34 IN A GLOUCESTERSHIRE GARDEN 



account of the sparrows. I have plenty of sparrows, 

 but they do not attack the crocus ; nor am I much 

 troubled with mice, which in some gardens work 

 woful destruction among the crocus bulbs. Now 

 and then I see signs of a mouse, but a good garden 

 cat and a few traps soon get rid of the little plagues. 

 Once, however, the mice, or rather the small field 

 voles, entirely destroyed a number of young apple- 

 trees, eating all the roots away, but not touching 

 any part aboveground. For some time they refused 

 all baits, but at last I tried the Brazil nut, and that 

 was irresistible, and I have never had a similar in 

 vasion of the little creatures. 



Before the crocuses had passed away the dog's- 

 tooth violets were in full flower, and I rank them 

 among the very prettiest of our spring flowers. Yet 

 they are by no means common, and I suppose that 

 arises from their very slow increase, for my own 

 plants, which have certainly been here over thirty 

 years, scarcely increase at all. Though fairly common 

 in the south and east of Europe, it does not seem 

 to have been introduced into English gardens before 

 the beginning of the seventeenth century, and then 

 was considered to be an orchid, though really of 

 the lily family. Some of the family are found 

 in America, with spotted leaves very similar to the 



