'*haif a dozen good bhedbs. 
■weigelia. 
With each returning June a 
ireigelia rosea peex-s out froxn xmd a ^ e 
Norway Spruce in xny lawn. It is ®onsiu 
frahly dwarfed, and from its position one 
would suppose that it could receive neithei 
rain nor dew snfdcient to maintain its posi¬ 
tion a single year ; hut it 
for ten or more years expanded ts rn^iads 
of blossoms, ranging from pale Josh to 
dark rose, to gladden our sight. The Rose 
Weigelia is undoubtedly the prettiest and 
most desirable of all flowering shrubs. It is 
perfectly hardy, and exceeds in profusion ant 
wealth of bloom all others, whUe its varying 
eolor and good foliage give it the appear¬ 
ance of a large bouquet. 
golden SPIRiEA. 
Next to the Weigelia my favorite is the 
Golden Spiraea. Its leaves come out early 
in May, with a bright golden eolor, which is 
maintained with a gradual change to lemon, 
and then light green about the middle of 
June, when it becomes covered with small, 
white clusters of blossoms, which are fol¬ 
lowed by red seed-capsules that entirely 
cover the bush, and give it a peculiar ap¬ 
pearance of its own through the rest of the 
season. This shrub is a sport from the 
native Sjyiraa opulifolia, is hardy, and of 
cleanly habit. 
STRIXGA. 
The third shrub of my preference is 
the sweet-scented Philadelphus Ph. coron- 
aria, popularly called Syringa, or Mock 
Orange. There are two distinct varieties, 
blooming ten days apart, of one of which 
the young wood is of a red color. It sows its 
seeds freely, and seedlings varying slightly 
from the parent are quite common. 
Its wealth of white makes the Syringa de¬ 
sirable to plant as a foreground to ever- 
gi’eens, or dark-colored buildings. 
BED DOGWOOD. 
A fourth shrub that flourishes in any but 
the very driest soils is the Cornus san- 
giiinea. Its stems are a bright scarlet all 
winter and spring, while its summer dress is 
pleasing and its habit good. It blooms in 
June, bearing its blossoms, small corymbs 
of elder-like flowers, followed by white 
fruit. The foliage in August is favorite food 
for a snow-white caterpillar, which is easily 
destroyed with white hellebore. 
PURPLE BARBERRY. 
A very unique shrub is the Purple Bar¬ 
berry. It is in habit of growth and general 
characteristics similar to the common Bar¬ 
berry bush of New England, but its foliage 
for the first two months after bursting into 
growth is a deep chocolate purple. It is so 
singular and attractive in appearance that it 
has been for several years a special favorite 
of mine, but this morning I noticed for the 
first time a disgusting and apparently hope¬ 
less disease upon it. Under a microscope 
of low power the leaves appear dotted hero 
and there with small clusters of a fungus¬ 
looking growth, displaying small cups of a 
bright orange hue. In more advanced stages 
they cover a space a third of an inch in 
of an iiicl> m long • ^ smaller on 
are orange colored, goloi. 
are quite ^^st plentif^^l the 
Where the insects powder- 
leaves are ®®^7’®^^ tork of spider hke 
like pollen, and a net woi 
TABT.1BUVN HONEYSUCiaE. 
L oil save tli0 
This is the earliest o , _ 
‘Trr:r.sri 1 
anything more ^ ^^d of their 
SnVme't principles 
Slwinwiteatanoth^^n.^^^^ 
WALKS AND ROADS. 
The guiding principle in locating the posi¬ 
tion of roads and walks is utility. Nature 
forms no roads or paths; they are the work 
of men and animals, and would undoubtedly 
always proceed in straight lines from point 
to point if obstructions of various kinds did 
not interfere and cause delations. Neces¬ 
sity will, therefore, suggest wliere and how 
they should be introduced. 
So far as regards roads and walks to and 
from buildings or prominent points of in¬ 
terest, the object of their introduction is 
sufficiently apparent; but in arranging or 
laying out pleasure-grounds and lawns it is 
too common a practice to introduce walks 
merely to fill up the gi'oimd, under the erro¬ 
neous idea that it forms a pleasing variety 
of ornament, or that a walk is in itself a thing 
of beauty, like a tree, which it is not. These 
are all very questionable reasons for doing a 
very absurd thing,—that is, making a walk 
where it is not needed. A road or walk 
should always appear to aim for some defi¬ 
nite object, or lead as directly as practicable 
to points of sufficient importance to show' 
their utility. 
