228 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE. 



tims hesitate in doubt a few moments, and then drop 

 into the net. I had the pleasure of blocking this feJlow's 

 operations in one instance, appearing on the scene just in 

 time to do so. In one locality, within my personal knowl- 

 edge, this man sold dozens of these bulbs to confiding 

 victims. I saw some of these " gorgeous " new California 

 Lilies when they came into flower, and they were all 

 neither more nor less than the common white garden Lily 

 (Lilium candidum), fine bulbs of which can always be 

 bought for ten or twelve cents each. 



Another instance may be mentioned, in which the rogue 

 offered for sale, at a dollar a paper, the seed of a variety 

 of Mignonette even more famous than the red Mignon- 

 ette of Aunt Peggy before mentioned. This bore mag- 

 nificent spikes of flowers, nearly two feet long and of 

 delicious fragrance. 



A lady friend, one of his victims, carefully sowed the 

 seeds, and waited anxiously for the appearance of the 

 plants. The seedlings proved to be so vigorous that she 

 ventured to separate and transplant them in the open 

 border. They grew and grew till they finally rivaled in 

 growth the famous mustard seed mentioned in the good 

 Book. The reader will probably smile when I tell him 

 that this famous Mignonette proved to be Pearl Millet, 

 a kind of grass growing ten feet high. The present 

 season one of these itinerants is doing a thriving business 

 by selling common Parsnip seed, which he has caused to 

 absorb various perfumes. This, supplemented with flam- 

 ing pictures of Eoses of every hue, makes it an easy busi- 

 ness for him to sell this " Eose Seed " of any perfume 

 desired ! 



The following from the New York Tribune of Febru- 

 ary 19th, 1882, shows that occasionally these enterprising 

 gentlemen receive their deserts : 



" The case of John Harrison, the industrious seed 

 peddler, who was locked up in Newark the other day, is 



