THE GARDEN AT HOME 



charms in spring with its profusion of white blossom, 

 delights no less, when summer is spent, with its coat of 

 red and brown. 



Among the Maples there are enough and to spare of 

 shrubs of which the leaves die in such colours and shades 

 of colour as stain the western clouds when the sun sets ; 

 for instance, Ginnala, saccharinum, dasycarpum, and the 

 varieties of palmatum. The Barberries are a host in 

 themselves, but the autumn tints of the common Bar- 

 berry (vulgaris) and Thunbergi are not surpassed by 

 others of their kind. In its own inimitable colouring of 

 leaf and fruit, the prosaic Mahonia makes many friends 

 who found no beauty in its yellow flowers. The Sumachs 

 are a curious race of shrubs, comprising one (Rhus Toxi- 

 codendron) with leaves that are poisonous, and should not 

 be handled unless with gloved hands, at least one with 

 most ornamental, fluffy fruits (Rhus Cotinus), and another 

 with most fascinating autumn tints (Rhus cotinoides). 

 The latter forms a shrub some 6 feet high or so, and 

 in coat of green it is not conspicuous, but with the 

 Hunter's Moon " rising in clouded majesty," the stems 

 are clothed in mosaic of multi-coloured leaves. 



The Witch Hazels (Hamamelis), whose little yellow 

 flower lamps twinkle through the shrubbery in spring, 

 as though lighting the way for the slow-waking flowers, 

 glow like good red wine when their leaves are fading and 

 about to fall. What exquisite tenderness of tint there is 

 in the deciduous Cypress, when the soft silkiness of its 



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