JUNE 1 1 1 



he takes up these bulbs during the third week of 

 May and lays them in by the heels. Of course, one 

 is then justified in jumping to the conclusion that 

 these flowers which have closed their petals for 

 the night are the late English tulips, until one is 

 reminded that in a previous chapter he has told us 

 that he has never made proper use of these. This 

 is one of those mysteries which hurt the under- 

 standing. Has he made any use of them, and are 

 they the flowers that have just closed their petals for 

 the night, or are his Dutch tulips so kind as to give 

 him a further season of their beauty after they are 

 laid in by the heels? These perplexities in a book 

 which should help me in my gardening ought not 

 so to be. They are too cruel to the merely average 

 floriculturist. They make me feel how small are 

 my powers in comparison with the powers of the 

 gardener in this book, /cannot find large expanses 

 of bluebells on my domain towards the latter end of 

 June ; my woods are not diapered with primroses 

 on the 3Oth of May ; I cannot grow woodruff from 

 cuttings. I cannot get half the good results that 

 this gardener gets from his garden, and the con- 

 sciousness not only of my inferior powers, but also 

 of Nature's unkindness in giving less lavishly to 

 me than to others, induces feelings of depression 

 akin to despair. The gardener-poet tells us that if 

 he were asked which of his works he likes best he 

 would answer " My garden." I have never seen 

 his garden, so it is obviously impossible for me to 

 re-echo this sentiment. But it must be a delightful 

 garden to wander in and to admire, even at the risk 

 of unworthy feelings of envy and the like. Loving 



