84 WOOD AND GARDEN 



habitations. In my own mind it is certainly the tree 

 most closely associated with the pretty old cottage and 

 farm architecture of my part of the country ; no bush 

 or tree, not even the apple, seems to group so well or 

 so closely with farm buildings. When I built a long 

 thatched shed for the many needs of the garden, in 

 the region of pits and frames, compost, rubbish and 

 bum-heap, I planted Elders close to the end of the 

 building and on one side of the yard. They look just 

 right, and are, moreoyer, every year loaded with their 

 useful fn.iit. This is ripe quite early in September, and 

 is made into Elder wine, to be drunk hot in winter, a 

 comfort by no means to be despised. My trees now give 

 enough for my own wants, and there are generally a few 

 acceptable bushels to spare for my cottage neighbours. 

 About the middle of the month the Virginian 

 Cowslip (Mertensia virginica) begins to turn yellow 

 before dying do^vn. Now is the time to look out for 

 the seeds. A few ripen on the plant, but most of them 

 fall while green, and then ripen in a few days while 

 lying on the ground. I shake the seeds carefully out, 

 and leave them lying round the parent-plant ; a week 

 later, when they will be ripe, they are hghtly scratched 

 into the ground. Some young plants of last year's 

 growth I mark with a bit of stick, in case of wanting 

 some later to plant elsewhere, or to send away; the 

 plant dies away completely, leaving no trace above 

 ground, so that if not marked it would be difficult to 

 find what is wanted. 



