A GREAT RlJNNEK. 275 



wheat; then the fruit rots, or the turnips will not 

 grow, or the sweet potatoes run entirely to vine, or 

 the oats to straw. Something never comes out right, 

 or does what was expected of it, and often behaves in 

 a shabby manner. Of course, my horticulture could 

 be no exception, but the eccentricities of Flushing 

 soil are rather extravagant, although the editor of 

 the Agriculturist lives in the neighborhood, and does 

 all he can to keep it in order. I have mentioned 

 some peculiarities of my hot-house experience. I 

 will give certain facts, quite as strange, relative to 

 out-of-door gardening. 



There were some hardy perennials which I had 

 raised with great care, and among them a fine speci 

 men of crimson flax, or what I had satisfied myself 

 was crimson flax. My seeds had fallen into a little 

 confusion in consequence of the names getting 

 washed off the labels by the rains ; but, as the plant 

 bore a crimson flower, and did not resemble any 

 thing else in particular, I had made up my mind it 

 was crimson flax ; if it were not, there must have 

 been a defect in Thorburn s seeds, which is not to be 

 presumed, for nothing else of that description came 

 up. Perennials are not generally satisfactory during 

 their first season ; they make a poor growth of it, 

 showing a feebleness that is extremely painful to a 



