LILAC. 51 



™ Garden of Pleasant Flowers," of 1629, but 

 lie there states that it was a stranger to Eng- 

 land, and that he described it from foreign 

 accounts, with a hope that some one might 

 be induced to bring it to this country. It is 

 therefore clear that its first introduction was 

 between these two dates. It was formerly 

 called the Persian jasmine by our nurserymen, 

 although it was first introduced into Europe 

 with the Persian name of Agem. It is gene- 

 rally supposed that the white Persian lilac is 

 only an accidental variety, either raised from 

 seed, or produced from suckers of the blue 

 sort. 



The Chinese lilac was first brought to this 

 country in 1795. It is of a middle stature, 

 between the Persian and the common lilac, 

 and its leaves smaller than the common kind, 

 with branches that are generally better fur- 

 nished with blossoms, and that are both larger 

 and deeper coloured than those of the Persian 

 lilac. 



The lilac should never have its branches 

 shortened, as the flowers are always produced 

 at the ends of the shoots of the former year, 

 and just below the girandole of flowers other 

 shoots come out to succeed them, and contri- 

 bute much to the beauty of the flower. The 

 part on which the flower stands, decays down 



e 2 



