A TALK ON GARDENS. 115 



even rods to where the best food for that plant may be found, 

 indicating that there is intelligence, — a soul, as it were, in the 

 tree. There are twenty-four hours from sun to sun, of which 

 only nine hours are now by law required for a day's work. With 

 no garden to engage one's hands or thoughts at home, the hours 

 for recreation may be passed in dissipation or vice. But if a 

 garden is awaiting attention and service, one may there be enter- 

 tained by^ the music of the birds and other voices of Nature. 

 There one may be canned out of narrow self-consciousness and be 

 taught the spirit of morality and of religion, by observing the 

 wonderful operations of Nature as there displayed. Children 

 may there learn of these things, or be taught about them ; as the 

 father of George Washington taught him, that effects are always 

 the results of causes, by writing the lad's name in a garden bed, 

 and sowing therein cabbage seeds, which germinating, soon 

 appeared to the boy's great amazement, until his father explained 

 why and how that name was made to appear and thus directed his 

 mind to thoughts of God by whom all things exist. Thus the 

 garden is a profitable possession for the pecuniary, healthful, 

 educational, moral, and religious returns which come from it to the 

 cultivator. And could the rich learn to appreciate this mode of 

 recreation and amusement, there would be less need of attempts 

 to kill time by games, yachting, horse racing, and the like, and 

 there would be less danger of life being suddenly and prematurely 

 ended through ennui or excess. 



MEETING FOR LECTURE AND DISCUSSION. 



Saturday, March 9, 1895. 

 A Meeting for Lecture and Discussion was holden today at 

 eleven o'clock, the President, Nathaniel T. Kidder, in the chair. 

 The following paper was read by the author : 



Budding and Grafting. 



By Jackson Dawson, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica I'lain. 



In preparing this paper on grafting I have gone somewhat awa}^ 

 from my subject so as to give you an insight into the records of 

 ancient methods of the growing and grafting" of trees in early 



