IN THE FRONT YARD. 181 



till, to all appearance, they were dead. They were 

 planted the first of Jnne, and they immediately revived 

 and grew. 



One winter we had several boxes stored in a root 

 cellar. They were poorly packed. 'Some one left the 

 door open and they were all frozen solid. The door 

 was closed, and they remained frozen till spring, when 

 they were planted, without the loss of one. It is no 

 uncommon thing to keep a lot in boxes seven months 

 at a time with but slight packing. I once had a re- 

 markable experience with a lot from Kelway, England. 

 They came over in reasonable time, but were delayed 

 in a warm office at Lincoln, 'Neh., a month before T 

 was notified. The box was dried out and full of cracks, 

 and the moss was dry as powder. The roots were black, 

 and snapped like sticks. The buds were shriveled. 

 I had the expressman look them over, and all pro- 

 nounced them dead. There were thirty roots, some of 

 which cost $2.50 each. Of course the express com- 

 pany had to pay damages. Taking them home about 

 the first of November, I cut off the dead roots and 

 planted the buds in moist earth in a box in the cellar. 

 At the end of a month the buds began to swell. De- 

 cember 1st, they were planted out, and were frozen all 

 winter. They all grew but one, and one of them 

 bloomed. Of course it took an extra year to form 

 new roots. They seemed much like the Mexican resur- 

 rection plant. 



They are like the Eocky Mountain burro that bears 

 any amount of misuse or neglect, and yet patiently 



