SURPRISED POOR PA

New Zealand Tablet, 19 September 1912, Page 61

SURPRISED POOR PA

Now father in his garden takes a proper pride indeed, And loves experimenting with outlandish sorts of seed; One day he met a horticultural expert in the bus, Who said, ‘ You really ought to grow' Raphanus Sativus.’ I 11 take the hint,’ said father, though he’d never heard before This highly-sounding title, still he hurried to the store, And with confident assurance he addressed the shopman thus• ‘ I want a shilling packet of Raphanus Sativus.’ And after weeks of waiting came some little shoots of green, But father nearly fainted as he gazed upon the scene, For radishes were sprouting with i growth luxurious In the spot where he had planted the Raphanus Sativus. He hurried to the expert in a state of wild alarm, Who when he’d heard his story besought him to be calm. ‘ They’re coming up all right,’ he said, so why make all this fuss? The Latin name for radish is “ Raphanus Sativus.” ’