3 j t . ... ,.; -VEGECULTURE 



'to* be secured by tlie 'planting, at wide intervals, of such subjects 

 as the Tomato, Japanese Cucumber, or Ornamental Gourd, 

 trained to 4-ft. canes, in the border ; the gain is at once evident 

 in both the ornamental and useful sense. Trained to a single 

 stem, and kept within circumscribed limits of height and girth, 

 these vegetable-fruits would not interfere with the other occu- 

 pants of the border half as much as a rampant, struggling 

 perennial flower of doubtful decorative value. 



This view relates, of course, principally to the smaller garden, 

 where space is limited, and a desire exists on the part of the 

 owner to allot a fair share of such space to the three principal 

 departments of his garden in turn. A judicious mixture, in 

 this case, keeping in view the ornamental aspect of the whole, 

 would be most profitable. The wonder is that some such 

 system is not generally adopted ! I consider that the reason 

 for its rarity lies chiefly in the slavish adoption of too severe a 

 line of demarcation a too strict dividing-line between the 

 kitchen- and flower-gardens. That is all very well where ample 

 space is at the disposal of the cultivator ; but in the small 

 garden such division is usually the result of a misinterpretation 

 of certain regulations which may be supposed to govern good 

 gardening, and a worship of the formal and conventional. 



When I have on occasion shown a fine painting or photograph 



of flowers, vegetables, or fruits to certain persons, I have been 



met with this dictum : "All very fine, but such 



Possibilities specimens as these can never be grown in an 



versus amateur's garden ! The professional gardener, 



Realization who can sit beside his plants and watch them 



grow, and coddle them into perfection, has the 



advantage of the amateur, and often he has the choice out of 



large stock ! These pictures are useless, misleading, impossible ! " 



If these individuals could only allow their better judgment 

 to have fair play, they would perceive that these resplendent, 

 perfect-petalled flowers, immaculate leaves, shapely vegetables, 

 and rounded, beautifully-coloured fruits of luscious appearance 

 are but TYPES an example, the object of attainment, the 

 guide and reference-book wherewith to refresh our memory, 

 the stimulus to back up our energies, the pattern upon which 

 our ideas are based and worked out through perseverance and 

 study ! 



Unfortunately, matters are not always represented in such a 

 light. Insistence is often placed upon the certainty that, if 

 suitable seeds are sown, the highest results will be forthcoming. 



