FEBRUARY 291 



and June. They are always associated in my mind 

 with Stratford-on-Avon, because the only week 

 I have spent there was made glorious by an 

 enormous bunch of them given me by a friendly 

 market-gardener. It was my first acquaintance 

 with the flower, and the remembrance of my huge 

 posy is the only really happy one which I can 

 conjure up in connection with the great poet's birth- 

 place, because no one who loves him should on any 

 account be persuaded to visit Stratford-on-Avon. 



There are, of course, rockets and rockets. The 

 tall single ones are those most generally known, 

 and sometimes one sees whole borders invaded by 

 them, so easily do they propagate themselves by 

 scattering their seed far and wide around them. 

 These single kinds, however, are only fit for the 

 wild garden. But the double rocket is worthy of 

 the best place, and probably it would be more 

 grown than it is if it was not rather troublesome to 

 keep in stock. 



February is as good a month as any for the 

 planting of rockets, though this may be done in 

 the autumn with equally favourable results. The 

 point to bear in mind is that at some period of its 

 yearly growth root-division must be resorted to, 

 for if left to itself the plant dies out and disappears. 

 In consequence of this demand it has been con- 

 demned as only half hardy, whereas it is in truth 

 one of the hardiest things in the a-arden. In some 



o o 



of the coldest parts of Scotland it flourishes 

 amazingly, and it will flourish equally well 

 wherever its idiosyncrasy is recognised and pro- 

 vided for. 



