FLORA 
AND SYLVA. 
Vol. III. No. 28.] JULY, 
IN LILAC TIME. 
If the Japanese had Lilacs as varied 
and good as their Cherries and Plums 
they would probably have a Lilac festi- 
val. The late Sir Richard Owen used 
to invite his friends in "lilac-time" to 
his garden at Sheen, and where these 
lovely shrubs are well done they afford 
beautiful effects in the home landscape 
as well as charm in the hand and fra- 
grance. To no family has the harm 
done by grafting been more injurious 
than to the Lilac. Everywhere grafted 
on Privet for the sake of cheapness and 
ease of increase, it has proved an alliance 
that they resent by dying. I lost ten 
years through such a collection, gralted 
on Privet, that I got from M. Baltet; 
instead of growing up they grew down 
and nearly all of them have slowly 
perished. And so it has been in many 
gardens where Lilacs have been put in 
the shrubberies but rarely show their 
fine value, though so many superb vari- 
eties have been raised of recent years. 
In our country the best results from 
Lilacs are often seen about farm-houses 
and in small gardens where the Persian 
Lilac on its own roots, and perhaps a 
few common kinds also, are grown. The 
degradation of the Lilac is best seen in 
, 1905 [Monthly. 
the London squares like Lincoln's Inn 
Fields and St. James's Square, where the 
bushes are allowed to run wild but are 
cut underneath to allow of the useless 
and ugly digging. When it sows itself 
in the open the bush naturally takes a 
pretty habit, but this way of pruning in- 
verts its shape and is ruinous in all ways. 
What we have to secure is the full 
value of the varieties that we now have, 
with their long racemes beautiful in 
colour if only well grown. To effect this 
the first thing is to insist that none shall 
be grafted on the Privet. The best way 
to increase Lilacs is by cuttings or layers, 
or by grafting on vigorous plants of the 
Common Lilac. Some growers say that 
they will not grow so well on their own 
roots, but this is not the case. Seeds of 
the finer varieties should be sown and 
in that way one might get strong plants 
and perhaps some charming new kinds. 
As to arrangement, the best way is to 
group our Lilacs in the sunlight : they 
are too often put away among mixed 
shrubs where they deteriorate owing to 
crowding and other causes. No plants 
more deserve a clear space in the open 
sun, where they can ripen their wood 
and be free from the encroachments of 
coarser neighbours. 
N 
