246 FLOWER GARDEN. 



the first of flowering shrubs. Nor should we overlook 

 punctatum, ferrugineum, and Chamsecistus, of humbler 

 growth, but not inferior in beauty. With these the closely 

 cognate genus of Azalea, with its multitudinous species and 

 varieties, disputes the palm of elegance. The pale and 

 drooping Andromedas are scarcely of inferior interest. 

 The hardy Heaths, particularly Erica carnea, tetralix, 

 and stricta, Menziezia polifolia and ccerulea, and the Can- 

 adian Rhodora, combine to bring up the rear of this de- 

 partment of Flora's train. 



The deciduous flowering shrubs are too much neglected 

 in many gardens. They are seldom well managed, either 

 in point of arrangement or of pruning, for the production 

 of picturesque effect. Very often they are huddled to- 

 gether promiscuously, and grow up into the shape of huge 

 sheaves of rushes. "With judicious management, there are 

 no finer objects in the vegetable kingdom than the common 

 Lilac (Syringa vulgaris), or the hybrid Varin (S. Rathom- 

 agensis), or even the old Gueldres-Rose (Viburnum Opu- 

 lus), with "her silver globes, light as the foamy surf." 

 Another species, the Crimped-leaved Gueldres-Rose (V. 

 plicatum), produces flowers more abundantly, and is, there- 

 fore, still more ornamental. Nor ought the Mock-orange 

 (Philadelphus coronarius) to be neglected ; for, while the 

 flowers are ornamental, their orange perfume is powerful. 



It would lead us into disproportioned detail to specify a 

 tithe of those showy shrubs which should be dear to every 

 floriculturist. Suffice it to name Ribes sanguineum (of 

 which a double-flowered variety and also a white variety 

 have lately appeared), Daphne mezereum, Spartium of 

 many species, Cystisus, Amygdalus, and Pyrus. The Ribes 

 speciosum, or Fuchsia-flowered gooseberry, seems to re- 

 quire the protection of a wall, but deserves it. The fine 



