86 City Homes on Country Lanes 



object of their efforts; and when they learn to satisfy 

 these needs from "the smallest area of soil," then we 

 shall solve our rural problem in a way that will bring 

 real satisfaction to the soul of America. 



The smaller the holding, the more intensive — hence 

 the more artistic and scientific — its cultivation must 

 necessarily be. The smaller the holding, the nearer 

 and more numerous the neighbors — hence the finer the 

 institutions of civic and social and intellectual and 

 spiritual life will inevitably become. 



Lincoln said it all ! 



The time has come to apply this wisdom in the prac- 

 tical life of our people. It points directly to the home 

 in a garden for millions of our country-minded city peo- 

 ple. It extends, however, beyond them and reaches out 

 into the true rural life of the nation, now awaiting some 

 new and mighty impulse that shall effect a basic reor- 

 ganization and reconstruction. Here, as well as in the 

 garden home, there is need of art and science ; of the 

 adoption of a "comfortable subsistence" as an economic 

 ideal, and the realization of all the social, intellectual 

 and spiritual possibilities inherent in the smallest area 

 of soil. This branch of the subject will be considered 

 later. Just now we are thinking of the garden home; 

 and the place to go for our inspiration along practical 

 lines is that part of the United States where the new 

 mental attitude toward the soil has found the best ex- 

 pression. This leads us to Southern California. 



There ;ire certain apparent drawbacks in life that 

 turn out to be mysterious providences, or blessings in 

 disguise. For example, the movement toward the land 

 is always a part of the phenomena of hard times. It 



