16 



HOME AND FLOW EE 8 



uncertainty of sun and rain in our fickk 

 climate is a lottery in itself. In gardening 

 the spirit is shown when it comes to the 

 novelties. Year after year I have nibbled 

 at the bait and tried wonderful new plants^ 

 which, under my unprofessional skilly 

 proved miserable failures. 



There was the Chinese lantern plant, a 

 inost happy combination — a real multum 

 in parvo. Easy of culture, perennial, 

 flowers profuse, desirable, seed vessels or- 

 namental, useful for decorating, fruit ex- 

 cellent for preserves. I never succeeded in 

 getting enough of the wonderful blossoms 

 to enjoy, and my mouth still waters for 

 the delicious preserves. 



There w^ere some catalogues that made 

 a specialty of "Grinseng,'' and descriptions 

 of it were calculated to tire the imagination 

 and develop cupidity unequaled by any- 

 thing but the discovery of a gold mine or 

 an oil well. It was so sure in its results, 

 there were the figures, there was no deny- 

 ing them. A few dollars invested in the 

 roots now, they would go on increasing at 

 a certain ratio each year, and a comfortable 

 income would soon be the result; if you 

 were so fortunate as to reach old age, 

 wealth would pour into your coffers. Bet- 

 ter than an annuity, as, when you passed 

 away, posterity could go on reaping the 

 result of your forethought. It required a 

 hard struggle to get myself from under 

 the spell of Ginseng, and to this day I can 

 see no weak spot in their argument for 

 it, but I believe outside influences were 

 brought to bear on me ; it was gently inti- 

 mated that the Chinese, upon whom we 

 depend for a market, might pass an 

 exclusion act before my plants were 

 flourishing. 



What a glamour there is over plants 

 brought from a far country ! Anything 

 from Japan needs no further recommenda- 

 tion, and it was worth a hard struggle 

 to induce some native of California to 

 adapt itself to our Eastern clime. The 

 Escholtzia is an accommodating plaut, 

 and did fairly well in my garden. I had 

 enough at least to help me imagine the 



great sheets of gold where they clothe the 

 California hillsides. Then there was the 

 Calandrinia, the ^^emophila, the Pacelia, 

 the Clarkia, the Salvias and Veronicas^ 

 all coming from California. 



What a wonderful land it must be ; 

 how I wished to transport all its flowers 

 to my garden, and the Roses that bloomed 

 there in such profusion. We had Roses, 

 it is true, in the East. I had several of 

 long standing that with care gave me some 

 blossoms every year. Sorry looking things 

 they were later when stripped of their 

 leaves by voracious insect pests wuth whom 

 I waged constant warfare. Perhaps some 

 of the newer sorts would better withstand 

 these enemies. After studying various cat- 

 alogues, I selected two as combining in a 

 great degree all the excellencies of a Rose. 

 I was limited in number, as I intended 

 giving them the closest attention, and they 

 were to be ministered to entirely with my 

 own hands. Beneath my chamber window, 

 then, sheltered from rude blasts in their 

 sunny southern exposure, they should rear 

 their rich foliage and lift their fragrant 

 blossoms gratefully toward me as I lov- 

 ingly regarded them from my window each 

 morning. Paul Neyron and Margaret 

 Dixon, my happy pair, duly arrived by 

 mail one morning, and the children mis- 

 chievously informed the cook, who laid 

 two extra plates for dinner, much to the 

 youngsters' satisfaction. It was well some 

 one got a little fun out of my venture, 

 for I was doomed to disappointment. They 

 never seemed to thrive; each bore a few 

 sickly blossoms, then Margaret succumbed 

 to the wintry blasts, and the breath of 

 spring failed to waken her. I never could 

 account for the little interest they both 

 took in life. Perhaps it was because I had 

 made a poor combination. Paul did not 

 find his affinity in Margaret. I have 

 known Pauls to prefer Sue or Kate, al- 

 though to others Margaret was prettier 

 and sweeter. 



I think it was partly my disappointment 

 in Rose culture that led me to go to Cali- 

 fornia. I should have to give up my 



