known elsewhere with the exception of a corner of 

 North-west Africa. Linnaeus attempted to introduce it 

 to his native land of Sweden when he returned, but 

 his efforts met with no success, and Scandinavia, to- 

 gether with the larger part of Europe and the whole 

 of the rest of the world, have no knowledge of it in a 

 wild state. 



One of the chief merits of the Double Gorse as a 

 garden shrub is the long period of its flowering. In 

 fact, in this respect it is second to none. Quite early 

 in the spring it begins to put out touches of gold 



" Grey skies without a rift of blue 



To-day above the trees ; 

 All dun and drear the woodland's hue, 

 Swept by the chilling breeze. 



"Only the yellow gorse so bold 

 Turns every bush to molten gold, 

 And roofs the roughest brier brake 

 With gleaming shingles, flake on flake, 

 That fire the dim March world around. 

 Beauty's triumphant o'er bare ground ! 

 Dull skies and hedgerows empty yet, 

 'Neath winds the barren boughs that fret ; 

 But yellow gorse flames everywhere, 

 Making the bleakest prospect fair."* 



But mid-April is the time when the garden Gorse 

 begins really to appear a whole patch of blazing 

 colour; while behind the first crop of flowers an 



* " The Yellow Gorse." Edith Dart. 



55 



