The James River Plantation Belt 



bricated and prickly involucre is composed of numerous oval scales 

 whose fleshy bases are much esteemed as an article of food, so 

 plentiful in California and so rare with us in the east. 



Now you turn and pass along another transverse walk parallel 

 with the former. On your left is the pit which in winter holds the 

 Marechal Neil rose, the lemon and gardenia, begonias and all those 

 plants and shrubs that can not be left out to the blight of winter. 

 On your right there is another border leading to the gate and con- 

 tinuing beyond it to the garden fence. This border merges into 

 another border at right angles which continues along the fence up 

 to the transverse walkway. Every border is surrounded by box- 

 hedges of ancient growth. The last border mentioned encom- 

 passes a wealth of bloom and fragrance — irises, Madonna lilies, 

 nasturtiums, petunias, cosmos, gladioli and chrysanthemums, del- 

 phiniums, as well as shrubs of many kinds. Fortunately the hedges 

 are sufficiently low to allow one to step over into squares and small 

 plots and here, with gloves, basket and scissors, one can cull to one's 

 heart's content and joy. 



The vegetable squares, as before said, are towards the upper 

 end of the garden, as are also the small fruits, currants, goose- 

 berries and raspberries. Just beyond the artichoke bed behold the 

 strawberry bed ! Push away the straw and pick the glorious crim- 

 son globes and thank God that you are alive. One feels like a 

 ravager of shrines, but there is strawberry cream for dinner and 

 strawberry jam all the winter! 



Fruit trees bloom at distant points about the garden and give 

 additional beauty, while the vegetables vie with one another, turnips 

 and radishes near the gray-green cabbages; peas, beans and potatoes 

 stand in neighbourly proximity to tomato plants. 



In the early morning, in the long noonday, in the cool of the 

 evening, the garden is a place of refuge, solace and happiness; the 

 atmosphere is laden with the fragrance of boxwood; birds, bees 

 and butterflies are there, their confidence in the Infinite provision 



[63] 



