300 
THE FLORIST. 
vigorous verdure, and filled with their tempting and luscious pro¬ 
duce, on which the rascal wasps were feasting themselves. From 
these trees Mr. Radclyfie gathered last year 7d0 peaches, the year 
before 179, the year before that 1040, and this year 480. Listen 
to that, ye wise gentlemen; with all your theories can ye match 
that ? The strawberry plants were looking in first-rate order, and 
he did give me, according to his threat, strawberries and cream, 
the fruit being gathered off the long-enduring Hautbois. After 
much talk on the various claimants on the notice of Fragarians 
and the strawberry-eating public, he came to the conclusion that 
Rivers’ Eliza, Trollope’s Queen Victoria, and Wonderful, were the 
best there for general use. He had also a French kind there of a 
wonderfully prolific character, from six plants of which he had 
gathered nearly a gallon of fruit, and that of the very best descrip¬ 
tion ; it is called Marquise: of its fiavour Mr. Radclyfie could say 
nothing. 
The raspberry canes also were magnificent. He does not allow 
the ground to be turned up, but feeds them high; with straw¬ 
berries, immediately after they are done fruiting, he cuts ofi* all 
layers and outside foliage, and gives them a thorough good coating 
of dung, not stirring the ground at all, but trusting to the rain to 
wash it in, and to the strawberry roots to go in search for it, and 
they will thus, as he describes it, aquire a good head of hair before 
the winter sets in. 
It so happened that the 10th was the day before the grand 
Dahlia Show at Kensington, whither my good friend purposed send¬ 
ing a box of twenty-four Roses (trebles). Now, as I was bent 
Londonwards, and had moreover promised myself a peep at the 
Exhibition before I went home, and as Mr. Radclyfie did not like 
the fuss and trouble of going himself, I volunteered both, which is 
ever a delicate matter. Convey his fiowers for him ! this necessi¬ 
tated travelling all night, but then here was an enthusiastic rosacean 
in a strait, and so what could I do ? At “dewy eve” we sallied 
forth. Will, master, and self; under the umbrageous shade of a 
lofty tree in front of the house the box was placed, and to different 
parts of the garden we went forth; from one place came Gloire de 
Dijon, another Triomphe de Rennes; now came Will, laden with 
three Geants, and I, carrying three Duchesses in my arms, while 
Master wouldn’t entrust his three jewels to any but his own stal¬ 
wart keeping; then off to Rawson we all three sallied, and came 
back laden with sweets for our box. Twilight began to settle 
round us before we had finished, and then all must have a look,— 
and all pronounced it the best box of the year. “Toby” is har¬ 
nessed, and I am off, retaining a lively recollection of the hospitality 
and kindliness of Rushton Vicarage, carrying with me a goodly 
box of the delicious peaches, and feeling assured that if I didn’t 
carry Caesar and his fortunes, I did carry what would gain the 
first prize at Kensington. The pleasures of night-travelling are 
not many, nor is it a very lively thing to get into London at half¬ 
past four; to be told at the hotel to which one drives, “No bed 
