A Whitewashed Weed
One of the most highly honoured of plants by the modern school of gardeners is the once scorned nettle. The leading authority on fruit trees, for example, the highly accomplished Mr. Bush, has dared to publish the confession—or make the boast—that he always give i a valuable patch of nettles their share of artificial manure. The reason is that he is con- vinced—and none of our authorities is more definitely practical—that a compost heap with plenty of nettles in it is worth very much more than a nettle-less heap, for use in the orchard as well as in the garden. To some of us the nettle is valuable for a very different reason. It is the host plant of the most gorgeous of our autumnal butterflies ; and inci- dentally how strangely these have differed in distribution this season. As duly recorded earlier, I have seen several score of Red Admirals in com- pany in two gardens, one among flowers, the other, yet more numerous, gorging on rotten pears ; and one letter has reached me avowing that the gardener was driven off by the mobbing of innumerable Admirals. In none of these experiences was 'a single peacock seen.
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