210 TRENCH GARDENS 



peaches have been richly coloured and have 

 ripened, so that I can recommend such a garden 

 strongly to those who have not much wall space 

 for trained fruit trees, and do not wish to go to 

 the heavy expense of building them. 



This short survey of that which does not belong 

 to the market-garden pure and simple and recalls 

 the bright, happy side of gardening, indulged in 

 during peace-time, may be pardonable even now, 

 whilst the sound of cannon-fire comes to us across 

 the sea from Flanders. It is good to relax for a 

 brief space, and then those of us who cannot fight 

 must pursue with renewed vigour, united energy, 

 and steadfastness, work which may eventually 

 prove to be as urgently needed as munition-making. 

 We know that the great army of our foe has been 

 so organised that men were granted a fortnight's 

 leave at harvest time, during which they could 

 return to their homes in detachments and help to 

 gather in the food supplies. News comes to us 

 of their large potato harvest, of many tons not 

 required for people being given to their horses, 

 and the bands of active women, belonging to 

 different spheres of life, who are growing vegetables 

 to supply the German people. 



As a fruit expert remarked, when he saw our 

 trench peach garden, " Necessity is the mother of 

 invention " ; so, no doubt, what each fighting 

 nation finds itself forced to do now will teach 

 resourcefulness, and we, like others who have 

 learned this lesson earlier, shall follow suit and 

 organise the growth of food supplies, devoting only a 

 brief space to the joys of the spring flower garden. 



