146 MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN. 



shows it in little things. I have men 

 tioned my attempt to put in a few mod 

 est turnips, near the close of the season. 

 I sowed the seeds, by the way, in the most 

 liberal manner. Into three or four short 

 rows I presume I put enough to sow an 

 acre ; and they all came up, came 

 up as thick as grass, as crowded and 

 useless as babies in a Chinese village. 

 Of course, they had to be thinned out ; 

 that is, pretty much all pulled up ; and 

 it took me a long time ; for it takes a 

 conscientious man some time to decide 

 which are the best and healthiest plants 

 to spare. After all, I spared too many. 

 That is the great danger everywhere in 

 this world (it may not be in the next) ; 

 things are too thick : we lose all in grasp 

 ing for too much. The Scotch say, that 

 no man ought to thin out his own tur 

 nips, because he will not sacrifice enough 

 to leave room for the remainder to grow : 



