SHEUBS 259 



quite as adaptable to his purpose as any of the 

 rarer shrubs which nurserymen may offer in 

 their catalogues. 



A showy shrub is the lilac (Syringa) with 

 pink, white or lilac blossoms. It is best, how- 

 ever, not to mix the three colors but to mass 

 each variety separately, thereby obtaining a 

 stronger and at the same time a more restful 

 effect. In planting lilacs obtain good shrubs. 

 Do not plant a bush because it is to be had for 

 nothing; it seldom proves worth the trouble. 

 Avoid also the double-flowered varieties, for 

 their flowers are heavier and less graceful and 

 give no suggestion of the freedom and uncon- 

 ventionality of the single variety. The Mock 

 Orange, or syringa as it is sometimes called, 

 (PMladelphus) , is a hardy, free-flowering 

 shrub with showy flowers appearing in late 

 spring. If the most fragrant variety is desired, 

 obtain PMladelphus coronarius. The Snow 

 Ball (Viburnum) should not be forgotten. 

 Avoid the old-fashioned kind which is invaria- 

 bly a prey to aphids or plant-lice whose ravages 

 cause the leaves to curl and the flowers to lose 

 their beauty, and select instead Japanese Snow 

 Ball which, though it has smaller flowers, pos- 

 sesses better foliage and habit. This is known 



