IN THE FRONT YARD 67 



The Ohlata is from China. It has large, thick, 

 hesLYj, heart-shaped leaves, which never mildew. It 

 blooms several days earlier than any of the rest, head- 

 ing the whole procession by at least a week. It has 

 another attraction : it holds its foliage a long time, and 

 in the fall takes on a rich, dark russet color. Like the 

 Spiraea Argnta, it has attractions for both ends of the 

 season. We have two other remarkable ones from 

 China. One is the Ligustriana, resembling the Privet. 

 It has long, slender branches and rather small leaves. 

 It grows fifteen to twenty feet high. The flowers, 

 which are yellowish white, hang in large clusters, usu- 

 ally in pairs. This is quite hardy, and seems easy of 

 propagation. There is a variety of this called Argentia, 

 said to have silver leaves. I have never seen this, and 

 do not know how the foliage would stand our climate. 



The Tree Lilacs. Securing these has been one of 

 the triumphs of horticulture. They are perfectly har- 

 dy all through the west. 



The Pehinensis. Some fifteen years ago I planted 

 some of these under the 100th meridian, in Nebraska, 

 where we have one of the most trying climates in the 

 world. We had three consecutive years of terrible 

 drouth, and the American siroccos, the hot winds of 

 the plains, prevailed to such an extent that many trees 

 Avere wiped out of existence. Six kinds of poplars and 

 as many kinds of willows were entirely killed. I left 

 the place, and the lilacs were left to the weeds. Yet 

 the Pekinensis was cheerful and smiling with bloom 

 through it all, and when the mercury dropped to 35 



