SHRUBS THAT ARE PERFECTLY HARDY. 87 



height, good foliage, and lightish purple flowers produced in June ; 

 JS. pubescens, from Pekin, with small heads of purplish flowers ; 

 ^S. Persica and its variety, alba, with large loose bunches of light 

 purple and white flowers about the last of May ; S. Chinensis, a 

 plant of more erect habit than S. Persica, and longer truss, with light 

 purple flowers in May and the first part of June ; S. Amurensis, 

 «. medium sized bush with clusters of white flowers about the mid- 

 dle of June ; and S. ligustrina, variety Pekinensis, a rapid growing 

 small tree of graceful habit, but which has not as 3'et flowered in 

 this country. There is also a pendulous variety of this species. 

 The Japanese lilac is one of the most majestic of this genus of 

 plants. It is clean in its growth ; no insect seems to touch it, and 

 it is grand in all its proportions ; the heads of flowers, which ap- 

 pear in July, are white and are from twelve to fourteen inches 

 long, and broad in proportion. The largest plant is now fully 

 eighteen feet high, and when it is in bloom in July is magnificent. 



Of the Ligusti'ums, Ibota is the most graceful ; the flowers are 

 •white, in single drooping bunches ; L. Amurensis, which is said to 

 be a variety of this, is of a more erect habit, both in growth and 

 flower. Of L. vulgaris, the common Privet, there are several 

 varieties, with white, j'^ellow, and green fruit, but the general 

 habit of all is the same. 



Lycium Barbarum and L. Chinense are two fine climbers for 

 covering unsightly places ; they bear small purple flowers, fol- 

 lowed in autumn by brilliant scarlet fruits, which hang long after 

 the hard frosts have killed the foliage. 



The Dutchman's pipe, Aristolochia Siplio, is another excellent 

 climber. 



Lindera Benzoin is a good shrub in large plantations ; its yellow 

 flowers open in early spring before the leaves ; these are followed 

 in early autumn by scarlet fruit. 



Of the Daphnes, the hardiest is D. Mezereum, a neat shrub 

 with purple or white flowers appearing before the leaves, and fruit 

 at midsummer of brilliant red. There is a variety with white 

 flowers. 



Dirca palustris, the Leather- wood, has bright yellow flowers 

 before the leaves appear ; the autumn coloring of the foliage is % 

 bright yellow. 



The Silver-trees are fine objects in the distance, in Undscape 

 planting. Elceagnus hortensis flava and E. songaricus are small trees 



