CHAPTER II 



JANUAEY 



Beauty of woodland in winter — The nut- walk — Thinning the over- 

 growth — A nut nursery — Iris stylosa — Its culture — Its home in 

 Algeria — Discovery of the white variety — Flowers and branches 

 or indoor decoration. 



A HARD frost is upon us. The thermometer registered 

 eighteen degrees last night, and though there was only 

 one frosty night next before it, the ground is hard 

 frozen. Till now a press of other work has stood in the 

 way of preparing protecting stuff for tender shrubs, but 

 now I go up into the copse with a man and chopping 

 tools to cut out some of the Scotch fir that are 

 beginning to crowd each other. 



How endlessly beautiful is woodland in winter ! 

 To-day there is a thin mist; just enough to make 

 a background of tender blue mystery three hundred 

 yards away, and to show any defect in the grouping 

 of near trees. No day could be better for deciding 

 which trees are to come down ; there is not too much 

 at a time within sight; just one good picture-full and 

 no more. On a clear day the eye and mind are dis- 

 tracted by seeing away into too many planes, and it is 



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