39 
China Philadelphus purpurascens deserves more general propagation 
in this country. Another Chinese Syringa, Philadelphus Magdalence, 
well deserves a place in American gardens. It is a tall broad shrub 
with arching stems, small dark green leaves, and pure white fragrant 
flowers an inch and a quarter in diameter and arranged in drooping, 
leafy, many-flowered clusters from six to ten inches in length. Philadel- 
phus pekinensis, a native of-northern China and J Mongolia, which has 
been growing in the Arboretum since 1883, has proved an excellent garden 
plant. The flowers are not as large as those of many of the other 
species and are slightly tinged with cream color, but they are produced 
in immense numbers. This is a compact shrub with slender erect stems 
three or four feet tall, and usually broader than high. 
Hybrid Philadelphus. The importance of Philadelphus splendens 
as a garden plant has already been mentioned. Another hybrid of 
rather uncertain parentage, known now as Philadelphus speciosus 
and formerly as “Monsieur Billard, ” originated many years ago in 
France is a handsome plant which, blooming later than other Syringas, 
prolongs the flowering period of this group until the middle of July. 
These early hybrids were the result of natural cross fertilization, and 
the systematic breeding in this genus dates from the time when Le- 
moine of Nancy in France first crossed the Rocky Mountain P. micro- 
phyllus with P. coronarius and produced the plant to which he gave 
the name of P. Lemoinei. Lemoine then crossed his P. Lemoinei with 
the hybrid P. insignis and produced a race of beautiful plants to which 
the general name Philadelphus polyanthus has now been given. Well 
known forms of this hybrid are “Gerbe de Neige” and “Parvillon 
Blanc.” To another race of the Lemoine hybrids the name of Phila- 
delphus cymosus has been given. This was obtained by crossing P. 
Lemoinei with P. grandijlorus or some related species. “Conquete” 
is considered the type of this group; other well known plants which 
are believed to belong here are “Mer de Glace,” “Norma,” “Nuee 
Blanche,” “Rosace,” “Voie Lactee, ” and “Perle Blanche.” To an- 
other race of hybrids with double racemose flowers, raised by Lemoine 
and of doubtful origin, the name Philadelphus virginalis has been given. 
The type of this group is his “Virginal;” other plants referred to it 
are “Argentine,” “Glacier,” and “Bouquet Blanc.” The introduction 
of Philadelphus microphyllus into France, where it was sent by the 
Arboretum in 1877 or 1878, made possible in the hands of Lemoine the 
production of these races of beautiful plants which are some of the im- 
portant contributions made to northern gardens in the last thirty years. 
Late-flowering Viburnums. The Arboretum late in June owes much 
of its beauty to the late-flowering Viburnums of the northeastern states 
which have been planted here in considerable numbers. The first of 
these plants to bloom and the handsomest of them. Viburnum cassi- 
noides, although it grows naturally in cold northern swamps, takes 
kindly to cultivation, and in ordinary garden soil is a handsomer and 
more shapely plant than it is in its natural home where it often makes 
slender straggling stems fifteen or twenty feet tall. The beauty of 
this Viburnum is in its ample, thick and lustrous leaves which vary in 
shape and size on different plants, in its broad convex clusters of pale 
cream-colored flowers and in its large showy fruit which when fully 
