WILD-FLOWER GARDENS 137 
study any particular plant, I grow specimens of it 
in my garden, and thus have them handy for 
observation. A friend of mine had one of the 
loveliest wild-flower gardens one could imagine. 
He had his plants arranged in proper botanical order, 
and they grew in wonderful profusion. He had 
a pond for water-plants, and a rockery for such 
as grow among the mountains. Alas! for me, but 
not for him, that excellent friend and botanist is 
now in the “‘ Happy Land ”’! 
By the way, don’t despise common flowers. They 
are not one bit less interesting than rarities. The 
commonest plant of the wayside has its story to 
tell, and its little secrets that no one has yet learned. 
I want you to be able to identify flowers by 
yourselves ; that is why I have introduced so much 
technical matter into this chapter. You cannot 
identify plants unless you understand the terms in 
which they are described by botanists. By prac- 
tical use, botanical terms will become second 
nature to you; they will cease to present any diffi- 
culties, and the time will come when you will realize 
how valuable they really are. I shall give you a 
lesson on identification in the next chapter. 
BOOKS TO READ OR CONSULT. 
The Romance of Wild Flowers. Step. Warneand Co. 6s. 
Types of British Plants. Colman. Sandsand Co. Qs. 6d. 
The Story of the Plants. Grant Allen. Newnes. Is. 
Nature Studies (Plant Life). Scott Elliot. Blackie and Son. 
33. 6d. 
A Plant Book for Schools. Darbishire. A. and C. Black. 
2s. 6d. 
Plants and their Ways. Evans. Dent. Is. 4d. 
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