SHRUBS BELONGING TO THE ROSE FAMILY. 69 



Japonioa atrosanguinea, deep-scarlet blossoms ; P. 

 Japonioa rosea, scarlet-pink blossoms ; P. Japonica 

 Moorlosi, variegated rose-red and nearly white blos- 

 soms ; and P. Japonica Mallardi, scarlet blossoms. 



Nevertheless, the Pyrus Japonica is an old fa- 

 vorite which will hardly lose its popularity, for in 

 April (in the North in the middle of May) this shrub 

 puts forth its leaves and beautiful scarlet apple-blos- 

 som-shaped flowers long before anything else shows a 

 sign of responding to the spring weather. It will be 

 found among the shrubbery of Prospect Park, Brook- 

 lyn, and Central Park, JSTew York. 



The thoroughly Japanesque character of Pyrus 

 Japonica is revealed in its spring colors when the 

 leaves are just unfolding. In almost any position on 

 the garden grounds it is suggestive of the artistic 

 kakemono. A more beautiful picture than that which 

 it forms against the soft-gray background of an old 

 weatherbeaten board fence is uniniaginal>le. The rud- 

 dy tinge of the budding foliage, the brilliant scarlet 

 of the blossoms in broad sunshine, the rugged tracery 

 of the slender brown twigs with perhaps the azure 

 blue of some dainty bluebird visitor (the bluebird is 

 very frequently attracted by the red flowers) — all 

 these uncommon colors and picturesque lines are pe- 

 culiarly like the vigorous decorations which we may 

 see on some Japanese screen. Yet I have no doubt 



