30 AN ISLAND GARDEN 



Williams, and by far the greater number of an- 

 nuals appear in from five to seven days ; Balsams, 

 Pansies, Begonias, Drummond's Phlox, Poppies, 

 Verbenas, Thunbergia, and many others, in from 

 eight to ten days ; Columbines, Flax, Artemisia, 

 Feverfew, Campanula, and so forth, in from ten to 

 twelve days ; Maurandia, Forget-me-not, Petunia, 

 Lantana, Nicotiana (an exquisite flower, by the 

 way), in from twelve to fifteen days ; Cobcea, 

 Gloxinia, Primroses, Geraniums, and others, in 

 from fifteen to twenty days ; Perennial Phlox, 

 Clematis, Perennial Larkspurs (which are 

 heavenly !), and various others, take from twenty 

 to thirty-five days to germinate; and as for Lu- 

 pines and Lilies and Ampelopsis, and the like, 

 they take a whole year ! But common gardeners 

 don't try to raise these from seed, fortunately. 



With the first faint green lines that are visible 

 along the flower beds come the weeds, yea, and 

 even before them; a wild, vigorous, straggling 

 army, full of health, of strength, and a most mar- 

 velous power of growth. These must be dealt 

 with at once and without mercy ; they must be 

 pulled up root and branch, without a moment's 

 delay. There is clover that appears with a little 

 circular leaf and has a root that seems to reach 

 all round in the under world ; it goes everywhere 

 and holds on to the earth with a grip which is 

 unequaled by anything that grows. Not an atom 

 of its roots must be left in the ground, for every 

 thread of it will send up new shoots, and if not 

 watched fill all the space in a few weeks. Another 

 difficult weed to manage is the chickweed, which 



