232 Old Time Gardens 



Judas trees, sadly broken yet bravely blooming ; 

 decayed hedges of several kinds of Lilacs, Syringas, 

 Snowballs, and Yuccas of princely size and bearing 

 still linger. Everywhere are remnants of Box hedges. 

 One unkempt dooryard of an old Dutch farm-house 

 was glorified with a broad double row of yellow Lily 

 at least sixty feet in length. Everywhere is Wistaria, 

 on porches, fences, houses, and trees ; the abundant 

 Dogwood trees are often overgrown with Wistaria. 

 The most exquisite sight of the floral year was the 

 largest Dogwood tree I have ever seen, radiant with 

 starry white bloom, and hung to the tip of every 

 white-flowered branch with the drooping amethystine 

 racemes of Wistaria of equal luxuriance. Golden- 

 yellow Laburnum blooms were in one case mingled 

 with both purple and wnite Wistaria. These yellow, 

 purple, and white blooms of similar shape were a 

 curious sight, as if a single plant had been grafted. 

 As I rode past so many glimpses of loveliness min- 

 gled with so much present squalor, I could but think 

 of words of the old hymn : — 



" Where every prospect pleases 

 And only man is vile." 



Could the hedges, trees, and vines which came 

 from the Prince and Parsons Nurseries have been 

 cared for, northeastern Long Island, which is part 

 of the city of Greater New York, would still be what 

 it was named by the early explorers, " The Pearl of 

 New Netherland." 



