458 



THE NATURE BOOK 



In the middle of the wood is a clearing, 

 and occup^dng the cleared space is a 

 garden — a garden which melts away on 

 one side into the freedom of the unfenced 

 wood ; and all around the trees make a 

 noble hedge, a boundary broken into bays 

 and promontories of summer green or 

 wintry purple. 



promenade entirely to one's self. Even the 

 noise is softened by distance here, and 

 early on Sunday mornings there is a great 

 calm. Only one misses the hum of bees. 

 With the wealth of flowers spread over 

 this and other large park areas, one thinks 

 that surely some of the enterprise and 

 skill shown by the gardeners might be 



A LAKE VISTA. BATTERSEA PARK. 



riiotosraph by Pictorial Agency. 



Straight paths traverse the garden, 

 bordered by well-clipped box hedge : with 

 plenty of elbow room, and with no at- 

 tempt at a dazzling display, the beds 

 are stocked with companies of old- 

 fashioned flowers ; and perhaps by the 

 easy quiet grouping, perhaps because of 

 the subdued light and abundance of 

 shadow in the garden, the flowers seem 

 to have a restful charm above other 

 flowers : " They toil not, neither do they 

 spin." 



This pleasant, dream-like grove lies in 

 the least frequented part of Battersea 

 Park ; the entrances at either end are 

 agreeably obscure, so that very few of 

 the many who visit the park ever enter 

 it ; and one may at certain hours, and 

 alwaj's in rainy weather, have the leafy 



well directed to the pleasant art of bee- 

 keeping. 



The garden is not a public part of the 

 park, but is reserved for the use of cer- 

 tain botanical students. When the gar- 

 dening work is done, and at what hours 

 the botanical students pursue their re- 

 searches, is known doubtless to some, but 

 the special charm of the place, to one who 

 frequents it much, is its complete soUtude. 

 Nothing ever seems to be going on there 

 except slow and silent plant growth ; the 

 flowers of to-day succeed those of yester- 

 day, self-planted, self-tended — or do the 

 fairies cultivate the garden at night ? 

 the gossamer elves amongst the blossoms, 

 and the digging and carting done by the 

 " drudging gobhn," " the lubber fiend," 

 who — 



