EARLY DAYS 31 



of garden, but it was the most convenient site that 

 could be obtained, and so the students and the 

 lime-pit men began their work upon it. A year or 

 so later, the other garden was given up and it 

 became our only work-ground for the College. 



The most westerly side was taken in hand first 

 and was planted with bush apples, pears, and plums, 

 wire netting having been previously put round it 

 to prevent rabbits from hurting the slender young 

 trees. A few main paths and one road were pegged 

 out and roughly strewn with clinkers, but the 

 remainder of the five acres was ploughed and 

 sown with mustard, and another portion was sown 

 with vetch. Sheep were penned on this land, and 

 thus it was being enriched but did not necessitate 

 an outlay for labour. 



We were very poor in those days, and so the only 

 structure that could be erected for garden use was 

 a large open shed for storing pots and requisites, 

 a portion of which was closed in with boards and 

 had a floor. It was the one place in those early 

 years where shelter could be had from the heavy 

 squalls of rain that suddenly blow up the valley, 

 and together with sweeping gales were amongst the 

 most baffling enemies of the brave pioneer students 

 who worked in the garden. This wooden structure 

 has weathered many storms, but those first gar- 

 deners would hardly recognise now its smart in- 

 terior, all decorated with college colours of red, 

 white, and blue, and filled often with gay bunches 

 of well-grown carnations and other flowers, having 

 their last drink of refreshing water before they are 

 carefully packed to go and enliven the dark rooms 

 4 



