A GARDEN IN VENICE 



laid out in islands of various shapes, with paths 

 like small canals serpentining among them. These 

 beds still held aged plants of sweetbrier, cabbage, 

 and moss roses, with iris and white lilies, their 

 bulbs struggling for existence half out of the 

 ground, seeking in the air the nourishment an 

 exhausted soil could no longer give them. 



Outside the hedge, vines were planted in 

 straight and crossing lines, and within the squares 

 made by the vine-pergolas grew, seemingly at 

 their own wild will, peach trees and apricots, 

 mulberries and maranelli, pears and apples. 



The vines and fruit trees, like the statues, were 

 mostly on the ground ; but the orchard, where 

 weeds or cabbages were not, was made lovely by 

 the broad grey green leaves of artichokes. 



The Venetian artichoke is pur sang a Venetian 

 plant ; easy to cultivate, easy to sell, and excellent 

 to eat. The core has no choke, and can be swal- 

 lowed whole. The crop is cut with any knife. 

 The plant requires only that its roots should be 

 covered by and heaped up with soil before the 

 frosts, and uncovered after them. Worth as much 

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