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THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Syringe (Lilac). Beautiful flowering hardy deciduous 
shrubs, belonging to the Olive order (Oleacae). The Common 
Lilac (S. vulgaris) is a native of Persia, and has been grown 
for hundreds of years in our gardens. The species bears 
lilac or purple flowers in May, and its variety alba white ones. 
Beautiful, however, as the Common Lilacs are, they are far 
surpassed in beauty by the many lovely single and double 
varieties reared by the French florists, who are experts in 
Lilac culture The best of these are : Marie Legraye and alba 
grandiflora, whites ; Rouge de Marley, reddish-purple ; Vir- 
ginite, pale pink ; and Souvenir de L. Spath, crimson-purple, all 
single-flowered ; and Alphonse Lavallee, bluish violet ; Madame 
Lemoine, pure white ; and President Grevy, bluish-rose, double 
flowered. No flowering shrubs can equal a group of these 
planted in a sunny nook on the fringe of a lawn, or in a 
shrubbery or bed, in beauty or fragrance in May ; they are 
superb. Besides the Common Lilac and its varieties, there 
are several species possessing much interest and beauty. 
Thus, the Persian Lilac (S. persica) is a very fine species, 
forming a neat bush 4 to 7ft. high, and bearing bluish or 
white flowers in May. Then there is the Rouen Lilac (S. 
chinensis), a supposed hybrid, which grows 4 to 6ft. high, and 
bears deep violet flowers in June. Its varieties alba, white ; 
metansis, pale lilac ; and sanguinea, rosy-lilac, are also ex- 
tremely pretty. Other interesting species are S. Emodi, an 
Indian species, bearing purplish or white flowers in denote 
clusters in May; E. Josikaea, a Hungarian species, a May- 
flowering, bluish-purple kind; S. amurensis, a Japanese 
species, with creamy-white flowers, and S. japonica (Japanese 
Lilac), a species bearing white flowers in large branching 
panicles in June. All the foregoing are of similar habit to 
the Common Lilac, and bear deliciously scented flowers. 
Lilacs are popular favourites, and consequently are planted 
extensively in gardens. A large proportion of these shrubs 
fail to flow'er, partly because they are planted in shady spots, 
overcrowded by other shrubs, severely pruned in winter, or 
have their young shoots trimmed in summer, or are allowed 
to produce a thicket of suckers at the roots. To grow Lilacs 
well, and to induce them to flower freely, they must be planted 
in an open sunny spot, in good soil well enriched wdth rotten 
manure. No pruning must be done in winter except to cut 
out dead or weak w : ood. The pruning should be done directly 
after flowering, then shortening each previous year’s shoot 
to a couple of inches from its base, or to the nearest strong 
young shoot developing near the base. The flowers are 
borne on the shoots of the previous year's growth. All 
suckers should be promptly removed. Each wdnter top-dress 
