s wilt and gradually fade away under trees, for their soft, weak
stems and leaves soon get drawn up for want of light, though they will do
well enough on an _open_ border, facing north.

=Hard-wooded plants= will be generally found to do best; indeed, some of
the shrub tribe succeed very well, particularly barberry, _pernettyas_,
the early _daphnes_, whortleberries, _gaultheria shallon_ and
_cotoneaster_.

While on the subject of =shrubs=, it may be as well to mention several
attractive kinds which may be planted in place of the =eternal box= and
Portugal laurel; of course, these two have almost every good quality; they
will do in any soil, are ever-green, and resist smoke, dust and dirt well;
but, in places where poor soil and a soot-laden atmosphere are absent,
=substitutes might occasionally be found for those shrubs=, which will
have the added charm of novelty. One of the nicest for small gardens is
_cotoneaster microphylla_; this is a joy to look at, all through the
winter months, when it is at its best; the branches grow in an uncommon
manner, and are of somewhat prostrate habit; they are thickly clothed with
dark, small leaves the whole way up the stem, and shining amongst them are
the pretty crimson, almost transparent berries. It is quite distinct from
the ordinary berry-bearing shrubs, as there is =nothing stiff about its
gracefully-curving sprays=, which look well cut and wedged in the
Japanese fashion. Shrubs of this variety may be had as low as sixpence,
but it is better policy to get a larger one, costing about eighteen pence,
as they will sooner be of a presentable size; they are shrubs, too, that
do not altogether show their capabilities when at a very youthful stage.

=A GOOD ALL ROUND PLANT.= _Berberis aquifolium_ is another shrub which has
a great deal to recommend it; it is ever-green, and will do in almost any
position; it bears lovely yellow flowers in spring, purple powdered
berries in August, and the foliage turns a rich red in October. Always
ornate, it is one of the easiest shrubs to grow, and =just the thing for a
small garden=.

=The myrtle=, though liable to be killed in a very hard frost, can often
be grown to a great size in a sheltered garden; I have seen bushes eight
yards round, in an exposed position near the river Thames, which must have
been braving the storms for many a year past. They should not be planted
out till March or April, though November is the month for most other
shru