SOME THOUGHTS ON GARDENING. 379 



Nature demands intelliy^eut industry, and she teiupta ua with op- 

 portunities of financial reward. 



Gardening, or soil culture, in the widest sense of the word, in- 

 cludes a hundred or more pursuits that call for the thoughtful 

 brain, the inventive wit and skill. There i.>i no employment 

 which demands a closer observation nor so fine a sense of 

 climatic chani^'ea nor more infinite knowledge of the life, 

 growth and habits of fruit, flowers and vegetables. It has been 

 said by one of the old writers on this subject that he who 

 could plant a fruit tree and supply it with nourishment and protec- 

 tion through the years that intervene between its root existence and 

 its full harvest of fruitacje, is master of a realm of cause, of effect, of 

 influence, of tendency, whose domains are as larg-e as the fruit bear- 

 ing zone of the world. Mr. President, he who can take a piece of 

 sterile land, impoverished and worn out, and plant it into a f4;arden, 

 and by industrj- and intellij^'ent manipulating^ of the soil make it 

 productive and to blossom like the rose, has won a victory over ad- 

 verse circumstances prouder than the triumphs of the sword. The 

 love of flowers, fruit and vegetables is natural to all. The Creator 

 of all has ordained man for the cultivation of the soil. Thus we are in 

 a manner, like our first parent Adam, made gardeners. I have often 

 thought of the transports of joy that must have filled the heart of 

 our first parent as his delighted eyes first luxuriated on the clustered 

 beauties that decked his Eden bowers. Although we may be denied 

 from the beauties of Eden, we still inherit some of the beautiful 

 flowers and fruit. Who does not like them? We are told that Solo- 

 mon in all his glory was not arrayed like the beautiful lily. 

 Dormant indeed must that inind be that fails to derive a feel- 

 ing of elevated and refined delight from the contemplation of those 

 pearly gems that grace the bosom of our mother earth, the jewelry 

 with which heaven has adorned her. 



Barren indeed this worlcl of ours would be 



Deprived of the sweet smiles of the beautiful Howeria. 



Who would not be a gardener where nature is so bountiful I She 

 gives us the soil, we try to help her bj- working it; she keeps the 

 soil moist as we mellow it up: she then lets the air pass into it with 

 its fertility, which she has gathered from the neglected barnj'ards 

 and cessjjools of the land, and this fertility she leaves with the soil. 

 And thus the gardener and nature are working together trying to 

 help each other; thus are our gardens improved and made produc- 

 tive. The more we feed and work the soil of our gardens, the more 

 will nature assist us, and the better will our crops and gardens be. 

 The truth is we are only helping nature at the best, and she pays us 

 well for what we do for her. If we deal generously by her, how well 

 she pays us back — 



With great waves of plenty, 



KolIiuK up their golden harvest at our feet. 



Thecjuestion is often a.><ked of us,"would I make a good gardener':" 

 Yes, if j'ou have plenty of mother wit and are willing to put in the 

 same energy and hard stud}' that you would to make a good mar- 



