20 
years past it has always flowered in the Spring. This year, I 
suppose it thought it was again in the South ; it sent up its curious 
leaves at the end of September, like a gigantic green star lying 
flat on the ground, and its beautiful flowers have been in great 
luxuriance all through October and November, and are still in 
their beauty. (Dec. 16). 
There are two accidental curiosities which must be entirely put 
down to the hot summer. One is the re-appearance of long-lost 
plants. I have two such that are worth mentioning. I have good 
seedlings, not very near together, of some Cytisus, now healthy 
young plants ; and yet I cannot call to mind ever having had a 
Cytisus that would produce such seedlings. The other case is 
much more curious. Many years ago, perhaps twenty or more, I 
used to grow the pretty little Cape Plant, Bulbine annua. I am 
sure it is at least ten or twelve years since I have seen a plant in 
my garden ; but this year they are in abundance and in many 
parts of the garden ; and what adds to the curiosity is that they 
have come up in the same way in a friend’s garden in the Isle of 
Wight, and he also cannot call to mind when he last saw the 
plant in his garden, but he is sure it is many years ago. 
The other accidental curiosity I would mention is the effect of 
the summer on our store fruit. Apples are keeping very badly ; 
and in most cases ripened prematurely. Pears and grapes too are 
ripening badly, and keeping badly. The greengrocers tell me 
it is the same with chestnuts, and the further result is that the 
cider of this year will not keep, and housekeepers are mourning 
over the premature spoiling of their jams by mould. I suppose in 
the case of our own fruit, especially apples, the sugar has been 
formed too rapidly, and formentation has set in, and this may help 
us to understand why it is that apples do so much better in 
temperate regions than in hot climates; the fruit to be good 
must mature slowly. But this is only a guess ; I do not profess 
to know all the mysteries of an apple, or I might be able to 
explain how it is that the apple is the hardiest fruit tree known, 
