378 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



SOME THOUGHTS ON GARDENING. 



GEO. C. STOUT, LAKE CITY. 

 Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: 



Your most excellent president has lately selected nae to give some 

 rambling thoughts on gardening, thinking that the least fluent 

 speaker or writer would be made eloquent by his subject, but I as- 

 sure you the reverse is the case. The great possibility of my sub- 

 ject overburdens my poor faculties, for if I had the tongue of men 

 and angels combined I should fail to do justice to my theme. Gar- 

 dening has many worthier and far more eloquent champions than 

 myself. In our journey through life, wherever we are or whatever 

 our situation or avocation, we are continually learning lessons, 

 and one of the most important to learn or be acquired is to learn 

 how little we know and how much we do notknow. I think this ap- 

 plies very forcibly to me and gardening. 



Before deciding on a spot for a garden, we should be cautious in 

 selecting the localit3\ Mistakes in this matter are often the cause of 

 non-success, when all other things are favorable. We also should 

 select our grounds near some good market, as thecost of marketing 

 our crop is a big item in our expense account, and we have a better 

 chance to take advantage of prices which sometimes are variable. 

 In selecting land for a garden, do not be deceived by any one telling 

 you that if not naturally good the soil can be made so by cultivation 

 and manure. These, of course, will help, but only as education im- 

 proves the shallow mind. Luxurient crops can no more be raised 

 from a thin and poor soil, no matter how much it is cultivated, 

 than fertile ideas from a shallow brain. In selecting your garden, 

 see that the soil is a good, deep loam, neither sandy nor clayey, as 

 deep as you can get it, through which water will pass freelj'. On 

 this you can raise abundant crops under good management. In 

 laying out your garden, you should divide it up by the nvimber of 

 feet, giving to this or that tree, flower, vine or vegetable the number 

 of feet which you intend to devote to each and the respective places 

 they are to occupy. This should be the work of a day and should 

 be carefully done, as work well done is twice done, and you will not 

 have to go over your work the next day to me'nd the weak places; 

 besides it gives you a feeling of solid self respect to look over your 

 work when well done, and it commands the respect of j'^our neigh- 

 bors also. There is nothing so encouraging as successful experi- 

 ments to the gardener and nothing so discouraging as frequent 

 failures. Therefore, think well and work well, and you will not fail 

 of making a good gardener who will not be ashamed of his profes- 

 sion. What can be more interesting than to investigate the habits 

 and growth of fruils and flowers and to help unfold the riches of the 

 vegetable kingdom and to watch their growth and development. It 

 is man's natural avocation to till the soil — in all the world of nature 

 there is nothing like it. Tilling the soil is one of the most honorable, 

 healthy and desirable pursuits vouchsafed to man. It is pluck that 

 is needed to make a good gardener, with plenty of bull dog tenacity 

 of purpose and stubborness of perserverance. This wins the battle. 



