A Backward Spring 



and so do all the squills ; indeed, I have never 

 been convinced of the good of constantly taking 

 up and drying, my bulbs ; in some soils it may be 

 necessary, but I think it is entirely a question of 

 soil. The grape hyacinths are also now in flower, 

 most of them not so bright in colour as the squills, 

 but the white variety is very pure. The chiono- 

 doxas increase in beauty as well as in number 

 every year, and this year they are especially fine, 

 but I will say no more of them now, except that 

 their complete hardiness has been well proved 

 this winter, for they pushed up their lovely flowers 

 through the snow. 



Certainly, in spite of all we have gone through, 

 the garden is not barren, and, like everything else 

 in this world, the bad weather has, to some extent, 

 brought its own compensation. If we had a flower- 

 less February and March, the flowers have not been 

 lost, and we are having them now, and shall pro- 

 bably see in May many more flowers than are 

 usually seen in that month. The prospect is 

 really very hopeful ; judging by the plants that 

 have already flowered, and by the buds that are 

 now appearing, it seems likely that there will be 

 an abundance of flowers ; and for that we shall 

 be indebted to the growing summer and brilliant 

 autumn of last year, and perhaps in some measure 

 to the retarding power of the long, severe winter. 

 I do not pretend to be a weather prophet, but if 

 we can put any trust in averages and proverbs we 

 must expect a wet summer, which will not be 



55 