Unnecessary roads and walks should be 
carefully avoided; they are expensive, usu¬ 
ally, in their construction, if properly made, 
and require to be kept clean and neat. 
as defining a point between the 
architectural lines of a building and thVfe''^ 
rdar surfaces and outlines of natural ohjeT 
contiguous to it, a perfectly straight walk ■ 
in the best taste, and adds greatly to arch’ 
tectural effect; while, on the other hand 
serpentine or frequently curving walk,foiw 
ing, it may be, all the projecting and recedw 
lines of the gi-ound plan of the buil^ 
detracts from both solidity and harmony of 
effect. So also a walk alongside of a straight 
boundary fence, especially in limited areas 
where both the fence and walk are visible at 
the same time, should not curve until it ^t 
least deflects into a course directed from the 
boundary line; and yet we may occasionally 
notice a zigzag walk under these circnin- 
stances, and so decidedly crooked that one 
steps first on zig and then on zag in the at¬ 
tempt to walk over the pathway. 
Most persons are aware of the great beauty 
of straight walks, and avenues of trees when 
properly placed, and for public parks of the 
lesser order, such as in small squares in 
cities, they are both effective and convenient, 
where curving walks would be the reverse. 
In this case beauty depends upon harmony 
rather than upon contrast, and, more than 
either, upon utility. When roads or walks 
are carried over irregular surfaces, the nat¬ 
ural turns and windings necessary to follow 
an easy gi'ade and keep as closely to the 
original surface of the gi’ound as possible 
will usually develop pleasing curves. A little 
studied attention to this question as to the 
course of a walk or road will increase the 
beauty of curving lines by adding to them 
the factor of utility; deep and expensive 
cuttings, as w'ell as troublesome embank¬ 
ments, may also be avoided, and easy grades 
and economical construction be secm'ed. 
When it is necessary to branch a secondaiy 
road from the main road, it should leave the 
latter at nearly a right angle, and at the 
same time it should be somewhat narrower 
than the principal road, so as to avoid con¬ 
fusion or mistake. Otherwise, the roads 
leading to the ice-house, the stable, or other 
out-buildings may be mistaken for the road 
to the dwelling. All these roads should be 
made to appear subordinate. 
In laying out curving or winding walks or 
roads it is not always best to follow geoniet- 
Nothing looks more woe-begono and pov- ' curves out to any 
erty-striekon than a weedy, neglected road | i'®gnlar radius. This plan may occasiona y 
prove perfectly satisfactory on a stric-y 
level surface, but it will have quite an oppo 
to a house, or walks through pleasure- 
grounds or gardens. They detract much 
from the beauty of the surroundings, no 
matter how elaboi’ato or intrinsically worthy 
they may bo. An ovorsupply of roads and 
walks is always a serious inlliction, and their 
useless introduction is a sure evidence of the 
work of a novice in landscape gardening 
The endeavor to introduce the beauty of 
curved linos sometimes prompts to a devia¬ 
tion from the more available direct course 
Bn<l whore it can bo done without too groat 
a sacrifice of utility, it is not objectioimblo 
Imt, on tho contrary, adds to the good cIToci’ 
But walks or roads should never bo Im... i 
apparently sufficient reason A 
plants, or other similar obstruclio ' 
nKl..ce, and seemingly demand, a cluujei 
straight lino shoukl bo'prrfln’ed 
of taste in design. 
site effect whore tho ground is uiidulat"’»' 
Tho curves, to bo pleasing, must be what is 
known ns “oj'o-swoet”—not too sudden rf 
abru])t—and properly blended at theirpe^'^ 
of junction.— H'lii. Sauuders, Iteforc tho 
Met of ('olmiihia Uorlicidtural Society- 
MOWING LAWNS. 
To maintain a lawn in perfect conditio^’ 
it must bo mowed every week or ton 
blit not so cloMO as to lay bare the 
roots. Nothing is so dostructivo to 
lawn as too close mowing. If the 
done regularly at proper time, tho pj, 
nood never be removed, except 
after tho first mowing in spring. 
the clippings constitute a valuable fei • ^ 
and mulch, of which the lawn 
deprived, and rakes do generally more 
than good on a lawn. Tho best imp ®® 
for smoothing a lawn is a good roller. 
