PREFACE. BRAINS AND THE 

 GARDEN MANIA 



"I AM densely ignorant only just barely 

 know dahlias from mignonettes," wrote Henry 

 James in May, 1898. But a few months later 

 he declared, "The garden mania begins to stir 

 in my veins." 



The garden mania! When that gets its grip 

 on you, then good-by to golf and fishing and 

 hunting and most other summer sports. You 

 don't believe it? Just try and see. But you 

 must use your brains as well as your brawn. 



Everybody has heard of the great English 

 artist who, when asked what he mixed his paints 

 with, replied, "I mix them with brains, sir." 



There is an old story about a poor widow who 

 went to her pastor and complained that, al- 

 though she prayed every day for a good crop, 

 her garden refused to yield it. After inspecting 

 her soil the pastor remarked : "My dear madam, 

 prayer is the greatest thing in the world, but 

 you must also use the brains the good Lord gave 

 you. Your garden needs fertilizer." 



Cantaloupes, writes Robert Welles Ritchie in 

 the Country Gentleman, "are not a cheap 

 crop not a hit-and-miss crop. Brains, infinite 

 patience, money, and then some more brains go 

 into the rearing of it." 



The same is true of most other crops, useful 

 or ornamental. If carried on with intelligence, 

 gardening is a succession of delicious thrills. 



