AN ISLAND GARDEN 1 7 



pot or egg-shell by itself (all except the Poppies 

 and their companions, already in egg-shells), so that 

 by the time the weather is warm enough they 

 will be ready to be set out, stout and strong, for 

 early blooming. 



This pleasant business goes, on during the win- 

 ter in the picturesque old town of Portsmouth, 

 New Hampshire, whither I repair in the autumn 

 from the Isles of Shoals, remaining through the 

 cold weather and returning to the islands on the 

 first of April. My upper windows all winter are 

 filled with young Wallflowers, Stocks, single 

 Dahlias, Hollyhocks, Poppies, and many other 

 garden plants, which are watched and tended with 

 the most faithful care till the time comes for 

 transporting them over the seas to Appledore. 

 A small steam tug, the Pinafore, carries me and 

 my household belongings over to the islands, and 

 a pretty sight is the little vessel when she starts 

 out from the old brown wharves and steams away 

 down the beautiful Piscataqua River, with her hur- 

 ricane deck awave with green leaves and flowers, 

 for all the world like a May Day procession. My 

 blossoming house plants go also, and there are 

 Palms and Ferns and many other lovely things 

 that make the small boat gay indeed. All the 

 boxes of sprouted seedlings are carefully packed 

 in wide square baskets to keep them steady, and 

 the stout young plants hold up their strong stems 

 and healthy green leaves, and take the wind and 

 sun bravely as the vessel goes tossing over the 

 salt waves out to sea. 



By the first of April it is time to plant Sweet 



