410 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
are varieties of it. P. Persica flore pleno, double red, and its 
' ariety magnifica are also beautiful spring flowering trees. 
The variety foliis rubris, with purple foliage, is very pretty. 
These are also desirable trees for small gardens. Of the 
flowering Apricots, P. triloba flore pleno is a most beautiful 
species. It forms a neat bushy shrub, and in early April its 
slender shoots are literally smothered with double rose blos- 
soms. We can strongly recommend it as a really good 
flowering shrub for small or large gardens. Of the flowering 
Plums P. cerasifera atropurpurea (Purple-leaved Plum), gene- 
rally known as Prunus Pissardi, is a showy shrub, which maybe 
grown as a standard or bush. It has purple leaves and shoots 
and white blossoms borne freely in April. A very handsome 
shrub. Then among the flowering Cherries we have many 
beautiful kinds, as follows : P. Avium flore pleno (Double Wild 
Cherry or Gean). This grows 20ft. or more high, and bears 
double white flowers in spring. P. Cerasus Rhexii flore pleno 
(Double White Cherry), a double white variety of the 
Wild Cherry, growing 20ft. high, flowering in spring. 
P. japonica flore pleno (Double Chinese Cherry), double 
white, growing 3 to 5ft. high. P. pseudo-cerasus (Bastard 
Cherry). Of this Chinese species the double varieties 
are flore pleno, white tinged with pink, and Watereri, 
white. Both make fine standards, and are suitable 
for small or large gardens. P. serrulata flore pleno 
(Double Chinese Cherry). This grows about 15ft. high, and 
bears double rosy blossoms in clusters in April. P. virginiana 
(Choke Berry). This is a beautiful tall growing species from 
America. It bears white flowers in long racemes in May. 
The Bird Cherry (P. Padus), a native tree growing 20 to 30ft. 
high, and bearing white flowers in spring, and its double 
white form (flore pleno), are showy flowering trees to grow in 
the mixed shrubbery. The Myrobalan Plum (P. cerasifera) is 
employed chiefly for making hedges. 
To this genus belongs the Common or Cherry Laurel (P. 
Laurocerasus) and the Portugal Laurel (P. lusitanica). Of 
the Common Laurel there are several distinct varieties superior 
to the type. Thus there is angustifolia, with narrow leaves ; 
caucasica, a very hardy kind ; colchica, a good hardy variety ; 
and rotundifolia, round-leaved. The Laurels are evergreen, 
and the common kind hails from the Levant, and the Portu- 
guese from Portugal. The latter makes a handsome lawn 
tree, and is often grown as a low standard. All the Laurels 
may be grown in the mixed shrubbery in ordinary soil. They 
should be planted in May or September. The Cherry Laurels 
are often grown as hedge shrubs. In this case trench the 
soil 3ft. wide and deep, and mix plenty of rotten manure or 
