MY GARDENING. 5 
which I had need to bend? Though no horti- 
culturist, perhaps, ever had such a thought before, 
expense was the sole objection visible. Called 
away just then for another long absence, I gave 
orders that no “dust” should leave the house; 
and found a monstrous heap on my return. The 
road-contractors supplied “sweepings” at a 
shilling aload. Beginning at the outskirts of my 
property, I raised a mound three feet high and 
three feet broad, replanted the shrubs on the back 
edge, and left a handsome border for flowers. So 
well this succeeded, so admirably every plant 
throve in that compost, naturally drained and 
lifted to the sunlight, that I enlarged my views. 
The soil is gravel, peculiarly bad for roses; and 
at no distant day my garden was a swamp, not 
unchronicled had we room to dwell on such 
matters. The bit of lawn looked decent only at 
midsummer. I first tackled the rose question. 
The bushes and standards, suchas they were, faced 
south, of course—that is, behind the house. A 
line of fruit-trees there began to shade them 
grievously. Experts assured me that if I raised a 
bank against these, of such a height as I proposed, 
they would surely die; I paid no attention to the 
experts, nor did my fruit-trees. The mound 
raised is, in fact, a crescent on the inner edge, 
