46 DUTCH BULBS AND GARDENS 



As it happened, however, it was the wizard 

 who died. On his death -bed he sent for the 

 other, confessed what he had done, and ordered 

 that the shrivelled onion should be given him, 

 possibly with the idea of undoing the spell, 

 which had rebounded on himself. The enemy 

 is alive to this day, and is as great a man as 

 the other was little, and better known for good 

 works than the other was for bad — wherefrom, 

 obviously, there is a moral. 



The Allium family has a long history and 

 many uses, but as ornamental plants they are 

 hardly to be recommended. Some of them are 

 grown in Holland for that purpose, and we 

 read of them in the catalogues — handsome pale 

 blue, yellow, and white flowers, and a few rarer 

 ones pink, very showy, and for the most part 

 somewhat unsavoury if broken or even slightly 

 bruised. They are the smart members of a 

 homely family, and, as is usually the case with 

 such, though no doubt very admirable in some 

 ways, not appealing specially to the majority of 

 people. But Alliums blooming, as they do, in 

 May, are hardly early spring flowers, and having 

 by some devious way reached them, the subject 

 had better be quitted. 



