240 POT-POURRI FROM A SURREY GARDEN 



belongs in a way to what I would call the ' Lancashire 

 Garden ' series, and is not only useful by reason of its 

 suggestive and instructive qualities, but is full of indi- 

 viduality and information. Miss Hope strikes the true 

 note, and one, it seems, of the real difficulties of left-alone 

 half -wild gardens, when she says, ' These two winters and 

 one summer have spoilt our spring beds and borders, and 

 a thorough upturn and change of plan will be requisite. 

 It was impossible to use a fork or hoe in 1879 in our 

 soil ; the result of the leave-alone system is a carpet of 

 Marchantia and Hypnum sericeum. To scrape these pests 

 off does no real good, for the earth is caked below and 

 impervious to air, sun, or rain. So we are longing for our 

 bulb treasures to be up, and to get on to our alterations, do 

 away with rings and surfacings, and whatever prevents 

 us loosening the earth between each plant. Looking at 

 our border, the only real advantage of what is called 

 bedding-out struck me forcibly, being the thorough work- 

 ing and justice done to the soil.' The whole book is 

 simply about gardening, but of the most intelligent and 

 suggestive kind. 



1884. 'Hardy Perennials,' by John Wood. An ex- 

 cellent, cheap, instructive httle book. Mr. Wood, of 

 Kirkstall, Yorkshire, has a very fine collection of herb- 

 aceous plants for sale. 



1884. 'Days and Hours in a Garden,' by B. V. B. 

 This is a garden book rather breathing the sweet luxury 

 and joy of a garden than one very full of instruction or 

 practical experience. E. V. B. herself owns one of the 

 most beautiful gardens I know ; and the book has, I think, 

 that power which is one of the highest qualities of art, of 

 making one feel beauty. The little pen-and-ink drawings 

 are fuU of charm ; and on the expanse of an inch — fpr 

 these little headings to chapters are scarcely more — one 

 breathes the pure air of Heaven. As she herself quotes, 



