104 DA VET'S PRIMER 



Here are Lucile, Mirabelle and Harold. They are 

 gathering plant food. 



"What do you feed plants with?" 



Glad to hear from you, Gotlieb ; it is plain that you 

 will try to keep up the reputation of your parents' na- 

 tionality. 



It is said, "You can't beat the Dutch in raising 

 cabbage." This is true : they are among our best gar- 

 deners and florists. They know that any plant, to do 

 well, must be fed and cared for. 



Perhaps you are not aware that children burn up 

 the best plant food that we have ! You look aston- 

 ished , but that is what they do. In the fall of the 

 year, children gather the leaves and make bonfires of 

 them. Why, children ! children ! the leaves, when de- 

 cayed, make the very best of plant food for the flowers 

 or for the garden crops. Ask your father for a good 

 sized dry-goods box and, if you have a "big brother," 

 get him to help you to sink this box into the ground, 

 in the rear of the garden. Put in a layer of leaves and 

 then a layer of soil and a layer of street sweeping, and 

 in this way fill the box. After a w r hile it can be turned 

 over and mixed together. This will not give any offen- 

 sive odor ; so that any child in the city can make soil 

 and keep it on hand for the flower beds, and also for 

 the flower pots ; he can do this even if he has no room 

 for a vegetable garden. Don't try to grow good 

 plants without food ; if you do, you will fail. 



It is sinful to destroy the good that Nature bestows, 



