> PUer 



relieve an old forgotten hollyhock of its poor little 

 children who are being choked to death by weeds and 

 haven't a chance in the world. Then, too, a scraggly 

 old lilac will be very grateful if you help yourself 

 to the dozens of suckers which are needlessly drain- 

 ing its health. 



It was by means of such salvage that we started 

 a lilac hedge and were blessed by a row of blooming 

 hollyhocks from the piazza to the road, the summer 

 after their rescue. 



There is no shorter route to country neighbors' 

 hearts than a love of flowers. Country people arc 

 not specialists, carefully guarding rare flower treas- 

 ures ; they are, on the contrary, big-hearted owners 

 of nice old-fashioned plants which they got through 

 earlier neighbors' giving, and which they in turn 

 pass on to flower-loving newcomers. 



So it happened I soon found each call from a 

 neighbor meant the enriching of our garden by iris, 

 rockets or hardy phlox clumps, while a return call 

 meant being the recipient of dozens of slips and 

 roots. I never before found it so easy and pleasant 

 to remember my social duties. 



The really permanent things which found place 

 in our garden the first spring were therefore gotten 

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