272 CHAPTER XXXVII. 



Well, our amateur gardener went at it, as they say, 

 " de la tete et du cul, comme un corbeau qui abat des 

 noix " ; like a jackdaw knocking down walnuts. He 

 felled the palms and tamarisks that gave a pleasant 

 shade, he rooted up the aromatic herbs that perfumed 

 the evening air ; he abolished the grassy places, and 

 made bare gravel walks. One purpose he kept 

 steadily in view, namely, to leave nothing as he found 

 it. Nature must disappear, as far as possible. Then 

 he traced fantastic flower beds, in which no native 

 plant must show. He cut and carved ; he filled up 

 here, he dug and delved and devastated there. 



The Pacha was delighted with his garden, because 

 it was something new and singular, and had cost a 

 great sum of money. The Pacha's garden is not the 

 only one of this sort. 



Why should the wild flowers disappear? Dr. 

 Smee, prince of gardeners, " could not find it in his 

 heart," he said, to extirpate them from his beds and 

 borders. How much more here in Nice should they 

 be allowed to live ? for we may say of the Riviera, 

 as Byron does of Italy, " All thy weeds are flowers." 

 Sir Thomas Hanbury admits to his botanical paradise 

 at La Mortola about 350 indigenous species. 



The native gardener has a great objection to 

 plants which grow spontaneously. You will intercede 

 in vain for a Gladiolus or a Grape Hyacinth (Miiscari): 

 " Ca c'est de la salete" ! " 



A neighbour had received from America a small 

 Guava shrub (Psidium). After some time this Guava 

 threw out a few little knobs. Two gardeners were 

 on their knees examining these. " It is going to 

 fruit," said one. " No," answered the other, " it has not 



