THE OLIVE FAMILY. 407 



sume a pure white colour. Bush-lilacs in pots are extremely 

 useful for greenhouse or conservatory decoration in the 

 spring, and these are obtained by working the best of the 

 new seminal varieties on seedlings of the common species in 

 heat. Two centuries ago the Lilac was worked on suckers and 

 seedlings of the Common Privet as a stock ; but plants grafted 

 on either Privet or Ash are short-lived. Spring is the best 

 time for grafting, and the operation should be performed in a 

 close case. If seedling stocks are not handy, suckers are gene- 

 rally obtainable from the shrubberies ; and these, if potted and 

 placed in a gentle heat, soon root afresh, and form excellent 

 stocks. Among the older varieties we must name S. rothoma- 

 gensis (the Siberian or Rouen Lilac). As to the history of 

 this shrub there are differences of opinion. It was first intro- 

 duced to our gardens in 1795. Some writers assert that it is 

 a native of Siberia, and a distinct species ; others that it is a 

 hybrid raised about the latter end of the last century by M. 

 Varin, the then director of the Botanic Gardens at Rouen, the 

 parents being persica and vulgaris. The probabilities seem to 

 be in favour of the latter theory, as in general appearance it is 

 just what might be expected from the blending of the styles of 

 growth, foliation, and flowers of the two species. Numerous 

 improved seedling and cross-bred forms have of late years 

 made their appearance in French and Belgian gardens, one of 

 the best being the richly-coloured form known as " Charles 

 XII." 



Among the new varieties, Ville de Troye, a dark-flowered 

 and late-blooming variety, promises well ; and Rouge ponctue, 

 of very bright colour, is equally good. Geant des Batailles and 

 De Croncels are both of them brilliant varieties. The blossoms 

 of Gloire des Moulins are flesh-coloured, and said to be very 

 fragrant ; while Aline Mocqueris, of dwarf growth and a very 

 abundant flowerer, may prove extremely valuable for planting 

 nearer to the front of shrubberies than the taller-growing kinds. 

 Notwithstanding all this wealth of novelty, one still finds the 

 old kinds the common broad-leaved (Syringa vulgaris] and 

 the Persian or narrow-leaved kind (S. persica) being alone 

 used (with very rare exceptions) in the planting of new shrub- 

 beries, even the magnificent and well-known variety distin- 

 guished as S. Lindleyana being, as yet, found in very few 

 gardens. 



Mdlle. Legrave, florist, of Liege, has succeeded in raising a 

 new variety of White Lilac, which is described in the ' Belgique 

 Horticole ' as being exceedingly fine, the flowers being of large 

 size, good substance, and of the purest white colour, with 



