Old Flower Favorites 189 
simply a mass of indistinguishable whiteness. Mr. 
Howell has named it The Fountain, and above the 
pouring of white blossoms shown in this picture is an 
upper cascade of bloom. This Wistaria is not grow- 
ing in an over-favorable locality, for winter winds are 
bleak on the southern shores of Long Island ; but I 
know no rival of its beauty in far warmer and more 
sheltered sites. 
Many of the Deutzias and Spiraeas which beau- 
tify our spring gardens were introduced from Japan 
before Fortune's day by Thunberg, the great ex- 
ploiter of Japanese shrubs, who died in 1828. The 
Spiraea Van Houtteii (facing page 190) is perhaps the 
most beautiful of all. Dean Hole names the Spiraeas, 
Deutzias, Weigelas, and Forsythias as having been 
brought into his ken in English gardens within his 
own lifetime, that is within fourscore years. 
In New England gardens the Forsythia is called 
c Sunshine Bush' — and never was folk name better 
bestowed, or rather evolved. For in the eager 
longing for spring which comes in the bitterness 
of March, when we cry out with the poet, u O God, 
for one clear day, a Snowdrop and sweet air," in our 
welcome to fresh life, whether shown in starting leaf 
or frail blossom, the Forsythia shines out a grate- 
ful delight to the eyes and heart, concentrating for 
a week all the golden radiance of sunlight, which 
later will be shared by sister shrubs and flowers. 
Forsythia suspensa , falling in long sweeps of yellow 
bells, is in some favorable places a cascade of liquid 
light. No shrub in our gardens is more frequently 
ruined by gardeners than these Forsythias. It takes 
