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  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  December, 
  1907 
  

  

  The 
  Culture 
  of 
  the 
  White 
  Lilac 
  

  

  By 
  W. 
  G. 
  Fitz-Gerald 
  

  

  MIRACLE 
  almost 
  as 
  wonderful 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  

   Aaron's 
  rod, 
  which 
  "brought 
  forth 
  buds 
  

   and 
  bloomed 
  blossoms," 
  is 
  wrought 
  every 
  

   year 
  in 
  fair 
  France, 
  the 
  home 
  of 
  hosts 
  of 
  

   dainty 
  things. 
  Everyone 
  will 
  remember 
  

   the 
  vast 
  open-air 
  flower 
  farms 
  of 
  Provence, 
  

   especially 
  at 
  Grasse, 
  near 
  Cannes. 
  Here 
  

  

  millions 
  of 
  pounds 
  of 
  roses, 
  violets 
  and 
  lilies 
  are 
  converted 
  

  

  into 
  essential 
  oils 
  for 
  the 
  world's 
  perfume. 
  

  

  But 
  France 
  also 
  does 
  an 
  immense 
  traffic 
  in 
  costly 
  cut 
  

  

  blooms, 
  which 
  make 
  beautiful 
  all 
  the 
  homes 
  of 
  northern 
  

  

  Europe 
  when 
  winter's 
  hand 
  has 
  laid 
  the 
  garden 
  flowers 
  aside. 
  

  

  In 
  fact, 
  the 
  day 
  when 
  berry 
  and 
  bough 
  were 
  the 
  principal 
  

  

  home 
  decorations 
  in 
  winter 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  gone 
  forever. 
  Even 
  

   the 
  exquisite 
  white 
  lilac 
  is 
  forced 
  to 
  perfection 
  in 
  less 
  than 
  

   three 
  weeks 
  by 
  a 
  marvel 
  of 
  scientific 
  gardening, 
  and 
  that 
  

   from 
  dried 
  rods 
  that 
  look 
  like 
  worthless 
  brushwood, 
  fit 
  only 
  

   for 
  the 
  fire. 
  Many 
  people 
  in 
  London 
  and 
  Paris 
  think 
  that 
  

   these 
  masses 
  of 
  exquisite 
  blossoms 
  come 
  from 
  the 
  sunny 
  

   South, 
  where 
  they 
  have 
  blown 
  and 
  thriven 
  in 
  a 
  warm 
  and 
  

   generous 
  soil 
  kissed 
  by 
  the 
  sun 
  of 
  genial 
  Provence. 
  

  

  But 
  nothing 
  could 
  be 
  further 
  from 
  the 
  fact. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  

   neighborhood 
  of 
  Paris 
  itself, 
  with 
  a 
  winter 
  climate 
  little 
  

   better 
  than 
  London's 
  own, 
  that 
  supplies 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  white 
  

   lilac 
  used 
  in 
  Europe. 
  And 
  it 
  is 
  beneath 
  the 
  dull 
  cold 
  skies 
  

   that 
  threaten 
  Vitry-sur-Seine 
  and 
  Fontenay-les-Roses 
  that 
  the 
  

  

  Arranging 
  the 
  Blooms'for 
  Shipment 
  to 
  the 
  Cities 
  

  

  