WINTER MEETING, 18S2. 17 



straight trees, force the growth too rapidly and thus weaken the vitality of the 

 stock. 



Mr. Taylor : I want to buy my stock of a man I can reach if it does not 

 prove to be what he recommends. I see no harm iu forcing trees if afterward 

 the wood is thoroughly ripened. 



Professor Beal of the Agricultural college carried on the subject of primary 

 horticulture by reading the following unique paper on 



THE CHILDREN'S GARDEN. 



A TKUE NAllRATIVE. 



There is only one child in my family, but several of my neighbors have chil- 

 dren. My good wife generally supplies them with cookies, maple sugar in 

 generous chunks, aud other things which will surely draw the youngsters to 

 our door. In one sense all the neighbor's children are ours; our dooryard and 

 garden are their headquarters. One or more of them generally unites with our 

 little girl in making garden. Every child likes to play in the dirt; they take 

 to it as naturally as young ducks to the pond. In the spring of tiie year, if at 

 no other time, every one is in a fever to "make garden." The children imi- 

 tate the older people. 



In 1877, when my child was seven years old, she took in a neighbor's girl, 

 aged five and a half, as partner, and they made a vegetable garden. The space 

 selected was not very large — six feet square. They made their own plans, and 

 sowed a few seeds which were given them. For a while all things went lovely, 

 but on the approach of hot weather the ground became hard and the weeds 

 numerous ; hoeing in the hot sun was not so funny as planting in the mellow 

 earth in May. The girls were sometimes urged to hoe their garden ; they were 

 sometimes helped a little. The garden looked like too many larger gardens I 

 have seen. The crops were light and easily harvested ; the profits were small. 

 The rows were not straight nor were the distances between them always well 

 proportioned. Some things had room to spare, others were crowded. Still, 

 the garden was not a failure. It afforded some occupation for the long days, 

 and gave the children a little experience. They studied the gardens of older 

 people the more carefully. 



Towards spring of the next year the same children, Jessie and Anna, one 

 eight, the other six and a half, took much delight iu ransacking several illus- 

 trated seed catalogues. A few seeds were again given them. They asked for 

 help in making plans and some help was given. This year the garden had 

 expanded to about a square rod. They put in a miscellaneous lot of seed^ for 

 vegetables, which they peddled among the neighbors. One of the most profita- 

 ble plants was a hill of field pumpkins, the fruit of which was sold to the boys 

 at four cents a piece for making "Jack o' lanterns." In the garden, among 

 the green or golden fruit, one of the boys had, without charge, placed a rude 

 sign " Pumpkins for sale." It drew everybody. The money for the sales was 

 divided between the little gardeners. 



During the next season a better vegetable garden was maintained, and an 

 indifferent flower garden. The location of the latter was not good. My girl, 

 Jessie, showed the nsual shrewdness in business matters which runs in the 

 family. She did most of the hard work and made her partner the treasurer 

 of the firm. 



