All rose lovers owe Miss Willmott a vote of thanks for having 
gathered together in two volumes the vast amount of literature that 
has grown up around this genus Rosa, and for sifting the sentimental 
from the scientific truth, thus compiling a reference book of im- 
measurable value. 
Chaelotte Cowdrey Brown. 
Departments 
Is there any consortium as absorbing as a wood fire, a rainy day, The 
plenty of time and the new seed catalogs? For absolute bliss one must Garden 
have all four, but the last two are necessities for our absorbing hobby. Miscellany 
The new catalogs show that our nurserymen and seed-growers are 
recovering quickly from the effects of the war, although one still 
has to hunt carefully among them for some of the choicer stock only 
to find that it is already sold out — but that means that there will be 
plenty for us next season for popularity never permanently obUterated 
a plant. Indeed, it is only for the less known or little appreciated 
varieties that we should tremble and should emulate our garden 
neighbours of Europe who made every sacrifice to save at least one 
specimen of their rarities for propagation. 
Each year I seem to need a new inspiration, a "Spring-board" Inspiration 
to leap from into the absorbing pool of flora-culture. Sometimes it 
is a new garden book, sometimes a visit to a propagation greenhouse, 
or a sojourn among foreign gardens. But this year the call has come 
to me, clear and strong, from the inspiring picture of a Blue and Mauve 
Border painted by Beatrice Parsons, and marvelously 
reproduced on the cover of Sutton's second catalog. It reminds 
one of the description of flower paintings in the garden novel — '^The 
Banks of the Colne." A distant blue hill is the key-note and it fills 
the center of the composition — toward it leads a flagged path bordered 
by our best beloveds in their June beauty — ^Larkspur, LiHes, Cam- 
panula, Erigeron, and white California Poppies, with here and there 
a spike of white Fox-glove, and one dark red Rose and darker ma- 
roon Oriental Poppy — Oh! so carefully placed! 
I found nothing in Mr. Frank Galsworthy's garden paintings to 
compare with it in truth and brilKant singing qualities — blues and 
mauves, the hardest colors to paint or to reproduce. I at once set to 
work to copy it accurately for a planting which should run out toward 
a wide blue river and some blue hills I have in mind. And, lo and be- 
hold, I was off the "spring-board," way over my head and swimming 
deliciously in the vortex of spring ordering, and no use to my family 
or_jfriends until I had spent every last cent of my garden money. 
35 
