118 HOW TO PLAN THE HOME GROUNDS 



A distinguished family of shrubs, a family whose excel- 

 lences the horticulturists should never tire of praising, 

 is the viburnum, or snowball. First in general reputa- 

 tion comes the graceful and refined viburnum opulus 

 sterilis ; then the common, high bush cranberry, viburnum 

 opulus, bearing fine fruit in autumn, and white flowers in 

 June ; and, finally, we find the most lauded kind in 

 viburnum plicatum, the Japanese snowball, with dark- 

 green, crinkled leaf, solid, erect form, and large snow- 

 ball flowers, holding to the stems for weeks. 



In spite, however, of these being the kinds that have 

 thus far received general appreciation, it would hardly 

 be going too far if there should be pointed out at least 

 half a dozen other species of the family, any one of 

 which has more excellent qualities for general use on 

 the \avra than those, good as they undoubtedly are, 

 which have just been mentioned as so popular, and, 

 strange to say, the kinds that are referred to are little 

 seen on the lawn in this country. 



Most notable of these viburnums is sieboldii, or japon- 

 icum, wth its great, massive, crinkled leaves, and large, 

 red seed-vessels in August and September, and white 

 flowers in June. 



It grows into great specimens, fifteen or twenty feet 

 high, the equal of which, among shrubs, in excellence, 

 can hardly be found anywhere. Darker, and bearing 

 finer fruit, viburnum lantana, while being, perhaps, less 

 picturesque, has great value for its adaptability to com- 

 binations for general effect on the lawn. The pear-leaved 

 \'iburnum, V. pyrifolium, is little behind the last in pic- 

 turesqueness, and easily recognized, with its pear-like 

 leaf, as a relative ; and V. prunifolium, a specially hardy 

 kind, growing in all soils, and richly colored in autumn. 



