AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1029, 19 December 1883, Page 2

AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE.

Gardeners beware ! The blue gladiolus wan is on the war-path again, and has already victimised a considerable number «f benevolent people in the neighborhood of Christchurch !do will probably be down here soon. He had not bean out of gaol many days before he was at his old game, though he slightly altered h's tactics. Having laid aside his historic family name of Russell, he now passes as a Mr Reynolds, or any other name which is not known in the neighborhood he happens to be working; and his special line is native plants and reduced circumstances. He presents an appearance of woe-begone, respectable penury, aud he offers for sale certain mysterious roots which ha says he has collected in the bush, knowing them to be productive of gorgeous blooms, and on the immediate sale of which the survival of himself, a delicate wife, and an interesting family of small children depends. He asks a high price for these choice botanical specimens, but readily accepts any leaser sum that may be proposed by the shrewd, economical customer, observing in a broken voice, that a man who wants bread must take what he can get and be thankful. His dejection and humility are enough to . melt the gizzard of a hawk. He has notbeen out long enough to get fat yet, and lias none of that bottle-fed look he bad when last he was round. He really bears out very well the part of a poor, reckless, worthy sort of a fool, who, knowing something of plants and little else, would go scratching about the hush and pick up a few nice things in the hope of turning an honest penny. We have seen some of the products of his search, for which ho got a shilling a piece from a friend of ours. These are a common sort of cordylinum or low growing cabbage tree, which can be got for nothing in any swamp but are not worth getting. In fact, he seems to take any wild thing that happens to be growing close at hand, and is quite capable of inducing the unwary proprietor to buy back his own weeds. We are informed that while the gentleman is thus engaged in diffusing a knowledge of the native flora in the blessed name of charity, a lady, strongly suspected of being his wife, or otherwise connected with him, is visiting the suburban aristocracy with a piteous tale of genteel destitution, and a small collection of rare exotic bulbs. These appear to be neither more nor less than the balance of last year’s crop of blue gladiolus. What this precious pair principally sell, however, is a vivid green plant called colonua credulus. They have a'ao a large stock of Lopher damnabilis.—Timaru Strald.