224 A BOOK ABOUT THE GARDEN. 



that if I were relegated to the Land's End, to 

 contemplate the flower in question, they would not be 

 annoyed by my abrupt departure only detaining me 

 to ask, " Where can we get it ? " and receiving the 

 answer, " Can't say." I have sought, where I thought 

 I should surely find, at the birthplace of those lovely 

 rhododendrons, the Princesses Eoyal, Alexandria, 

 Alice, Helena, the Duchesses of Edinburgh and Teck, 

 the Countess of Haddington, and the untitled, but 

 admirable, Taylori and Veitchianurn ; but when I 

 announced the object of my desire (with the sure 

 confidence of a man who asks at Gunter's for an ice) 

 " I want a plant of Rhododendron Aucklandi," the 

 reply which I received, though it was less curtly and 

 more courteously expressed, was in effect this, then 

 " want must be your master." * 



And " there was a round pond, and a pretty pond 

 too," quite filled with the flowers, deliciously fragrant, 

 of the Aponogeton. The plant had been placed, in 

 the first instance, and in accordance with the sugges- 

 tive meaning of its name that is, " near to water " 

 upon a pile of stones which rose just above the 

 pool. There it existed for some time, but that was 

 all. There was no development of vigour, no efflor- 

 escence. One memorable day, a boy, playful, impul- 

 sive, quaint in imagination, quick in action, was 

 wandering in this delightful garden, accompanied by 

 a pair of those idle hands for which we know that a 

 large assortment of mischief is always kept in readi- 

 ness. He beheld the Aponogeton, and whether he 



* I finally obtained it from the Dublin Botanical Gardens, 

 but I could not persuade it to bloom. 



