing reference are those that grow on the 

 living leaves. These organs are occasionally more or 

 less covered with a diffused white coat of hyphse of 

 Oidium (which see for remedies). Other plants show a 

 dark coating of Fumago vagans, so widely diffused on 

 almost all shrubby plants, especially when growing under 

 trees infested by Aphides. Well syringing the leaves 

 with clean water, or with soapsuds, will remove honey- 

 dew, which serves as the food of the Fungus, and will 

 also clear away the Fungus itself. In the North of 



Syringa continued. 



Scotland, the leaves of Lilacs often show brown patches, 

 with a green, watery border. These patches are the 

 work of a Fungus, discovered by Mr. A. S. Wilson, and 

 named by Mr. Berkeley Ovularia Syringce (G. C., 19th 

 Oct., 1881). Hyphae are pushed out through the sto- 

 mata of the leaves, and each bears on the tip a pear- 

 shaped spore, fixed by the broader end. Mr. W. G. 

 Smith has described the sexual spores of this Fungus, 

 They are formed on the decaying, fallen leaves. The 

 best remedy is to gather and burn such leaves in autumn. 

 The leaves of Lilacs are apt to be disfigured by dry 

 spots, the work of various Fungi, e.g., Asteroma vagans, 

 Cercospora Lilacis, Phyllosticta Syringae, Septoria 



FIG. 562. FLOWERING BRANCH OF SYRINGA EMODI. 



Syringae, &c. ; but it would be useless to enter into a descrip- 

 tion of these so-called species, as they are only stages in 

 the development of others, probably Pyrenomycetes, not 

 yet ascertained : and the effects are much alike with all 

 of them. A few of these have not yet been recorded 

 as British. The Lilacs seem little the worse for their 

 presence. Probably, burning the fallen leaves would 

 be found sufficient to prevent the disfigurement from 

 spreading. 



Insects. Insect pests are not dangerous. They are 

 chiefly the larvae of a few Moths; e.g., the Privet Hawk- 

 moth (see Sphingidse > , one or two Noctuas and Geometers, 

 and one of the Tineina, named Gracilaria syringella. The 

 last-mentioned causes the most conspicuous damage, as it 



