176 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



completed whole. That these require- 

 ments have been met in the Brown exe- 

 dra must be evident to the cursory ob- 

 server, while it can be safely affirmed 

 that the work will bear the closest criti- 

 cism of the expert stoneworker or de- 

 signer. The burial plot, which is tri- 

 angular, is enclosed on one side by the 

 memorial proper. The other sides are 

 defined by finely wrought coping, 

 through which, giving a dignified ap- 

 proach to the monument, is an entrance 

 flanked on either side by vases of clas- 

 sic design, filled with blossoming plants. 

 The central feature of the monument 

 is a massive Latin cross on a pedestal 

 •showing in letters sharply relieved the 

 name and record of the deceased. This, 

 in turn, is supported by three guardians 

 of symbolic significance- On the inner 

 surface of the converging walls, in pic- 

 turesque Roman text, is carved the quo- 

 tation, 'Until the day break, and the 

 shadows flee away.' This legend, as 

 well as the whole concept of the admir- 

 able memorial, is a sermon in stone, 

 and speaks eloquently as may be of the 

 "reasonable, religious and holy hope,' 

 which comforts the departed and cheers 

 those who survive for a season." 



are over an acre in area, while others 

 are considerably smaller. 



A plan was adopted by the company 

 last spring to encourage employees to 

 make use of the available land. A form 

 of lease was approved whereby for a 

 nominal consideration and without de- 

 lay or formality employees could obtain 

 such land as they could reasonably cul- 

 tivate. 



This action on the part of the New 

 Haven is in line with the efforts of all 

 the railways of the United States to be 

 of the utmost service to the country in 

 the present crisis. The railways have 

 taken extraordinary measures to stimu- 

 late food production and millions of 

 acres of railroad land have been rented 

 throughout the country for agricultural 

 purposes. 



Increasing the Food Supply. 



Many employees of the New York, 

 Kew Haven and Hartford railroad 

 company have utilized the opportunity 

 presented by the company last spring 

 and are raising "war gardens" along 

 the railroad's right of way and on other 

 vacant property of the company. 



The land is leased to the employees 

 at a nominal rental through the real 

 estate department of the company. 

 There are a great number of small par- 

 cels of land also that have been leased 

 -with similar concessions by the opera- 

 ting department, the records of which 

 lhave not yet reached the real estate de- 

 partment. It is not possible, therefore, 

 to estimate closely at this time the total 

 acreage devoted to employees' gardens, 

 nor the number of such gardens that 

 "have been planted. 



The "war gardens" are located in 

 Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connec- 

 ticut and New York. They are pro- 

 ducing crops of potatoes, tomatoes, 

 corn, peas, beans, onions and many 

 other vegetables. Some of the gardens 



Upside Down the Best? 



New York City. 

 To the Editor : 



Here is another note about planting 

 bulbs upside down. I have never plant- 

 ed bulbs in that way, but last spring a 

 green gardener in my employ planted 

 two rows of asparagus roots upside 

 down. I happened to appear on the 

 scene when all but three or four were 

 covered in. To dig up and replant these 

 two rows meant much extra work at a 

 busy time. I knew that the chances 

 were fair for the sprouts to loop the 

 loop and eventually to appear in the 

 sunshine, and they not only did that 

 but these were the best two rows of 

 asparagus that I have ever planted. 

 That might sound like too much of a 

 ioke, if these two rows were not still 

 in existence for any of your readers to 

 see. I have no philosophy in explana- 

 tion and would prefer to consider the 

 incident as a simple coincidence. 



Some time ago I gave several Japa- 

 neese heart nuts to a friend who passed 

 them over to his negro gardener for 

 planting. Two weeks later it was dis- 

 covered that the gardener had not 

 planted them and when asked for the 

 reason, he replied : 



"Well, Massa John, I didn't know 

 which was top o' them 'ere nuts, and 

 I's 'fraid if they was planted upside 

 down, them trees would grow like 

 weepin' willows." 



Yours truly, 



Robert T. Morris. 



