Correspondence 
Mr. Galsworthy's Experience in His English Garden. 
In a recent issue of the Bulletin of the Garden Club of 
America you were so complimentary as to say that I was counted 
amongst your best friends, a proud position which I thoroughly 
appreciate and reciprocate. May I write and tell you of some of 
our successes here and of the trials and troubles of this trying 
climate ? It may perhaps be of some interest and eneouragment to 
those of your members who suffer from disappointments in their 
gardens, caused by the many untoward happenings which seem 
to crowd upon us all. The perpetual struggle with nature's 
eccentricities has seldom been so strenuous in this garden as it 
has been during the summer of 1921 and 1922. 
Having last summer been overrun with rabbits from a 
neighboring meadow and having successfully kept them out this 
year by means of much wire netting and much labor, we really 
began to think our troubles were comparatively over — for when 
things are eaten off as soon as planted there is not even any 
hope left. 
This year as the spring advanced we found that the drought 
of 1921, unprecedented in the annals of the English Climate, 
had completely killed several of our best Evergreens and other 
trees, and at the time they should have been putting forth their 
new growth they turned brown and "died on me" as the old 
County expression has it. Amongst them was a very fine old 
Yew which was the oldest tree on the place and had probably 
grown for 200 years. It was a dismal farewell when we had to 
cut it down but in its place I have caused to be erected a three 
quarter circle shelter made with oak posts and a tiled roof, 
fortunately securing old tiles for the purpose well discolored by 
time and weather. The shelter really looks better in that 
particular position than did the old Yew tree and thus a sad 
occurrence has been turned into a joy! 
It has often been remarked that in England we can groAV 
"anything" owing to our wet climate. This is a popular 
delusion and no mistake ! 
When we have several months without rain as in 1921 the 
unusual drought finds us unprepared for watering to keep things 
alive so that all such plants as primula japonica, p. rosea, p. 
denticulata, etc., that require a moist soil perish without a 
struggle; everything that rejoices in a wet place or flourishes 
by a pond or streamlet is destroyed when the sun scorches the 
foliage and there is no drink for the roots. This spring, after 
a wonderful and unusual show of blossom on all flowering trees 
and shrubs and after a splendid time of Narcissi blooms we 
again had nearly three months without rain and thought we 
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