FEBRUARY 23 



say that in February there is but one kind of 

 reading that wholly delights me, and that is 

 the reading of catalogues : plant and seed, and 

 fruit and bulb, catalogues. Herbals, botanies, 

 manuals garden-books in general these are 

 for all the year. In this month I care only for 

 the lists of things men who deal in living 

 plants have to sell. Because my name is found 

 only in the most modest corner of their order- 

 book since air-gardening is not a costly 

 pursuit, and all I ever buy is an occasional 

 packet of seeds for some friend who owns a 

 leasehold of more tangible soil than mine I 

 am obliged to send shamefaced postcards, or 

 deceitful notes enclosing stamps, to the men 

 whose advertisements are the crowning delight 

 of the monthly magazines. I cannot buy their 

 wares, I know, but, as it is better to give than 

 to receive, it is only a kindness to them to 

 enable them to place at least one of their 

 pamphlets where it will do the most good to 

 the recipient if not to the sender. Moreover, 

 it would not be polite to refuse a courtesy, and 

 they beg so prettily for our names and ad- 

 dresses that it would be a rudeness to refuse 

 them. 



