48 MAY 



common, but also the handsomest, when encouraged 

 to throw up large leaves. From small beginnings 

 I have now several hundreds of them; too 

 numerous for pots, they are planted out all over 

 the place, and give brightness to the arid borders. 

 Another kind throws up its first leaf a lovely white, 

 with delicate veinings of green, touched with red ; 

 but unfortunately the succeeding ones are not as 

 good, and this kind will not do at all in the sun. 

 Another sort will ; a very large and much rounder 

 leaf than the last, all mottled and shaded with 

 lovely pink and pale green. Again a common sort 

 has distinct spots of red on the green, as if touched 

 with the tip of a paint brush. Another very large 

 variety has dark crimson leaves, veined with green. 

 There are many more, and the first leaves make a 

 lovely show ; and these are carried up, when well 

 grown, and placed in the " Lean-to," facing the end 

 of the verandah, where they smile at us at break- 

 fast time. 



Now this "Lean-to" is rather a triumph for 

 me. I bought some odd pieces of iron at a friend's 

 sale, that I imagined would just make a shelter for 

 plants against an old disreputable - looking wall, 



