184 A BOOK ABOUT THE GARDEN. 



covered frame, in which were twelve pansies in pots. 

 No remark was made on them, and we just passed 

 leisurely by, as though nobody thought much interest 

 about them ; but we made the most of time and eye- 

 sight. And the consequence was, that we were in 

 tip-top spirits during the rest of our visit ; and when 

 we were out of the grounds, and master asked me 

 what I thought of his wager, I remember that I 

 answered, " It's a Eibston Pippin to a Siberian Crab 

 on our lot, unless the gents as is going to judge 

 prefers fourpenny-bits to florins ! " Well, the show- 

 day came, and the judges came, and they preferred, 

 both to fourpennies and florins, some crown-pieces 

 which came, in the form of twelve plants much finer 

 than ours, and were shown by our relation ! Their 

 prize specimens were concealed in the asparagus bed 

 all the time of our visit ; and when the race came, 

 they sailed away from us, like a yot from a barge full 

 o' coals. 



Disappointment number two corned some time 

 afterwards, when, having a good deal of glass under 

 my charge, I used to grow some large specimen 

 plants. On one occasion I had some twenty of these 

 in readiness for a grand floral exhibition, which was 

 to be held same time with our county agricultural 

 show, and I was naturally very anxious to win a 

 special prize of twenty pounds that was offered for 

 twelve stove and greenhouse plants. Looking round, 

 on the morning of the exhibition, I saw that I had 

 only one man to fear, a stranger who had brought 

 from a distance some plants quite as good as my 

 own, with others of an inferior quality. I must tell 



