Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-04-17

earth present farer scene. Far away on the
western horizon, the dim outlines Of the Ponza
Islands are visible. Ischia. floating in the golden
haze Of the dying day, seems linked by Procida
and Nisda to the mainland, and the eye travels
slowly eastward over Posippo and Naples to
where Vesuvus, broodng and silent since the
great catastrophe of Ave years ago, keeps watch
over the city II has so often threatened with de-
struction Still further east the distant peaks OF
the great Apennine Range appear almost to fringe
the sunlit waters Of the Bay Of Sorrento, whose
cliffs dotted with pink and white walled houses
dominated by the rugged OF SAINT
Angelo and the hills which guard Ravello and
Salernos gulf.
Wenigh two thousand years have come and
gone since Augustus Caesar, wearied by the
spendors of imperial Rome first gazed on the
matchess beauty of this scene; small wonder
that the magic spell which Capri throughout the
ages has cast upon the stranger within her gates
should lose none of its potency tin mems hearts
shall cease to care for beauty. Since my garden
first came into being, have often analysed how
imperious is this love Of beauty, for from a
purely gardening point of view no one would
select a spot exposed to all the winds of heaven
and bereft Of water on a springless island. And
yet Nature supplies the compensation in having
provided such background to the picture that
she must continue TO dominate IT, making amends
for the inevitable failures which the gardener
Is forever encountering And II the growing"
period is short in this sun-baked land yet again
1t is prodgious In result while 1t lasts Gardening
In Italy teaches one of many lessons; namely to
avoid the temptation arising from the desire for
quick enect-that of planting trees and shrubs
too large in size: the smaller ones establish
themselves and go ahead in half the time, making
compact and sturdy growth and also avoiding
the necessity for unsghtly stalking Six years
ago the hill of San Michele was little more than
a barren rock clothed in parts with vineyards and
III ~ "a
lily dlscernibe 1t rises midway between the
precpitous cllhs at the eastern end and Monte
Solaro the highest summit of the island; this
exposure to all points Of the compass Is being
utilized to advantage, as the difference between
the north and south aspect amounts to fully
fortnight In the towering season
The modest little hOuse-orginally the Colono's
lies at the base of the hill on the southern side
The vineyard which surrounded it has been
cleared and a terrace and parterre substituted;
here in the spring months Darwin and Cottage
tulips haunt their painted faces in the sunshine;
freesia narcissl ixias and sparaxis (for Capri is
bulb-sOil par excellence); roses are rapidly Gov
erng the columns and wreathing the olive trees,
all grated on the Banksan rose, that boon to the
gardener in the south. Beyond the parterre, in
the lower garden, a long tank, hanked by
Expresses on either side holds the beautiful Mel
umbium-the Lotus Of Old Nie-speciosum ro-
scum, rubrum. Shiroman and Osiris-a feast for
the eye denied to the gardens of the north.
Win you come with a pilgrimage up the
hill through the old lemon garden, where the
trees, perishng from neglect, but now well
screened from their cruel enemy, the south wind,
are bearing thousands of yellow fruit, and the air
ia laden with the scent Of blossom? AS as
cend each successive terrace holds its quota OF
bulbs and iris under the silvery sheen Of the
olive trees. until reach at length the rose
garden and here it Is we'll to rest while The
Southern Sea stretches below us, with the pic
turesaue ruin of Castlglione in the middle dis
lance. Against background Of tall bamboos, at
our feet bloom the roses for which Capri Gas
Paestum was of old Is famed. What would have
been the feelings Of Virgil could he have looked
the goodly array to which rosarians are now
accustomed-Mme. A. Chatenay, the Lyon rose
Richmond Betty, Marquse de Ganay Nine. Leon
Pain, in addition to all the older favorites such
as Anna olivier, Nine Ravary, Caroline Testout
to say nothing of pillars wreathng themselves
with Sinlca Anemone, transmission, Ideal and
the Michuraianas! From the garden the
circng of the hill commences; a broad path
planted on either side with towering shrubs
wigelas, lilac. syringa deutzas pomegranatel
and guelder rOses-leads to the vne-clad per
COLA and as we leave it, at the farther end, the
Incompatible Bay of Naples greets the eye. AL
available ground on the hillside is being utilizeJ
for shrubs and plants with wind breaks Of Gu
pressus macrocarpa and Pinus halepensis which
grow at a surprising rate in this sandy soil. Herr
are TO he found the towering crabs, thorns ant
almonds while japanese naples and Rosa ru
gosa give feast of color in the foreground, in
terspersed with tenderer shrubs such as Fabian