THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 299 



greater importance than to show advantages in 

 cost reduction, since production is the real basis 

 of economic advance in any field of endeavor, 

 and never the cheapness of the product. 



It is understood, therefore, that I do not urge 

 the vegetable garden as a feature of any place 

 for the (problematical) results in saving money 

 on vegetables; but that my urgence is based on 

 that stewardship which I mentioned in the be- 

 ginning. The determination to give a good ac- 

 counting involves the neglect of no part — and 

 least of all the neglect of so vital a part as the 

 vegetable, or in the older terminology, the 

 kitchen garden. Remembering that for long it 

 entertained all that there were of flowers, and 

 these only because they were used in flavoring 

 or for distillation, we may easily restore its an- 

 cient prestige by restoring these — if it seems 

 necessary to do this. But introduced in the 

 right way and in the right relation in the gen- 

 eral design, I contend that the modern kitchen 

 garden needs nothing more than an understand- 

 ing of its place and purpose and of its harmony 

 with all the rest, to restore it to its own. 



It must be approached practically however; 

 and as the most impractical method of handling 

 it is to overdo it, it follows that the most prac- 

 tical approach is the one that will insure doing 



