56 AUTOBIOGRAPHY [CHAP. VIIL 



workings, as I then resided on my father's Gloucestershire pro- 

 perty. The extent was not very great, only about 800 acres, 

 but the nature of both the land and the cultivation afforded 

 wonderful variety of material for commencing a collection. 

 The wood- and park-land included old timber trees in some 

 instances dating back to the time of the Edwards, and also 

 plenty of ordinary deciduous woodland and coppice. The 

 fir plantations supplied conifer-loving forest pests ; the 

 ordinary insects of crop and garden were of course plen- 

 tiful ; the woodland and field pools added their quota ; and 

 the diversity in exposure from the salt pasturage by the 

 Severn to the various growths up the face of the cliffs to 

 about 140 feet probably had something to do also with 

 the great variety of insect life. I had willing helpers 

 in the agricultural labourers when they had made up 

 their minds whether they would assist or not. They had 

 always helped, for we were on very friendly terms, and 

 some of them or their children, like myself, had been 

 born on the estate. But, though I did not know it at the 

 time, I heard afterwards that when I asked for such special 

 help they held a sort of informal meeting to consult whether 

 it should be granted. Happily they settled that I was to be 

 helped because the rural counsel stated I made use of what 

 I got. The verdict was satisfactory in practical results, but 

 I had my own private opinion that what were sometimes 

 called " Miss Eleanor's shillings " helped the cause of 

 collection. From the commencement of work until my 

 father's death, when I ceased to have command of the 

 large area of ground, I collected and sent the results to 

 the charge of Mr. Murray. Communication was entirely 

 carried on by letter. 



[N.B. Miss Ormerod's work was gracefully acknowledged 

 by the Royal Horticultural Society awarding her the Floral 

 Medal (plate xxn.).] 



Family Dispersal. 



My father's last days were happy and painless, and were 

 passed in comfort under the attendance of my sisters and 

 myself, whom, in the failing condition of his powers of 

 exertion he preferred to all other society. We deeply 

 felt the happiness of ministering to his welfare, for he 

 would not hear of our leaving him for even twenty-four 

 hours, and he objected to visits from my brothers excepting 

 occasionally for a short time. They, not being used to the 

 gentle ways necessary for an aged invalid, worried him. 



