232 Old Time Gardens 
Judas trees, sadly broken yet bravely blooming ; 
decayed hedges of several kinds of Lilacs, Syringas, 
Snowballs, and Yuccas of princely size and bearing 
still linger. Everywhere are remnants of Box hedges. 
One unkempt dooryard of an old Dutch farm-house 
was glorified with a broad double row of yellow Lily 
,at least sixty feet in length. Everywhere is Wistaria, 
on porches, fences, houses, and trees ; the abundant 
Dogwood trees are often overgrown with Wistaria. 
The most exquisite sight of the floral year was the 
largest Dogwood tree I have ever seen, radiant with 
starry white bloom, and hung to the tip of every 
white-flowered branch with the drooping amethystine 
racemes of Wistaria of equal luxuriance. Golden- 
yellow Laburnum blooms were in one case mingled 
with both purple and wnite Wistaria. These yellow, 
purple, and white blooms of similar shape were a 
curious sight, as if a single plant had been grafted. 
As I rode past so many glimpses of loveliness min- 
gled with so much present squalor, I could but think 
of words of the old hymn : — 
“ Where every prospect pleases 
And only man is vile.” 
Could the hedges, trees, and vines which came 
from the Prince and Parsons Nurseries have been 
cared for, northeastern Long Island, which is part 
of the city of Greater New York, would still be what 
it was named by the early explorers, cc The Pearl of 
New Netherlands 
