THE AUTUMN GARDEN 227 



which shot up seven or eight feet through 

 the Medlar's branches, and there turned to 

 flaming gold and red. Needless to say, because 

 I loathe the quaint little Medlars, no other fruit 

 tree in the garden bears such crops. Happily, 

 however, a neighbour has been discovered who 

 thinks the little horrors a great dainty, and is 

 positively grateful to me for bestowing them 

 on her. 



Of Japanese Maples, all are beautiful, all are 

 decorative, from early Spring to late Autumn ; 

 and as they are perfectly hardy we cannot grow 

 too many of them in the garden. But to be 

 seen to the greatest advantage they must not 

 be huddled in with other shrubs, but planted 

 singly or in groups, with plenty of space 

 between the bushes, in some position where 

 their beauty may be seen from all points. A 

 huge bush of A. palmatum atropurpureum, stand- 

 ing out alone in the centre of one of the 

 Rhododendron dells in Mr. Waterer's garden 

 at Bagshot, was so striking an object as to 

 distract one's attention for awhile from the 

 lofty walls of blossom round it. And if its 



