WHAT I KNOW ABOUT GARDENING. 51 



the weeds entirely disappeared. Trying it 

 a third morning, I was obliged to throw it 

 over the fence in order to save from de- 

 struction the green things that ought to 

 grow in the garden. Of course, this is 

 figurative language. What I mean is that 

 the fascination of using this hoe is such 

 that you are sorely tempted to employ it 

 upon your vegetables, after the weeds are 

 laid low, and must hastily withdraw it, to 

 avoid unpleasant results. I make this ex- 

 planation, because I intend to put nothing 

 into these agricultural papers that will not 

 bear the strictest scientific investigation ; 

 nothing that the youngest child cannot un- 

 derstand and cry for ; nothing that the old- 

 est and wisest men will not need to study 

 with care. 



I need not add that the care of a garden 

 with this hoe becomes the merest pastime. 

 I would not be without one for a single 

 night. The only danger is that you may 

 rather make an idol of the hoe, and some- 

 what neglect your garden in explaining it 



