WHAT I KNOW ABOUT GARDENING 73 



everything would look all right. The borders 

 of my drive were trimmed with scissors ; and 

 everything that could offend the Eye of the 

 Great was hustled out of the way. 



In relating this interview, it must be distinctly 

 understood that I am not responsible for any 

 thing that the President said ; nor is he, either. 

 He is not a great speaker ; but whatever he says 

 has an esoteric and an exoteric meaning ; and 

 some of his remarks about my vegetables went 

 very deep. I said nothing to him whatever 

 about politics, at which he seemed a good deal 

 surprised: he said it was the first garden he 

 had ever been in, with a man, when the talk 

 was not of appointments. I told him that this 

 was purely vegetable ; after which he seemed 

 more at his ease, and, in fact, delighted with 

 everything he saw. He was much interested in 

 my strawberry-beds, asked what varieties I had, 

 and requested me to send him some seed. He 

 4 



