18 SATURDAY IN MY GARDEN 



If we contemplate gardening in its recreative and physical 

 aspects we find it supreme. It is a hobby that appeals to and 

 may be indulged in by men and women of all ages, and all con- 

 ditions of life. It takes its votaries out of doors, into the open 

 air, the sunshine, the frost, the cold and the warmth of our ever- 

 changing climate, and makes them hardy, so that they are better 

 able to withstand the onslaughts of insidious bacilli that lurk in 

 stuffy rooms and improperly ventilated offices and workshops. 

 It is unnecessary to dwell upon the advantages of a few hours' 

 steady digging, upon the certitude with which it brings into play 

 every muscle in the human frame, upon its invigorating effect 

 upon the mind and the nerves, so that if afterwards one is obliged 

 to engage in mental work, the brain is found to be clearer and 

 the nerves steadier than could have been regarded as possible. 

 And then how the perspiration streams from every pore of the 

 body after the mowing machine has been brought into play on 

 the lawn on a hot summer's morning ! Such exercise is as effective 

 in its health-giving properties as a Turkish bath, and quite as 

 pleasant. But in whichever direction we may turn in con- 

 templating the healthful exercises of gardening, whether it be 

 trenching or pruning, planting or seed-sowing, wheeling a well- 

 filled barrow or sweeping and tidying up, we find that each and 

 all help to give tone to the whole system. 



As an antidote to lassitude, the martyrdom of indigestion 

 and the worries of everyday work, gardening cannot be excelled. 

 It is a hobby that never palls, and never becomes monotonous. 

 Its endless variety is its greatest charm. Some new task awaits 

 you every day. You are your own master, you may dispose of 

 your time as and when you please, and you may choose the work 

 to which your changing mood may attract you. And there is 

 this to be said for gardening : that once the afflatus is upon you, 

 once you have surrendered yourself, whole-heartedly, to the 

 goddess, your devotion will never slacken you will remain a 

 gardener so long as life shall last. You will desire above every- 

 thing to be your own gardener whether you be the single-handed 

 worker in a modest patch or whether your means will allow you 



