WEEDS AND ALIEN PLANTS 9 



the place where I first allowed it to grow. 

 It does not perpetuate itself by seed like the 

 balsam, but from little odds and ends of 

 rootlets and suckers that hide themselves in 

 the soil. 



What I take to be a variety of " Oxalis 

 corniculata," a very pretty little thing with 

 dark reddish-brown leaves and deep yellow 

 flowers, is another uncontrollable subject. It 

 is perennial and yet increases by seed as fast 

 as a balsam. 



A plant which on the top of a stone wall 

 is very pretty, " Linaria vulgaris," has proved 

 a veritable plague to me in the garden. I 

 had it sent to me originally by a nurseryman 

 for the " Peloria " variety, and as if the 

 disappointment of that were not enough, it 

 added insult to injury, or rather injury to 

 insult, by running below the surface in a 

 provoking and persevering manner and 

 showing itself in most unexpected places. 

 Although the normal " vulgaris " is so irre- 

 pressible, I have found " Peloria " quite the 

 reverse, and have never been able to keep it 

 above a year or two. 



The double-flowered varieties of most 

 plants are, as a rule, more difficult than the 

 ordinary single, but a little potentilla (" rep- 

 tans " ?) with a yellow ball of double flower 

 has proved an exception here. No single- 

 flowered plant could get over and under the 

 ground faster than this has done. 



