15(j PALMS AND VIOLKTS AT H VERES. _ 



With jiistifiabk- pride, ho\\ e^■er. Ih-eres can still 

 call herself "Ilvcres les Palmicrs". It is true that Palm 

 trees are now distributed over the whole Riviera; but it 

 is eas^' to tell b\' the size of the trees at II\eres that 

 in this old health resort their careful culture is of long 

 standing. In the A\'enue des Palmiers the slender stems 

 rise like the pillars ol a lolt\- hall on both sides of the 

 street, and waxe their proud heads high up against the 

 blue sk;\'. Ilj'crcs has for some time past been turning 

 its attention to a more profitable, if humbler, industry'. 

 ^^'e found whole fields of \'iolets in blossom in the 

 middle of March; the\' where not the same modest 

 little llowers which hide ihemseKes under their leaves 

 at home, but a far larger species — "le Czar'' — \'\'liich 

 boldh' raises its blossoms on long stalks abo\'e the 

 lea^'es. The^' are strongly scented and \\e revelled in 

 the perfume which the breezes wafted to us from these 

 \'iolet fields. Other tracts are planted with "primein's". 

 In the betrinninp- of the centur^' the artichokes of 

 1 p-eres were alread\- held in high esteem, as are now 

 the green peas ancl especialp- the stra\\berries, which 

 are sent to Paris. A special train runs daih* from 

 I Peres laden with these products, and is jocularh' called 

 •'train de ])rimcurs"". It should not be imagined, ho\A'ever, 

 that all these crops succeed in the climate of Iperes 

 without attention, hvven here the)- rei.|uirc much care 

 and unremitting industr\'. Low hedges run parallel to 

 the furrows of the fields, and this clearp- indicates the 

 direction whence danger threatens. For, in spite ot all 

 assertions to the contrar\-, Iperes is not fully sheltered 



