but with sheets of other Spring flowers near for contrast. Here is 
Mertensia, in full blueness of its beauty; here is Anemone Apenina, 
that charming and little-grown flower. Eranthus, too, and here the 
late Muscari with its rich violet blue. All among these you may see 
the fine fronds of Bracken proudly lifting themselves before unfurling. 
Sheet upon sheet of Narcissus poeticus is here too, in full purity of 
bloom. Beyond the brook and farther down the little valley, masses 
of Forsythia, a vivid glory in the wood, used as Forsythia only should 
be used — in large effects of Spring. There is room for it here; but 
how often, even under like conditions, do we see this heavenly subject 
enduring the hardship of becoming a mere blotch of yellow inter- 
ruption among green. How glorious it can be is known only to those 
who see it as at Winterthur, backed by the strong dark greens of 
Rhodondendron or of Cedar, the whole picture cut in panels by 
straight tree-trunks in the foreground. 
Down a curving drive are rose-pink trees like sunset clouds glow- 
ing against the blues and violets of distant hills and valleys. The 
faint promise of leaves is on every bough of every tree, — the very 
poetry of Spring is here. , _ r _, 
r Louisa Y. King. 
Mrs. Francis King. 
Moles 
The most discouraging of the natural enemies encountered in 
making a new garden are Moles. This was my initial experience, 
and on the point of despair I told my trouble to a "gentleman farmer" 
in the neighborhood. He advised me to try calcium carbide, and 
himself brought me a jar of this rocky-crystal substance, having an 
iicetylene plant on his farm in which it is used. The directions which 
I followed were these: 
Lift carefully a small portion of the ridge made by the mole. 
When the "run" is exposed, place several pieces of the calcium carbide 
in each direction of the run, pushing it in as far as possible without 
disturbing the earth. Then pour water into the hole, quickly closing 
the opening. Mice, which are so destructive to roots and bulbs, 
always seem to inhabit the mole tracks, often making several outlets, 
so it is well to have one or two helpers armed with a rock or clod of 
turf (my children think it great fun) to watch for the escape of the 
gas at some other point of the track. This, of course, has to be 
immediately closed, as it is the gas that either suffocates or drives 
away the mice and moles, while not in the least harming the plants 
or grass. 
