78 
FLORA AND SYLVA 
year, thus showing how Httle care is re- 
quired by shrubs as compared with other 
things, though in some cases pruning 
must not be neglected. Our ways of I 
arranging shrubs must be changed, be- ! 
fore we have any real advance in the culti- I 
vation of these beautiful plants, for the j 
general mixture of different shrubs tends | 
to the destruction of the choicer kinds, 
so that to make progress we must group, j 
and not bury them in our shrubberies. 
Turning again to M. de Vilmorin's 
well printed and interesting list, we may 
perhaps glance over the families of which 
the least good use is made in British gar- 
dens, beginning with the Clematis — the 
most graceful of all climbing shrubs, 
though so little is generally made of the 
wilder kinds, notwithstanding that these 
are as pretty as the large-flowered kinds, 
good as these are. As not having yet 
come under the regime of grafting, these 
wild kinds are much less likely to perish. 
But even few gardens are adorned with 
the large-flowered Clematises, as they 
might be if a more simple and natural 
mode of increase were employed. Even 
such beautiful wild kinds as ca7?ipa?ji- 
Jlora of Southern Europe, with flowers 
like a climbing Hairbell, are very seldom 
seen. The Magnolias are so showy that 
they are more planted, although the 
hardier kinds are not seen nearlyenough. 
Passing over a number of rareand beauti- 
ful sh rubssuchasBerberidopsis,wecome 
to another great family, the Barberries, 
of which good use might be made much 
more often, though not without regard 
to their habits . The evergreen kinds may 
do best in the warmer and moister dis- 
tricts, but the summer-leafing kinds are 
hardy in all parts. Some good kinds of 
Barberries are not yet introduced, and 
several of them are figured inM.de Vil- 
morin's list. The Rock and Sun-roses 
are eflective in all free and sandy soils ; 
here we want to get the less known spe- 
cies,and above all,to place them in sunny 
positions, grouped, and apart from other 
shrubs. The Azara is a still uncommon 
group which may give good effects, even 
away from walls, adding distinct variety 
to our evergreens. Stuartia is a lovely 
genus which thrives in our climate and 
has never been made half enough of, 
though quite hardy. When grouped, 
Skimmias are among the most cheery 
and effective things that one can see in 
winter, hardy, good in habit, and bril- 
liant in fruit, though here again we never 
get their true beauty, unless we plant 
groups. The Hollies, overall the north- 
ern and cool parts of England, and in- 
deed everywhere, are among the most 
important of evergreens. Some of the 
exotic kinds are well worth growing, 
such as the American Holly; but if we 
onlv had the forms of our own wild 
Holly, as one may see them in that 
most interesting nursery at Sheflield, we 
should still be rich. Euonymus are, in 
their hardier forms, very interesting and 
beautiful, and some of the best kinds 
are not yet in nurseries. Ceanothus — 
American shrubs of much beauty — are 
charming in their blue forms (particu- 
larly some of the hybrids) and are best 
in rather sunny places and free soils. 
The Vines are uncommonly rich of 
late, as we know from the collection of 
Messrs Veitch and others, and between 
the older varieties of the European or 
