4io 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



which are borne in clusters for some distance along the 

 shoots, are white, and are at their best from the end of 

 June onwards. It is also known as S. flagelliformis — a 

 handsome kind with many synonyms. 



S. Douglasi. — This forms a mass of closely packed 

 shoots, each of which is terminated by a dense spike of 

 deep rose-coloured blossoms. It flowers in July and August. 



S. japonica. — A bush from 4ft. to 6ft. high, clothed with 

 lanceolate leaves, the young ones of which are tinged 

 with red. The flattened clusters of rosy red blossoms 

 commence to expand about the middle of June, and 

 maintain more or less of a succession until autumn. 

 Callosa and Fortunei are the same, and varieties of 

 japonica, to which separate paragraphs are devoted, 

 include S. Bumalda. Other kinds are alba, superba, 

 glabrata, and ruberrima. 



S. Lindleyana. — This differs from any of the Spineas 

 previously mentioned in having pinnate leaves, and it is 

 also one of the largest in growth, for it will reach a height 

 of 10ft. to 12ft. 

 The large ter- 

 minal panicles 

 of white 

 flowers are 

 borne at the 

 end of July, in 

 August, and 

 sometimes as 

 late as Sep- 

 tember. 



S. media. — A 



bush about I yd. 

 high, crowded 

 with pure white 

 blossoms in 

 May and June. 

 Itis also known 

 as S. confusa. 



S. prunifolia 

 flore - pleno. 



— At the end 

 of March and 

 in April the 

 long arching 

 shoots of this 

 Spirea are 

 crowded with 

 clusters of little 

 pure white 

 double blos- 

 soms, in which 

 stage it is very 

 beautiful. It 

 grows from 4ft. 

 to 6ft. high. 



S. salieifolifi. 



— A variable 

 species that 

 pushes up 

 numerous 

 shoots from the 

 base after the 

 manner of 

 S. Douglasi. 



In S. salicifolia the flowers are 

 coloured, though some are pink. 

 S. Thunbergi. — The first of all the shrubby Spiraeas to 

 unfold its blossoms, being even earlier than S. prunifolia 

 flore-pleno. S. Thunbergi has slender arching shoots, 

 tender green leaves, and clusters of white blossoms. It 

 grows 3ft. to 4ft. high. 



Very few of the Sfirreas are worthless, and it may be 

 helpful to readers, although the most important kinds 

 have been described, to give a list of the chief species. 

 They are: S. bella, betulifolia and its variety corymbosa, 

 Blumei, bracteata, brumalis, bullata, cana, canescens (of 

 which no less than twenty-four synonyms are given in 

 the Kew list), cantoniensis, chama?drifolia and its variety 



GATHERING LILAC 



for the most part 



hi 



flexuosa, conferta, crenata, decumbens, discolor and its 

 variety dumosa, Douglasi, expansa, hypericifolia, japonica, 

 laevigata, Lindleyana, media, Nobleana, prunifolia, 

 pubescens, salicifolia and varieties, sorbifolia, Thunbergi, 

 tomentosa, tri'lobata, and Van Houttei. 



Staphylea eolehiea.— A shrub from 4ft. to 6ft. high, 



with pinnate leaves and nodding racemes of whitish 

 sweet-scented blossoms. It is largely used for forcing, 

 and in the open ground flowers towards the end of May. 

 Propagated by layers put down in the autumn. 

 Sycamore. — See Acer Pseudo-platanus. 



Symphoriearpus raeemosus (the Snowberry) is a bush 



from 4ft. to 6ft. high that will grow in sandy soils and in 

 shady spots. Favourably situated, however, it bears a 

 quantity of fruks from whence the popular name is 

 derived. These berries, about the size of small marbles, 

 are pure white, and remain on through the autumn and 

 greater part of the winter. 

 S. vulgaris. — A smaller shrub than the last, with 



pink flowers 

 and white 

 berries, which 

 are, however, 

 much smaller 

 and not so 

 showy as those 

 of S . raee- 

 mosus. There 

 is a variety of 

 S. vulgaris in 

 which the 

 leaves are 

 edged with 

 yellow, and 

 very pretty 

 it is. 



&yringa(£z7af). 



— There are 

 several species 

 of Syringa, but 

 the showiest 

 are S. persica 

 (Persian) and 

 S. vulgaris (the 

 Common 

 Lilac). This 

 last is repre- 

 s e n t e d by 

 n u m e r o u s 

 varieties, all of 

 which are good 

 garden shrubs, 

 that will grow 

 in any soil of 

 fair quality. 

 They are all 

 readily in- 

 creased by 

 budding or 

 grafting. Graft- 

 ing results in 

 suckers, which 

 must be 

 grubbed out, so 



own root plants are preferable. Ther.' is no need to graft. 

 They may be obtained by layering or by cuttings. The 

 growing shoots, especially if those of medium vigour 

 rather than the very strong or. .-s be chosen, will root if 

 taken about midsummer or a little later, put into pots 

 of sandy soil, placed in a frame, and kept close and 

 shaded till struck, which will be in about six weeks or 

 two months. Stouter cuttings may also be put in the 

 open ground in the autumn, but these do not strike so 

 well. When a plant is on its own roots, suckers with 

 their attendant fibres may be taken off in the autumn or 

 winter. 



persica. — This is a much branched and compact bush, 

 with small leaves and clusters of lilac flowers. There 



