THE GARDEN WEEK BY WEEK 



Jan. are not likely to depart very much from a certain order 

 16-31 of changes. There will be some frost, probably, and 

 some rain — perhaps a spell of snow or sleet. There is 

 hardly likely to be much settled fine weather of the kind 

 that the gardener can rely upon for outdoor sowing. 

 But occasionally we get a period of dry weather in the 

 latter half of the month, during which the soil becomes 

 crumbly. Should that happen, gardening may go on. 

 The true gardener is always on the watch for opportu- 

 nities. He is as one who is engaged in constant warfare 

 with a wily enemy — the clerk of the weather. The latter 

 has a quite Puckish vein of humour. He loves to take 

 you by surprise w^ith a sudden burst of fine weather, 

 watch gleefully while the fact that it really is fine is 

 slowly dawning upon you ; and then, just when you 

 fully awaken, and sally forth for action, to hurl a snow- 

 storm at you. 



There is nothing much worse than a snowstorm in a 

 garden. You cannot dig, even if the ground is soft, 

 because the snow chills the soil for a long time if turned 

 in. You cannot plant trees. You cannot sow seeds. 

 You cannot wheel manure. You cannot lay turf. And 

 a garden is not an ideal place for tobogganing, because 

 there are rockeries, and Cucumber frames, and other 

 impedimenta. 



One of the reasons for my profound belief in gardening 

 is that this incessant weather warfare makes people alert, 

 and quick to seize opportunities. Professional gardeners 

 would make grand scouts with a little technical training, 

 because they have the root matter in them — foresight, 

 watchfulness, powers of observation, and promptness of 

 action. 



A fine spell in January is often a great boon to the 

 gardener. If it does no more, it enables him to get 

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