26 MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN. 



on musk-melons ? " he asked. " They rarely 

 ripen in this climate thoroughly, before 

 frost." He had tried for years without luck. 

 I resolved not to go into such a foolish 

 experiment. But, the next day, another 

 neighbor happened in. " Ah ! I see you 

 are going to have melons. My family would 

 rather give up anything else in the garden 

 than musk-melons, of the nutmeg variety. 

 They are the most grateful things we have 

 on the table." So there it was. There was 

 no compromise : it was melons, or no mel- 

 ons, and somebody offended in any case. 

 I half resolved to plant them a little late, 

 so that they would, and they would n't. 

 But I had the same difficulty about string- 

 beans (which I detest), and squash (which I 

 tolerate), and parsnips, and the whole round 

 of green things. 



I have pretty much come to the conclu- 

 sion that you have got to put your foot 

 down in gardening. If I had actually 

 taken counsel of my friends, I should not 

 have had a thing growing in the garden 



