THE OPPORTUNITIES OF THE YEAR 213 



so that firm foothold may be taken before ever 

 there is fear of frost either to grip or to loosen. 

 Many a plant meddled with in November has been 

 done to death by good intentions. Of course, 

 there are some so hardy that they may wait with 

 impunity, and without an anxious thought ; yet 

 even these do better with an earlier shift, when 

 practicable, to start with. 



Autumn, too, early and late, brings the interest 

 of seed saving as well as, in many cases, of seed 

 sowing. 



There are a great many seeds which are much 

 better left to those whose business it is to raise 

 them in experimental seed grounds, where rigorous 

 selection is carried on by skilled and competent 

 hands. All seeds, for example, of florist's flowers 

 pansies, asters, and stocks, and the like are of 

 this type. We may share by purchase, and it 

 should be ungrudgingly, in the fruits of their 

 labours ; for, as a rule, nothing is gained, and 

 only disappointment courted, by trying to save 

 such seeds ourselves. But, on the other hand> 

 seeds of rare shrubs, if they ripen well in a good 

 season, and of choice perennials or rock plants, 

 are always valuable, and in many cases, as in gen- 

 tian and anemone, the best success is only to be 

 attained when the seeds are sown as soon as ripe. 

 Watch should always be kept over self-sown seed- 

 lings, for fine varieties of plants have originated 

 in this way by chance in an amateur's garden 

 which have afterwards become established favour- 

 ites. Opportunities of saving and sowing seeds of 

 these different classes, and also of distributing 



