KALMIAS. 49 



In the middle of each group of beds, which 

 the grass walk divides, is a circular bed full of 

 American shrubs. Among these shrubs are several 

 rather fine Kalmias. Very often they do not 

 flower at all, or at best bear a bloom only here 

 and there. This year they are laden with blossom, 

 which is now just ready to burst, and I shall have 

 a show of Kalmia flowers such as I have not 

 seen, since two-and-twenty years ago, I wandered 

 among the Kalmia brakes in the forests of Vir- 

 ginia ; and the flower is so beautiful pink outside, 

 and, as Ruskin says, inside " like the beating out 

 of bosses in hollow silver, beaten out apparently 

 in each petal by the stamens instead of a hammer." 



Another bed, which will be very effective in a 

 day or two, is a bed of the double Persian Brier, 

 pegged and trained. The festoons of yellow buds 

 are all but out, and will be one mass of sweet 

 and lovely little Roses. 



The Nemophila bed has done very well, but 

 we did not plant it as thickly as we should have 

 done, and there are bare places here and there. 



I have still to mention the great bushes, or rather 

 trees, of Hawthorn, of which some stand in front 

 of the dining-room windows, while others fling 

 their perfume across the hedge that divides the 



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