ADVANTAGE IN THE CALIFORNIA GARDEN 25 



This is not an isolated instance. Any one can do it who can 

 command the "essentials to success" previously considered, and 

 almost any one can utterly fail of doing it without them. A hint 

 is given of the succession of crops possible in the California gar- 

 den. There will be much of that hereafter. 



The social benefit of the farm garden may enter the realm 

 of sentiment but it is none the less true, potent and precious. The 

 farm with a garden is an inexpressibly better home than without 

 it. The garden wins interest: it dispenses content. It awakens 

 home pride and strengthens home love. It has actual educational 

 value in that it directly imparts useful lessons in plant growth 

 and requirements which are applicable to all other farm opera- 

 tions. It has lessons also to quicken the love of the beautiful 

 which, in turn, leads in all phases of home improvement and 

 lifts the standard of rural manhood and womanhood. 



Of Especial Applicability to California. All these benefits of 

 the installation of a garden area on the farm should be especially 

 striven for in California because they can be realized here in ex- 

 ceptional measure. The well-planned California garden is ever- 

 green. It admits of succession and rotation within the year, so 

 that a twelve month is the producing equivalent of twice or thrice 

 its duration in wintry climates. Here the garden does not insist 

 upon intruding its claims just in the "rush of spring work" which 

 is known in lands of more marked seasonal transitions. It is well 

 content to be "ahead of the rush" the whole year round, but it 

 must be admitted that it stubbornly rebels against being behind it. 

 Not only is succession of tender growths made possible by the long 

 frostless term but more than half of the common garden vegeta- 

 bles are so hardy that they maintain growth even through our 

 short frosty season and, with irrigation on lands which need it, 

 thrive the whole year in the open air. Rich is the endowment 

 which a semi-tropical climate bestows upon the gardener. He who 

 does not avail himself of it for his own comfort and profit, buries 

 his talent into the earth. 



The Garden in Mixed Farming. During the last few years, 

 aside from the greater interest in vegetable growing on the part 

 of the settlers, which has been noted, there has been a decided 

 gain through the efforts of newer residents to make their smaller 

 holdings self-supplying and income-yielding, as well, by due at- 

 tention to vegetable growing. All through the state, but espe- 



