and all, and set upon a dish with water, a child will find a 

 toy which will keep it busy for many moments, if not hours. 

 Colutea is a poor substitute for this attraction, but will do 

 well outdoors in any climate. Its inflated fruit-bag can be 

 made to burst with a loud report. 



FLOWERING SHRUBS. 



The bloom of early spring is the most attractive bit of life 

 with which we can brighten a child's days. The awakening of 

 nature is eagerly watched for by young and old, and the 

 earliest blossom is the dearest of any. If there be no other 

 space to set out in green or color, the assembly of the Peach 

 or Almond, the Lilac or Laburnum, the Cherry or Plum, and 

 the Pussy-willow should always be found with the children. 

 To them might be added the Snowball, and of Currants, the 

 golden or the purple. The Weigelia and Deutzia are of 

 minor importance. So is also the Forsythia, though its 

 golden shower of bloom before the foliage appears renders it 

 an attractive object, suggesting its Chinese origin without 

 offensiveness. A Cornelian Cherry (Cornus Mas) will find 

 room where high shrubs are called for and where little light 

 and attention can be given to them. I mention Chimonanthus, 

 Halesia, Xanthoceras and Exochorda, as beautiful and good, 

 also Calycanthus, the Soap Shrub, and the Mock Orange, 

 Philadelphus. The Spiraeas and Brooms lead the way into 

 warmer days, and there is so great a number of them that 

 their selection must be left to the detail work of designing 



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