FALL WORK. 139 



&quot; Shure I m thinkin it s never going to rain agin,&quot; 

 he said in despair, and the nurseryman was of the 

 same opinion, for his patience gave out, and, without 

 waiting for the actual falling of the precious drops, 

 he took advantage of the first dark day, which did 

 not arrive till the beginning of October, and sent the 

 two thousand plants. Under these circumstances, 

 and as Bridgeman says the beds may be made in 

 October, if not finished before, there was nothing to 

 be done but to soak the roots, thus trying to make 

 them believe it was raining, as Patrick explained it, 

 and set them out. 



A strawberry is a thrifty plant ; the only incon- 

 siderateness it is guilty of is to fill its deh cious pulpy 

 fruit with nasty little crackling seeds ; but give it the 

 least chance, and it will grow. Ours were assiduous 

 ly watered, and although, disgusted with the weather, 

 some wilted away, others managed to &quot; weather it,&quot; 

 as our sailors say, and put forth a few feeble leaves 

 in testimony of existence. By the end of October 

 there were gaps in their regular ranks, but still the 

 ranks were discernible, and the bed was an accom 

 plished fact. I was not a little proud of this suc 

 cess. It is only necessary, in these cases, to take the 

 thing in hand one s self, and I had kept the water 

 ing-pot in hand steadily. 



