70 
House & Garden 
Anchor Post FENCES 
E very form of wire or Iron Fence and 
Gate required for country homes and 
grounds may be obtained from us. 
UNCLIMBABLE FENCES 
IRON ENTRANCE GATES 
GARDEN ARCHES AND ARBORS 
Low Fences to pro¬ 
tect your hedges and 
keep out children 
and dogs; Unclimb- 
able Fences to pre¬ 
vent trespassing of 
any kind; Ornament¬ 
al Iron Entrance 
Gates that make the 
approaches to your 
home more attrac¬ 
tive; Special Fences 
for Tennis Courts, 
Poultry, Dogs, etc. 
The superior design 
and workmanship of 
Anchor Post Prod¬ 
ucts is an established 
fact—one that is de¬ 
monstrated by thou¬ 
sands of existing in¬ 
stallations. The ser¬ 
vice they are giving 
others is proof of the 
service they would 
give you. 
A'T' AT We invite you to send for any of the fol- 
lowing interesting Catalogs. Lawn and 
Garden Fences—Tennis Fences—Iron Railings and Gates—Poul¬ 
try, Dog and Special Fences—Farm Fences—Arbors, Arches 
and Trellises. 
ANCHOR POST IRON WORKS 
11 Cortlandt St., (13th Floor), NEW YORK 
Philadelphia Cleveland Boston Hartford Newark 
215S-G 
When Syrmgas Turn to Lilacs 
(Continued from page 16) 
ioiied winters and all the rest. Cer¬ 
tainly its habit o£ starting into growth 
even before winter is half over, in the 
latitude of New York, would argue 
for its endurance. A few warm days 
will bring its leaves out in many 
places around New York City; and 
frequently these leaves will show 
blackened tips, when grown to full 
size, the result of this premature 
bursting of the protective winter 
sheath before the last cold weather. 
Where a plant has the tendency to 
start thus over-soon, a cold climate 
generally suits it better than a mod¬ 
erate one, for then there is no en¬ 
couragement to grow until the proper 
time arrives. 
This variety just mentioned (Sy- 
ringa oblata) blooms about May first, 
in the latitude of New York; some¬ 
times it is a few days later, and of 
course a prematurely early season 
will force it along a bit sooner. 
Following close upon this introduc¬ 
tion of the season, the common Sy¬ 
ringe vulgaris takes its turn along 
with the great mass of hybrids sprung 
from it. Whatever the latitude, these 
are about a week behind Syringe 
oblata. With or close to them, come 
the flowers of the species which I 
spoke of as being unpleasant to some 
because of its scent—-the Syringa 
Chinensis, commonly called Chinese 
lilac although not a bit more Chinese 
than certain others. It is generally 
conceded now that it is probably an 
artificial hybrid, of great antiquity, 
between the Persian lilac and the 
common species, Syringa vulgaris. It 
is one of the showiest of all, with 
very large, loose clusters of flowers. 
This loose character of growth, in¬ 
deed, is carried almost too far, to my 
taste; the thyrsus or flower cluster 
takes on an untidy, sprawly look 
sometimes, that gives the impression 
of its being decidedly passe even when 
first opened. 
The Persian lilac (Syringa Per- 
sica) blooms about the same time as 
this Chinese species; but as it is a 
small shrub in comparison, averaging 
only about 5' in height, while the 
Chinese grows usually to 10' or 12', 
it is sometimes desirable to use be¬ 
fore the tall growing species. 
For June Flowers 
These species will usually carry the 
bloom through May—if not quite to 
the end of the month, certainly up to 
the appearance of the flowers of Sy¬ 
ringa piihescens on the scene. This is 
also a small growing species, attain¬ 
ing 6' to T ordinarily. Its flowers 
are particularly rich in the character¬ 
istic fragrance, and their color is a 
delicate and very lovely lilac or 
mauve. They are in rather small 
panicles or clusters, but make up by 
the number of these for their diminu¬ 
tiveness. The foliage is particularly 
beautiful, being of a rich dark color, 
and the habit of the bush is pleasing. 
