My New Zealand Garden 103 



pod when it looked ripe, and sowed the seed at 

 once, and in two months up came the tiny pets. 

 I think the lady who told me of her great success 

 with them must have expended her skill on 

 Scarlet Runners. 



Flower-viewing parties, which the Japs have, 

 sound very delightful, and could be made full of 

 instruction among real garden-lovers. We could 

 take pencils and paper and write down the names 

 of things we liked, making notes regarding their 

 culture. We could exchange cuttings and seeds 

 then and there, instead of promising them and 

 forgetting all about it. We could compare our 

 experiences, get hints, and get rid of mistakes, and 

 thus all learn and teach something. The difficulty 

 of issuing invitations would be great, and might 

 result in a large garden-party in a small garden. 

 Perhaps, however, if the conversation were re- 

 stricted to gardening it would prevent overcrowd- 

 ing ; but who would set a watch upon our tongues ? 

 Not even the aforesaid paid garden expert would 

 undertake it ! In fact, I am afraid that the nice 

 idea must drop, so far away from the Flowery 

 Land. 



I sowed the stone of a common Date (Phoenix 

 dactylifera) ten years ago, and the plant is now 

 nearly 5 feet high only a little smaller than the 

 twenty-five-year-old Nikau Palm. It has just 

 bade farewell to its flower-pot, and thrives in 



