GENERAL SURVEY 21 



of discontent, and my other and higher self began to 

 hint at the price of vegetables. I turned the thing off 

 lightly for a year ; but certain ominous incidents 

 continued to show me that the danger grew. Of 

 course, any garden divided against itself is as bad as 

 a house in the same shattering predicament. A 

 climax was reached, and my gardener ranged himself 

 against me. This appeared suicidal from his point of 

 view, because, in the event of vegetables, my personal 

 assistance was gone for ever ; while, as things 

 stood, I did half the work of my nursery. But 

 Sharland is a man of character, and he has made 

 vegetables his particular life study. His past teems 

 with successes in the matter of' culinary herbs and 

 roots ; and it had always been a grievance with him 

 that I refused to grow them. He was therefore 

 against me. 



I procrastinated for some time ; then I prepared 

 this dreadful list and asked my wife's opinion upon it. 

 I read it out to her after dinner, and told her that 

 these plants were my latest additions to the treasures 

 in my garden. 



"Now," I said, "listen to them, and add anything 

 that strikes you : 



Brassica, six varieties, including Daucus carrota, 



oleraceabotrytis,asparagoides Apium graveolens, 



and bullata gemmifloram, Pisum sativum, four varieties, 



Crambe maritima, Solanum tuberosum, 



Faba vulgaris, Rheum, 



Phaseolus vulgaris, Spinacia oleracea, 



Phaseolus multiflorus, Carum Petroselinum, 



Beta vulgaris, Peucedanum sativum, 



