April 26—In our notes a few days ago, we mentioned the snowball tree. We have now observed a snow flower or fringe tree in full bloom and what a beautiful sight it is. The flowers are a most peculiar shape; the petals being white, long, narrow and really fringe like, The tree belongs to the Natural Order Oleaceae and is known botanically as Chionanthus from chien white or snow, and antlias, a flower. Our local species is C. retuse. Many people confuse this name with the name of the yellow flowering fragrant blossom which is in flower here early in the year: we see leafless stems of the plant covered with yellow flowers having purple blotches at the base, being offered for sale on our streets in January and February. That plant is Chimonanthus fragrant from cheimon winter and anthus a flower. Its common name is Winter Sweet and it is a member of the natural order Calycanthaceae, An herbaceous plant has been in flower in many gardens recently which is worthy of note. It is Dicentra spectabilis and it is a native of Japan. We have heard the plant referred to as. "Chinaman's breeches"; but it is generally known as "bleeding heart." We thought that the drooping flowers which are produced on long racemes, hanging very gracefully, would look still more charming over a groundwork of Myosotis. The Bluebells we saw on our stroll today may be a little too tall to use in the same bed as "bleeding heart." But why should they be mixed with
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.