120 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



knowledge up to date than to make ex- 

 periments in improvement. I have seen 

 a number of interesting forms on the 

 grounds of Luther Burbank in Califor- 

 nia and I know that he has been working 

 on them more or less. I do not think, 

 however, that he has made much out of 



A SECTION OF THE PLANT SHOWING 

 FRUIT IN GROWTH. 



it yet. I think that there is a good deal 

 to be accomplished in the mere introduc- 

 tion of good forms from Mexico and 

 other places." 



The Guide to Nature will be glad 

 to learn of any attempts at improvement 

 or of extensive cultivation for the mar- 

 ket. It is strange that a fruit almost 

 universally liked, so easily grown, and so 

 abundant on the stems should be so rare- 



ly seen. Strange, too, that I should 

 have said so much of its good qualities 

 and yet waited so many- years before 

 raising it. Perhaps you, too, have been 

 unconsciously emulating that example. 

 If so, now turn about and help me to 

 cultivate and to investigate. 



NATURE IN THE GARDEN. 



BY A. W. NOLAN, A. P.., PROFESSOR OF HOR- 

 TICULTURE IN WEST VIRGINIA 

 UNIVERSITY. 



A few days ago I was transplanting 

 a row of wild sumac, along the back of 

 my garden on a city lot. The farmer 

 who was plowing the garden at the same 

 time stopped his team before the young, 

 bare sumac stems and said in disgusted 

 astonishment : 



"I don't see what you want to plant 

 those ugly things here for." I tried to 

 explain to him that their leaves were 

 graceful and beautiful, that their seed 

 cluster gave a pleasing effect in autumn, 

 and that the abundant massing of the 

 shrub made a fine background to the 

 garden. But the farmer whipped up his 

 horses, started his plow and grunted: 

 "Umph, you can find that stuff any- 

 where ; looks too much like the woods 

 ft >r me." 



Here lies a great barrenness in adult 

 lives — a dwarfed appreciation of the 

 truths and beauties of commonplace na- 

 ture. We adults fail to see nature in our 

 own gardens. We are too sordid to real- 

 ize the possibilities of inviting nature into 

 our own dooryard. We grow prema- 

 turely old, because we fail to catch the 

 spirit of the sunrise, of the sprouting 

 grain and of the pipping shells. 



There is no reason, except ignorance 

 and idleness, why we should not make 

 our home grounds beautiful with the 

 shade of trees, fragrant with flowers, 

 luxuriant with fruit and vegetables, and 

 cheerful with songs of birds. Wherever 

 there are soil and sunshine, plants will 

 grow; wherever there are plants, birds 

 will come, and wherever there are plants 

 and animals, men. women and children 

 should be happy. One great secret of 

 happiness is to live in harmony with one's 

 surroundings, especially with one's natur- 

 al surroundings. With every tree, shrub, 

 grass-blade and flower, with every bird, 



