JULY 91 



they get stunted and are miserable objects, the flower 

 distorted and cramped into a clumsy-looking, elongated 

 mop-head. 



Though weak in growth the old Beljahinium Bella- 

 donna has so lovely a quality of colour that it is quite 

 indispensable ; the feeble stem should be carefully 

 and unobtrusively staked for the better display of its 

 incomparable blue. 



Some of the Yuccas will bloom before the end of* 

 the month. I have them in bold patches the whole 

 fifteen-feet depth of the border at the extreme ends, 

 and on each side of the pathway, where, passing from 

 the lawn to the Pseony groimd, it cuts across the - 

 border to go through the arched gateway. The kinds 

 of Yucca are gloriosa, recurva, fiaccida, and fiiamentosa. 

 They are good to look at at all times of the year 

 because of their grand strong fohage, and are the glory 

 of the garden when in flower. One of the gloriosa 

 threw up a stout flower-spike in January. I had 

 thought of protecting and roofing the spike, in the 

 hope of carrying it safely through till spring, but 

 meanwhile there came a damp day and a frosty night, 

 and when I saw it again it was spoilt. The Tiuxa 

 Jilavuntosa that I have I was told by a trusty botanist 

 was the true plant, but rather tender, the one com- 

 monly called by that name being something else. I 

 found it in a cottage garden, where I learnt a useful 

 lesson ia protecting plants, namely, the use of thickly- 

 cut peaty sods. The goodwife had noticed that the 



