24 



GARDENING BY MYSELF. 



across ; in another lies perdu a blossom of 

 pink, with a broad green border ; hid away 

 in the next brown grain of dust is a white 

 blossom, all striped and flamed with purple ; 

 while the next will open out upon the world 

 in rose-colour, with a pure white throat. One 

 will be plain-edged, and one will be fringed ; 

 one will be plain-coloured, and the next full 

 of spots and veins, and the next as double 

 as a rose ; and the one little grain that stays 

 fast in the corner of the bag, holds, perhaps, 

 some new variety, now lost to the garden- 

 ing world ! 



Take a peep in among my pansy seed. 

 Can you guess which little brown flat speck 

 will give you *' sky-blue," or "violet," or 

 the " king of the blacks " ? Can you tell 

 among the phlox seed Leopoldii from Rado- 

 zuitzii, or a *' brilliant scarlet " from a " deep 

 blood purple " ? Which canna seed will 

 give you a ''brilliant red " spike of flowers, 

 and which a "superb yellow? " Which of 

 these portulaca seeds, looking now like 

 mites of quicksilver, will open out into 



