The Blue Flower Border 267 



loved. The Succory is an example of a plant, 

 known certainly to flower students, yet little 

 thought of by careless observers until the beautiful 

 poem of Margaret Deland touched all who read it. 

 I think this a gem of modern poesy, having in full 

 that great element of a true poem, the most essen- 

 tial element indeed of a short poem — the power 

 of suggestion. Who can read it without being 

 stirred by its tenderness and sentiment, yet how 

 few are the words. 



" Oh, not in ladies' gardens, 



My peasant posy, 

 Shine thy dear blue eyes ; 

 Nor only — nearer to the skies 



In upland pastures, dim and sweet, 

 But by the dusty road, 



Where tired feet 

 Toil to and fro, 



Where flaunting Sin 

 May see thy heavenly hue, 



Or weary Sorrow look from thee 

 Toward a tenderer blue." 



I recall perfectly every flower I saw in pasture, 

 swamp, forest, or lane when I was a child ; and I 

 know I never saw Chicory save in old gardens. 

 It has increased and spread wonderfully along the 

 roadside within twenty years. By tradition it was 

 first brought to us from England by Governor 

 Bowdoin more than a century ago, to plant as 

 forage. 



In our common Larkspur, the old-fashioned gar- 

 den found its most constant and reliable blue ban- 



