DECEMBER 143 



for success cannot be expected at the first trial ; many 

 trials in many dififerent places must often be made 

 before success is reached ; and, of course, there will be 

 many disappointments, but these need not be painful, 

 and they have their uses, for in plant-growing, as in life, 

 ' tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience.' 



The second quality I name is liberality, which many 

 years ago I was taught by an excellent gardener to be 

 of the first importance in making and keeping a good 

 collection. I have no sympathy with the feeling of 

 satisfaction in being the sole possessor of a rare plant ; 

 I hold it to be true economy to divide and distribute 

 as much as possible, for the selfish holder of the rarity 

 will often find himself rightly punished by losing his 

 one plant, and then not knowing where to look for 

 it again. 1 



And the third requisite is a good catalogue ; and I 

 know from experience that I should have had great 

 difficulty in getting my collection together if I had 

 not always made it a practice to catalogue my plants, 

 and to keep the catalogue as accurate as possible. It 

 forms at once the best letter of introduction to other 

 gardens, showing what you want, and also what you 

 may perhaps be able to give. But a good catalogue 

 requires a careful naming of plants, and that, I think, 

 1 See p. 293. 



