Pieris. 



229 



possess poisonous qualities that are fatal to lambs and 

 young calves, but it is doubtful if this is the case. P. 

 ligustrina is another of the early bloomers, and grows five 

 to ten feet high, and with a well-proportioned and compact 

 head. The foliage is oblong-lanceolate, somewhat pubes- 

 cent, and in panicles. The flowers are in small but 

 numerous bunches, and cover the bush slightly in advance 

 of the others. There is a southern variety still more 

 pubescent, but it is not known to be hardy in the North- 

 ern States, or to be superior to the original. 



P. fiorihmda. — No one should think of planting any 

 considerable number of ornamental shrubs without includ- 

 ing this charming plant in the list. It belongs to the 

 class whose foliage continues throughout the winter, and 

 is handsome all the year. It grows from four to six feet 

 in height, and nearly always in a well-rounded and com- 

 pact form. The branches and branchlets ordinarily spring 

 from the ground, and, being numerous, the foliage is so 

 dense that they are almost concealed from the eye. The 

 flower buds, which are formed the previous autumn, 

 occupy a prominent position above the evergreen foliage, 

 and are largely proof against wind and cold. Like most 

 others of this family, the flowers are white, and closely 

 resemble the lily of the valley, hanging in pendent and 

 much-branched racemes. While very desirable for out-of- 

 door cultivation, this variety is also recommended for 

 growing under glass when the flowers are wanted out 

 of season, especially for Christmas and Easter holidays. 



P.japonica, though a native of the distant East, is a 

 near relative of the preceding, and with numerous close 



