82 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 



available as bird food. Of these one hundred and 

 twenty-five species only forty-nine are natives of the 

 United States and only thirty of New England." I 

 quote the Bulletin of the Arnold Arboretum, and it 

 will be remembered that the winter of 1913-14 was one 

 of the severest recorded for this part of the world. 



Among succulent fruits, black and white and all the 

 colors of the spectrum are represented but, in contrast 

 with flowers, the colors are usually pure. Vari- 

 colored fruits are almost non-existent although among 

 crabapples, plums, cherries, and their kin the color may 

 vary on different sides of the same fruit. Yellow- 

 colored flowers are very abundant, but yellow fruits 

 are decidedly rare among hardy northern plants. In 

 flowers botanists do not regard mere color as of dis- 

 tinctive importance but with fruits in general it is of 

 considerable and often significant value. 



In eastern North America, even for the cold climate 

 of New England, there is available a vast array of 

 woody plants which bear succulent, bright, colored 

 fruits. A great many are native and others have 

 come from Europe and Asia and more especially from 

 China and Japan. Of shrubs the most important 

 family hardy in the northeastern part of North 

 America is probably the Honeysuckle family which in- 

 cludes not only Climbing and Bush Honeysuckles but 



