4 MORE POT-POURRI 



land to mean a sweet and pleasant mixture, that we do 

 not realize that the original word meant a mixed stew, as 

 do its synonyms of 'hotch-potch' and 'olla podrida,* a 

 favourite Spanish dish consisting of a mixture of various 

 kinds of meat chopped fine and stewed with vegetables. 



Most of the letters I received were of kindly and 

 affectionate appreciation. But some frankly criticised, 

 while others marked shortcomings. As usual, however, 

 in such cases, perfectly incompatible qualities were re- 

 quired. For instance, most of my gardening friends 

 were disappointed at the information about gardening 

 being so elementary, telling them little they did not 

 know. They very likely overrated what I had to tell 

 them, but they entirely missed the point of my omitting 

 to make my information as detailed and special as 

 I could have done — first, because I referred them to 

 real gardening books, and secondly, because I wanted 

 what I did tell to be particularly addressed to beginners 

 with small gardens who wished to do their best, but had 

 little time to spend in the study of other books. On the 

 other hand, the ignorant amateurs, for whom it was 

 specially written, mournfully complained that it still did 

 not begin enough at the beginning. To these I always 

 answered that Mr. Robinson must have realized this dif- 

 ficulty, as some years ago he reprinted the 'Amateur 

 Gardener,' by Mrs. Loudon (Fredk. Warne & Co. ) , which 

 is full of this elementary information, and to be had 

 from any bookseller for the sum of ninepence. 



A third difficulty was the slavish admirer, who, in 

 all soils and even with different climates, said : ' I have 

 strictly carried out your instructions, and utter failure has 

 been the result.' I wish once more to reiterate that 

 anything I say, both in the last volume and in this, with 

 regard to plant life, is merely the result of my own per- 

 sonal experience. All that I state is by way of sug- 



