54 THE CANADIAN HOETICULTUEIST. 



to yellow and orange, and red and scarlet, witli such a variety of 

 coloring, and tints so glowing and yet so harmoniously blended, that 

 now it seems to have become the burning bush, the eye rests upon it 

 with a new pleasure, and the heart wishes that it might remain thus 

 forever. A fitting companion for these is a shrub of more recent in- 

 troduction, a native of Northern China, which has proved quite hardy, 

 and may be called the Chinese Double-flowering Plum, Prunus 

 Triloba. It is a great acquisition, and well worthy of a place in the 

 most select collection. The flowers are large, nearly double, of a clear 

 pink, thus forming a sort of intermediate color between the Japan 

 Quince and the Plum-leaved Spirea. The flowers are produced in 

 great profusion, literally wreathing the branches before the leaves ap- 

 pear. Its habit seems to be more dwarf-like than that of the others 

 that have been mentioned, hence it should be planted in the foreground 

 where its beautiful peach-blow tints may be fully presented to view. 



Grouped with these flowering shrubs should be planted another, 

 having no showy flowers, but presenting by the peculiar color of its 

 leaves a pleasing feature on the lawn ; it is the Purple-leaved Fil- 

 bert, Corylus Americana, var purpurea. Coming into leaf while 

 the other shrubs just described are in flower, its dark purplish-red 

 leaves seems to bring out and heighten the beauty of their several 

 colors ; and when the flowers upon the others have passed away, the 

 rich purj)lish coloring of these leaves remains, contrasting pleasingly 

 with the glossy green foliage of its neighbors. All the Summer long 

 the leaves retain this purple hue, making it one of the most showy 

 of our colored leaved shrubs, giving beauty and richness to the grounds 

 as a shrub that is ever in flower. 



These few are mentioned, not that tliey are all the wealth of our 

 early flowering shrubs, but that our readers may not be embarrassed 

 in their selections by the profusion of over riches, and that they may 

 be guided to those that will give variety within small compass. Be- 

 sides it shows that it is possible that our rural homes should be made 

 attractive with very small expenditure of means and labor. Much has 

 been done in this direction, but there is also much that remains 

 undone. Passing the homes of our thriving farmers, the tidy lawn, or 

 if you please, door-yard, bright with blossoming shrubs and trees of 

 beauty, is yet the exception. There is a reason for this, and that 



