MAY 



97 



because they do not grow very robust, owing to the dryness 

 of the soil. B. Darwinii was nearly killed by the severe 

 winter, but is now flowering profusely, and is a lovely 

 and desirable shrub. The whole charm of flowering 

 shrubs, to my mind, depends on their being given lots of 

 room, and sufficient care being taken of them to make 

 them individually healthy plants. The dear little pink 

 Daphne Cneorum is doing well, but I have myself often 

 given it a canful of water during the last fortnight. It 

 is very much strengthened if, after the flowering, you 

 layer a certain number of the branches, covering them 

 with a little peat ; this enables you to increase your 

 stock of plants, and improves the size of your specimen 

 plant. 



All this last month we have been eating the thin- 

 nings of seedling Lettuces as salad, and they are most 

 delicious. All kinds of Lettuces seem to eat equally well ; 

 they are grown in boxes in a frame. I first thought of 

 eating them from seeing that they were thrown away to 

 give room for those that were going to be planted out. I 

 now purposely grow them in extra quantities, and in 

 succession, so that my salads may never fall short. Even 

 out of doors, in the summer, we sometimes grow them if 

 our large Lettuces run to seed. They make infinitely 

 better salad than the tough little brown Cos Lettuces, 

 grown with such care in frames all through the winter. 

 All the year round I always mix the salad on the table 

 myself, using nothing but oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper ; 

 and I always have brought to table, on a separate little 

 plate, some herbs, Tarragon, Chervil, and some very 

 young Onions ; these I cut up over the Lettuces before 

 I mix in the oil and vinegar. If you have no young 

 Onions, Chive-tops do very well. These herbs are an 

 immense addition to any salad, but are far from 

 universally used in England, though they are quite easy 



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