24 MANURES. 



neighbour's garden. The more we study a subject the 

 greater our qualifications for mastering its difficulties, 

 and it is only the prude and the super-sensitive that 

 will not bend to the necessities of life, be it plant or 

 human. 



The little urchin who clears the streets with dust 

 pan and brush of what is good for his miniature gar- 

 den is of far more interest to me than the noble lord 

 who pays his gardener's bill for artificial manure. I 

 can see the trader smile, but, *' bon comrade," that 

 self-same urdhin in all probability is the gardener of 

 to-morrow, and his knowledge of plant life is far more 

 likely to become thorough than he who so seldom 

 devotes an hour to the study of the growth and re- 

 quirements of the trees he loves. 



We may all talk of leaf mould, bone meal, sihoddy, 

 and artificials, but cow dung, pig manure, night soil, 

 sheep droppings. Oh, no ! I am sorry if I shall 

 offend, but, good reader, if you think so do not read 

 further ; however, our national motto may prove a 

 fine disinfectant for the mind of anyone wtho objects. 



I am not a chemist, and cannot talk to you in 

 the language of chemists ; neither would I do so if I 

 was, for I am sure this chapter would lose half its 

 value. We will call a spade a spade, and get on witn 

 our subject, but here a short story albeit a very old 

 chestnut. Two navvies got into a railway carriage in 

 which sat a Bishop, and on sitting down, one poked 

 his shovel by accident into his friend's face. ** Hi, 

 Bill ! " shouts the friend, " mind what you are doing 

 with that bZanfe * shovel ! " Then realising that the 

 Bishop was present he apologised, and remarked, 

 You see, my lord, I always calls a spade a spade." 

 " Indeed," said the Bishop, " I thought you called il 

 a blank shovel." In describing our subject it is not 

 necessary to descend to the phraseology of the navvy, 

 or to examine the depths of the cesspool ; but in com- 

 mon terms I will try to interest and to educate my 

 readers in a most important necessity of the garden. 