Altogether, Syringa pubescens is per¬ 
haps the most charming species of 
them all, after we pass the common 
but delightful old standby, Syringa 
vulgaris, already mentioned. 
Next in point of time is the species 
which harbors the one really tender 
variety— Syringa villosa. This is not 
tender itself; but Syringa villosa 
Emodi is, although it comes from up 
in the Himalaya mountains and there¬ 
fore, by every token, ought not to be. 
The flowers of this—not the variety, 
but the species—are rather pallid as 
to degree of color, but decidedly 
vyarm as to quality, for they are 
tinged or suffused with a rosy glow. 
even though they are whitish or pale 
lilac. Here again is particularly good 
foliage; and often three clusters of 
blossoms at the ends of the branches, 
instead of two, as most lilacs show. 
The first week of June will be gone, 
usually, when the flower buds open. 
Along about this same time the 
Hungarian lilac blooms. This looks 
something like a white fringe tree 
when not in blossom, because of the 
similarity of foliage. Its flowers are 
purple, it grows to be a big shrub 
fully 12' in height, and if it were not 
for its late bloom, there would be no 
advantage in planting it—for it is 
not particularly showy or beautiful. 
Since it does fill in, however, it is 
well to include it, where there is 
space. Syringa Joscekea is the name 
by which it is known in the trade. 
The Pekin lilac (Syringa Pekin- 
ensis) is later still, producing its 
creamy flowers around the middle of 
the month, after it attains a consid¬ 
erable maturity. Frequently it disap¬ 
points in the years immediately fol¬ 
lowing its planting, by not blooming; 
but ultimately it makes up for this. 
Its great thyrsus makes it one of the 
showiest of all, once it starts to 
flower. It is a lusty shrub, too, grow¬ 
ing 15' or more high and branching 
freely and satisfactorily. 
Last of all to bloom is the tree¬ 
like Japanese lilac (Syringa Japo- 
nica), sometimes attaining 30' in 
height and often taking on the true 
form of a tree—that is, growing with 
a single trunk. A group of these be¬ 
comes in time almost a little grove. 
They are very beautiful, for the 
flowers are light in character and the 
clusters huge—sometimes 1' long! 
This therefore is a fitting valedic¬ 
torian, blossoming appropriately at 
the end of June. 
A Planting of Seventy-five 
Here, then, are eight species to be 
used, if the very longest possible 
bloom is desired. Where one has 
room for no more than eight shrubs, 
I should not advise aspiring to the 
longest period of bloom; choose 
rather one kind, and have a worth¬ 
while showing of that during two 
weeks. Indeed, I have never under¬ 
taken to cover this entire blooming 
period when I would have to do it 
with less than about seventy-five 
plants; for I consider that the gain 
of a week or two or three in time is 
not compensation for the jumbled ef¬ 
fect bound to result where too many 
varieties are used in any one single 
grouping. 
In allotting the varieties in a total 
planting of seventy-five one should 
not, of course, divide the number 
evenly between the possibilities. This 
would mean nine specimens of each 
kind, which would be a collection 
wherein the evenness of the num¬ 
bers planted would be deadly in its 
effect. Plan rather to have a big 
showing at the height of the season, 
with a few early and a few late to 
taper off at either end. 
Of the earliest, use Syringa oblata, 
which grows about 12' high and there¬ 
fore is suitable for a back shrub. If 
a cluster of three are grouped to¬ 
gether, with a fourth specimen in the 
midst of the next variety and sepa¬ 
rated from its kinsfolk by three or 
four of these others, plenty of this 
earliest blooming sort will be in evi¬ 
dence in the whole. 
Then have a dozen or more Syrin¬ 
ga vulgaris alba —the white oldtime 
common lilac—which blooms usually 
a week earlier than the type, which 
(Continued on page 72) 
