^ttftrsummec jFIotoers antt Voices. 285 



I mentioned this pest to a friend noted for 

 his marvelous knowledge of hardy plants, and 

 for his splendid garden at Edge Hall, Cheshire. 

 For once he was caught napping, and opened 

 his garden-gate to a wolf in sheep's clothing. 

 " I was younger than I am now," he remarked, 

 with a smile illuminating his splendid face, " and 

 have had fifteen years' experience with Polygo- 

 num cuspidatum. It established itself in one 

 part of my garden so that it has kept me busy 

 fighting it for years ; and a man still works half 

 a day every fortnight in the vain attempt to 

 eradicate it." 



A fine, old-fashioned flower is the white day- 

 lily (Funkia grandiflord), with pure white, fra- 

 grant blossoms during August and September 

 a flower almost too common and well appre- 

 ciated to need specification. The curled-leaved 

 variety of the common tansy (Tanacetum vul- 

 gare, var. crispum) is well worthy a place in 

 the flower or shrubbery border. Its scented 

 leaves are refreshing to smell as you pass, and 

 are as beautifully curled as the fronds of the 

 crisped hart's-tongue fern. I had almost over- 

 looked the garden thyme, now forming great 

 cushions on the rock-work. It is aptly named 

 from thumos courage, strength the smell of 

 thyme being reviving. The variegated-leaved 



