LIBRARY 

 NEV/ YORK 

 BOTANfCAL 



GARDEN 



THE PERICP BOTpiET. 



Vol. V. BINGHAMTON, N. Y., JULY, 1903. No. 1. 



THE OLD FASHIONED GARDEN. 



BY DR. W. WHITMAN BAILEY. 



THERE is scarcely need to describe an old-fashioned 

 garden, for nearly every one knows it at sight. It is 

 still to be found in out of the way villages, and even some 

 old cities of New England. Phlox is generally in it, and 

 stocks and gilly-flowers; ^-ellow^ marigolds sun themselves 

 through the summer days, and coreopses stray out of 

 their borders w^hile the weeds leap in. There are great 

 tall hollyhocks standing like grenadiers on duty, and there 

 is a sweet-pea that has been loved by generations of old 

 maids. Bless those maiden aunts, from Betsy Trotwood 

 down! How delicious are their apples and cream, how 

 crisp their doughnuts, and how quaintly orthodox their 

 advice ! 



But we have, after the example of our first parents, 

 strayed from the garden. Let us return to the humble 

 flowers. Shakspeare himself has been before us, for here is 

 "a bank on w^hicli the wild thj^me grows," and here is 

 "sweet marjoram," the pass-word of Lear, and Ophelias' 

 pansies, and rosemary and columbine. Here are "cow- 

 slips tall" and "eglantine," and all the good old English 

 names. We have read that Shakspeare, who was no bot- 

 anist, makes mention of about one hundred and fifty 

 plants; a goodly number for a mediaeval herbarium. 

 That the weeds and wild flowers had a place deep down 

 in that human heart of his, who can doubt ? 



The china asters take us back to the time when we 

 were no taller than they, and quite as care-free. The cam- 

 omile makes us squirm wath its pungent odor, just as it 

 used. We never liked the double dahlias ; they are so very 



