THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER 



7 



Neighbors filled their gardens by making 

 exchanges with each other. Often the 

 owner of a desirable new plant sacrificed 

 it in response to the demand for it from 

 her friends. Mnch as she disliked to do 

 this, she dared not run the risk of being 

 Avritten down as "stingy." I have a vivid 

 recollection of a woman who brought home 

 with her from a visit to a distant part of 

 the state a plant said to be a most wonder- 

 ful one. She gave her neighbors to under- 

 stand that she "wasn't going to spoil her 

 plant to please anybody/' therefore no one 

 need ask for a root of it, "for they couldn't 

 have it for love or money." Great was the 

 excitement occasioned by this statement of 

 intentions, and her neighbors straightway 

 built up for her a reputation for selfish- 

 ness which she never outgrew. For prom- 

 inent locations, where strong effects are 

 desirable, I know of no plant superior to 

 the old single Hollyhock, and I would be 

 glad to see it more frequently. 



In old gardens you will often find As- 

 paragus growing among the grass. It is 

 dwarfed by starvation and its constant 

 fight for existence, but it has a tenacity of 

 life which is positively wonderful. Few 



grew it for its edibility, years ago. It 

 was used in making up bouquets and for 

 ornamenting the "looking-glass" and the 

 old clock, and great stalks of it laden with 

 scarlet fruit were disposed about the 

 "spare room" for winter decoration. 

 "Sparrow-grass," it used to be called by 

 country people, and in many localities it 

 goes by that name yet. I remember that 

 when it began to be called by its proper 

 name those who spoke of it as Asparagus 

 were considered to be "putting on airs" 

 by those who were loyal to the old name 

 of "Sparrow-grass." I recollect how one 

 old lady of more progressive spirit than 

 her neighbors manifested a willingness to 

 make some concession to the tendency in the 

 direction of improved nomenclature, and 

 effected a compromise between the old and 

 the new by adding a syllable of the "new- 

 fangled" name to the name which her 

 conservative neighbors adhered to as rig- 

 idly as if a religious creed were involved 

 in it. Her "i^s-sparrow-grass" made her 

 famous in neighborhood annals, and is 

 another illustration of the fact that if one 

 attenipts to please everybody he or she is 

 pretty sure to suffer in consequence. 



THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER 



FASHION IN FLOWERS 



A lady writes me : "Do^ you approve of 

 a fashion in flowers? Has any one a 

 right to say this or that flower shall be tlie 

 flower of the season ?" To which I reply : 

 I do not believe in that "fashion" which 

 makes a fad of any particular flower. I 

 believe in making all flowers "fashionable" 

 according to individual liking for them. 

 I wouldn't have Mrs. Smith confine her 

 choice to Roses simply because Mrs. Jones 

 used them, but if she really preferred 

 Roses to other flowers, then let her also 

 make use of them. But if she cares more 

 for Carnations or Chrysanthemums, or any 

 other flower, than for Roses, by all means 

 let her conflne herself to them. I believe 

 in putting our individuality into these 



things, and not in imitating the tastes 

 and actions of others. .Choose your flowers 

 because of your friendship for them, and 

 not because of a servile wish to be "in 

 fashion." Any good flower should always 

 be "in style" with those who have a liking 

 for it. Those who have Roses because Mrs. 

 Smith has them have no genuine love for 

 them as flowers. Follow the promptings 

 of your own taste in these matters, and 

 imitate no one. 



ORANGE AND LEMON TREES 



A great many inquiries come in about 

 the cultivation required by these plants. 

 I have had best success by growing them 

 in sandy loam, well enriched with bone 

 meaL When they are inclined to stand 

 still humor them. Do not try to force 



