282 JANUARY 



frequently as they were likely to require it ; for lilies 

 do not care for a heavy dressing of stable stuff in 

 the winter. The tips of their crowns should be 

 always exposed to light and air, for they love to see 

 the world all the year round, so that nourishment 

 should be administered in liquid form. Having 

 thus provided carefully for their wants the more 

 carefully because they were a costly new variety 

 I watched them dwindling away to nothingness 

 through three seasons. The first spring there was 

 a wealth of leaves ; the second there were compara- 

 tively few ; the third I succeeded in counting twelve 

 sprays, and never a flower worthy of the name 

 throughout the whole of that time. I am willing to 

 ascribe the failure to the fact that the variety was, 

 as I have said, a new one, that known as Fortin's, 

 so I have lately made a fresh plantation with the 

 old common sort, and hope for better results with 

 it. " There's a deal of deception in ahdvertyse- 

 ments," as poor old Mr. Tyler used to say, and I 

 cannot deny that in the matter of garden stuff I 

 have been befooled by them many a time and oft. 



Jan. 22. A snap of cold weather has made me 

 anxious for my standard roses, and I have tied 

 wisps of bracken among their heads. The bush 

 plants do not require this care, as they are carefully 

 earthed up and well mulched, so that even if the 

 branches die back fresh shoots will spring from the 

 crowns. This hard weather has put a stop to the 

 indefatigable outdoor labours of Sterculus, who is 

 a miserable man in consequence. With so little 

 glass as we possess his industrious soul is harassed 

 by enforced idleness, though he tries hard to make 



