PLACE IN CIVILIZATION 7 



represents — and requires — the greater perfec- 

 tion. But we have been building stately for long 

 enough now to begin to garden finely; and we 

 are moreover as a nation coming to that self- 

 consciousness which inspires real effort in the 

 arts, in the desire to express itself. Hence we 

 are ready to produce something worthy in gar- 

 dens — and when I say worthy I mean just that, 

 in every sense and all senses of the word. We 

 are ready not only to assume the obligations of 

 our stewardship of such land as we acquire, but 

 we are ready to spare no pains to embellish and 

 make beautiful as well as to make productive. 

 We are ready at last to justify possession of our 

 bit of earth, inasmuch as we are ready to make 

 the most of it in the fullest sense. 



Distinct from its aspect as a civilizing factor, 

 therefore, is the garden's aspect as an evidence 

 of the progress of civilization. It established it 

 in the first place; and now it is the measure by 

 which it may be gauged. Crude people garden 

 crudely — this is as true of individuals as it is of 

 races — while people of high culture and highly 

 evolved discrimination and sense of harmony, 

 garden finely. By their gardens indeed shall 

 we know them; for a garden is surely the fruit 

 of its creator's mind and will reveal the inner 

 man as nothing else he can make. Which is an- 



