ntly found to
be the case, in the shadow of a porch, is very tantalising, especially
to the stranger. Householders should see that the No. is placed in a
conspicuous spot, and have the figures painted so that they can be well
seen even on a dusky evening.

~Nunneries.~--See "_Religious Associations_."

~Nurseries.~--The outskirts, and indeed many parts of the town, less
than a century back were studded with gardens, but the flowers have had
to give place to the more prosaic bricks and mortar, and householders
desirous of floral ornaments have now in a great measure to resort to
the nursery grounds of the professed horticulturists. Foremost among the
nurseries of the neighbourhood are those of Mr. R.H. Vertegans, Chad
Valley, Edgbaston which were laid out some thirty-five years ago. The
same gentleman has another establishment of even older date at Malvern,
and a third at Metchley. The grounds of Messrs. Pope and Sons, at King's
Norton, are also extensive and worthy of a visit. There are other
nurseries at Solihull (Mr. Hewitt's), at Spark hill (Mr. Tomkins'), at
Handsworth (Mr. Southhall's), and in several other parts of the suburbs.
The _Gardeners' Chronicle_, the editor of which is supposed to be a good
judge, said that the floral arrangement at the opening of the Mason
Science College surpassed anything of the kind ever seen in Birmingham,
Mr. Vertegans having supplied not less than thirty van loads, comprising
over 5,000 of the choicest exotic flowers and evergreens.

~Oak Leaf Day.~--In the adjoining counties, and to a certain extent in
Birmingham itself, it has been the custom for carters and coachmen to
decorate their horses' heads and their own hats with sprays of oak
leaves on the 29th of May, and 99 out of the 100 would tell you they did
so to commemorate Charles II. hiding in the oak tree near to Boscobel
House. It is curious to note how long an erroneous idea will last. The
hunted King would not have found much shelter in his historical oak in
the month of May, as the trees would hardly have been sufficiently in
leaf to have screened him, and, as it happened, it was the 4th of
September and not the 29th of May when the event occurred. The popular
mistake is supposed to have arisen from the fact that Charles made his
public entry into London on May 29, which was also his birthday, when
the Royalists decked themselves with oak in remembrance of that tree
having been instrumental in the King's restoration.