WHAT I KNOW ABOUT GARDENING. 51 



are an annoyance. Even if they did not scratch 

 up the corn, and peck the strawberries, and eat 

 the tomatoes, it is not pleasant to see them 

 straddling about in their jerky, high-stepping, 

 speculative manner, picking inquisitively here 

 and there. It is of no use to tell the neighbor 

 that his hens eat your tomatoes : it makes no 

 impression on him, for the tomatoes are not his. 

 The best way is to casually remark to him that 

 he has a fine lot of chickens, pretty well grown, 

 and that you like spring chickens broiled. He 

 will take them away at once. 



The neighbors small children are also out 

 of place in your garden, in strawberry and 

 currant time, I hope I appreciate the value 

 of children. We should soon come to noth 

 ing without them, though the Shakers have 

 the best gardens in the world. Without them 

 the common school would languish. But the 

 problem is, what to do with them in a gar- 



