242 GARDENING OVER A WINTER FIRE. 



form to it. The good dame will probably do 

 nothing of the kind, and then what is your 

 theory worth ? The Baconian system of facts 

 first, and deductions afterwards, must apply 

 here as elsewhere. But the gardener who re- 

 mains ignorant of facts and makes no deduc- 

 tions, Nature justly frowns upon, and makes 

 abundant deductions for him in the annual 

 yield of his ground. I know that advocates of 

 agricultural ignorance point to what they term 

 u illiterate gardeners," and say : 



" Look at what they accomplish without any 

 reading, scientific or otherwise ! " 



Do they accomplish their success without 

 knowledge ? So many broad-minded persons 

 (as they deem themselves) in good society, 

 imagine that people must be well dressed, and 

 read,' in order to have knowledge. There are 

 two ways of acquiring this : one from books, 

 the other from things about which the books are 



