114 THE BLOSSOM CIRCLE OF THE YEAR 



at least one hundred years. It was planted by my great-grand- 

 mother and its fragrant clusters of starry white blossoms are as 

 invariably a part of our garden picture as the Summer itself. 

 Annually I thank the dear old lady, whom I never saw, for this, 

 my heritage. 



For many years it was absolutely neglected, but bravely and 

 proudly it held up its head, and now repays the extra feeding of 

 manure in the Fall and fertilizer in the Spring, by a prodigal 

 munificence of bloom. It must be seen to be appreciated. At 

 least fifteen feet tall and with a spread of eighteen feet in its 

 branches, with every stem topped by one or a dozen clusters of 

 white blossoms, with the sharp lanceolate leaves of every shade 

 of green, with the black branches strongly outlined against the 

 soft greens of the lawn in the foreground, it is a June poem. Some- 

 times it is a January poem, with the snow wreaths from the skies 

 enfolding its evergreen loveliness. 



All of the plants of this species grow in luxuriance and are 

 perfectly hardy in this latitude. From the coast of South Car- 

 olina to the borders of the Gulf in Texas they are to be found in 

 every garden of the olden days, and the greater the age, the greater 

 the beauty with which they bless the world. No southern garden 

 of this later day should be without them. They grow slowly at 

 first, but are well worth while at any age. In both light and dark 

 pinks, in single and double, they are very desirable additions to 

 our garden and the northern greenhouse plants. I find the single 

 white hardier than the pink varieties, and more satisfactory both 

 in point of growth and abundance of flower. Beginning to bloom 

 in May, in full glory in June and July, they lift their snowy masses 

 skyward, dimly beautiful in the starlight, radiant in the moon- 

 light, and glorious in the sunlight, until the chill of October brings 

 the message that Autumn has come and Winter is not far away. 



