Garden Hopes
Our garden this spring Idoks forward to the fulfilment of two long- disappointed hopes. Years ago an old lady in her nineties, visiting our house, recalled how, as a small child, she had been entertained there with a feast of apricots: ' On that testimony I immediately procured an apricot tree and planted it against a sunny wall ; but so far my hoped-for feasts have been limited to a single mis-shapen apricot. This year for the first time the outer branches of my tree are sprinkled with well-set fruit. So at last I have hopes that my grandchildren will both comeln time for the apricot harvest and -live long enough to match the old lady's record. Our strawberry-bed carries the colours of my second hope., For, many years every strawberry plant in our garden collapsed in the month of May before its third birthday. Three summers ago, chancing to hear at East Mailing a lecturer from the West of Scotland Agricultural College describe " Auchincruive Climax", a new variety bred by his station which appeared immune to red core, I procured a sample set from the station ; and last year we were indebted to its research for a crop which yielded 72 lb. of fruit from.108 plants. Writing with the caution which becomes every gardener in springthpe, I am hopeful of beating that pioneer yield
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