42 
Japan Quince. 
them under trees, as they will not flower as 
freely when thus placed as when planted in 
the sun. 
The broad evergreen leaf, with its glossy 
richness, a handsome green through the en- 
tire winter, would alone- entitle the Rhodo- 
dendron to the first rank, but when it is 
crowned in June with many clusters of How- 
ers, each cluster lar^e enouj^h for a bouquet, 
and each variety having its own color — white, 
purple, pink, red and crimson — the word 
superb describes its appearance. It can be 
planted singly upon the lawn, or in a city 
garden, and is also very effective in a mass 
of one or two dozen. We can supply the 
above colors. Order Ijy colors. 
Snowball 
Common (I'. sleriUs). Very beautiful 
and poi)ular ; !l(.iwers snowy white, borne in 
large balls, flowering the latter part of May. 
.Makes a large-sized shrub. 
Japan (V. plicaluni). This variety is a 
valuable addition to the list of hardy shrubs, 
and surpasses the coiumon Snowball in 
many respects. It forms an erect, compact 
bush 4-6 ft. high, and blossoms early in 
June, when tlie jilants are covered from the 
ground to the tops of the branches with 
balls of flowers as wliitc as snow, clustered 
one against the other in dense masses. 
Leaves are of a liright green, with a beauti- 
ml plicated or ])laited surface. 
SMOKE TREE. See 
under Ornamental Trees. 
Fringe, Purple, 
Quince, Japan 
There are sever.'d flowering varieties, dif- 
fering only in the color of the flowers. Al- 
though of straggling growth, they can be 
pruned to desirable shapes without injury. 
Their large, brilliant blossoms appear in great 
profusion early in the spring, before the 
leaves unfold, and produce a very brilliant 
and pleasing effect. Foliage bright green 
and glossy all through the summer. Desir- 
able planted alone or in groujjs. It is suffi- 
ciently thorny and strong to make a vahudjle 
hedge, and its beautiful flowers make it very 
desirable for that purpose. 
Rhododendron. 
An evergreen shrub. The Rhododendron 
has been well known in America among a 
few for h.df a century, but to many it is com- 
parativeh' unknown. For success with Rho- 
dodendrons, a light garden soil is the best ; 
if the soil is clay, let it be lightened with 
sand, leaf-mold, rotted sod or sinface soil 
which has been heavily manurefl the year 
before, are all beneficial ; mulching is useful, 
but it should not l)e .allowed to remain dur- 
ing the growing season from April 15 to July 
15. as the soil needs air and sun for at least 
three months of the year. Some litiuid or 
surf.ace numure can be profitably ai:)plied 
during growth, and ;is they are heavy feed- 
ers tliey should not be planted too close, for 
they need abundant room for their roots, 
when properl>' snpijlied with licpiid or sur- 
face manure. It is a great mistake to plant 
Spiraeas. 
The blooming period of the Spineas e-\- 
tends from spring to late summer, some of 
them flowering at a time when there is but 
little bloom. 
Aurea, or Golden (0/>iili/i>lia onrea). 
A striking variety of ilecided beauty, and 
one of the most effective shrubs for a lawn. 
Foliage green, bordered with a ricli, golden 
\'ellow ; very distiiu't and beautiful. In Jtuie 
the branches are covered with a double 
white flower. 
Callosa alba. A dwarf variety of the 
above, having pm'e white flowers in the great- 
est profusion. Very dcsii'able on account i.>f 
its clwarf habit and free-flowering. 
Prunlfolla (Uridal Wreath). One of the 
oldest and most hardy of the Spira-aL-. Pro 
duces long, slender branches, that in the 
spi ing are covered with beautiful white, dou- 
ble flowers : these branches may be bent 
around so as to form a perfect wreath, whence 
the name. It has the habit of pro<lucing very 
few lateral branches, so that severe pruning 
shoidd be given to a few of the strongest 
canes after l.>looming in the spring. 
Van Houtte(/>j« floiiltii). Surpassing 
all other Spira-as in the supetb beauty anrl 
gracefulness of its blossoms. The [)latU is 
dwarf in habit, with gracc-fnl, pendulous 
branches which, when in bloom earl\' in June, 
are weighed down with i)ure white ijlossoms, 
the plant being covered with a mass of 
flowers. 
