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be most properly traced to its name in 
Barbary, iSirinx, though various other 
and more poetic derivations have been 
ascribed to it. There are five species, 
among which is one of recent introduction 
from the Himalayas; the others are 
among the most ancient of the inhabitants 
of our gardens. The common lilac ap¬ 
pears to have been cultivated in this 
country for upwards of two centuries and 
a half. The reign of Henry VIII is the 
most accurate date that can be fixed 
upon; the first notice of the plant on 
record, occurs in an inventory taken by 
order of Cromwell, of the contents of 
the garden attached to the palace of 
Nonsuch, wherein are mentioned “six 
lilackes, trees whiche bear no fruit, but 
only a pleasaunt smell.” After an inter¬ 
val of some forty or fifty years, the 
equally prized Persian lilac was intro¬ 
duced, both species maintaining to the 
present day the highest character among 
our spring flowering hardy plants. In 
1795 an addition to the genus was made 
by the introduction of a Chinese plant 
which some botanists consider a species, 
and as such insert it by the name of 
Cliinensis , enumerating as a variety of it 
the rothomagensis; while others affirm it 
to be no more than a hybrid, and employ 
the latter name to distinguish it, and call 
the variety saugeana. To the cultivator, 
however, they are equally acceptable un¬ 
der either name, for both are handsome 
plants, the first having purple flowers 
and readily distinguished by its stiff 
mottled branches ; the latter has reddish 
blossoms and a habit resembling its pa¬ 
rent. It is to be regretted that the best 
varieties of the common lilac have not 
more attention given to them, and also 
that we have so generally relinquished 
the raising of others; the authenticated 
varieties already existing include the small 
white, the large white, double white, blue, 
red, large red and violet; the reds and 
blue, however, are pervaded by a lilac 
tinge, which it is desirable to remove, so 
as to render their colours decided and 
brilliant: this can only be done by raising 
seedlings from them which may possess 
the true red or blue unmixed with the 
indefinite shade which spoils the present 
varieties. An inclination in the wished 
for direction is sufficiently evident to offer 
encouragement in the pursuit, and the 
trouble entailed is so trifling, that we may 
well be excused the expression of sur¬ 
prise at the apathy which has so long 
kept from our gardens the beautiful va¬ 
rieties, we believe it not only possible, 
but highly probable, may thus be obtained; 
and the more astonishing is this long- 
continued neglect when we consider the 
high value that would belong to a bright 
red or deep blue lilac. 
The course to be pursued with such an 
object is, as before stated, extremely 
simple; seed is produced plentifully by 
all the single flowering varieties, and the 
only point requiring particular attention, 
is to save it only from such as have the 
most decided colours; wherever a variety 
is observed to incline more positively 
towards the desired shade than is com¬ 
mon, there should the seed be obtained, 
and though the produce of the first sow¬ 
ing is not all that could be wished, it is 
at least probable some of the plants may 
indicate a change in the right direction, and 
from them again we have to raise another 
progeny. Lilac seed should be sown in 
March, on beds of light loamy earth, and 
if the seed is deposited in drills an in¬ 
creased facility both for weeding and 
thinning the plants will be insured, the 
rows should be about eighteen inches 
apart, which will allow the young plants 
sufficient room for the first two years of 
their existence, after which they will re¬ 
quire to be transplanted to nursery rows, 
where they may enjoy about a yard square 
for each plant; no further removal will be 
necessary till they bloom, which the ma¬ 
jority may be expected to do in the fourth 
year from sowing, and the remainder in 
the season following; of course, the most 
remarkable are then to be selected, and 
more ordinary ones may be transferred to 
the shrubbery, or, if required, may be 
potted for forcing; for the latter purpose 
they form the best plants it is possible to 
obtain, as they are just then of a suitable 
size and full of vigour. This branch of 
their culture is a very interesting one, 
and from the readiness with which they 
blossom under artificial treatment, are 
