TEN MINUTES IN A BOY's GARDEN. 219 



Daniel: "There aren't many weeds in the garden, are there? Had 1 

 better hoe it?" 



Garden Director: "It is just as well to do so, as it makes the soil more 

 porous, letting in sun, air, and water. Many German gardeners never 

 use fertilizers, but keep the land thoroughly hoed. Have you written 

 in your note book the amount of vegetables you expect to raise in your 

 garden this year?" 

 {Daniel opens note book.) 



Daniel: "Yes, Ma'am." (Reads.) 



"6 sunflowers, 24 ears of com, 50 tomatoes, 15 quarts string beans, 52 

 beets, 2 pecks beet greens, 250 radishes, 34 heads of lettuce, 1 peck small 

 lettuce, 66 turnips, 2 pecks turnip greens, 3 cabbages, J bushel spinach, 

 many flowers." 



Daniel (looking up): "Do you want me to read what I did in the 

 garden Tuesday? " 



Garden Director: "Yes, do." 



Daniel (reading): "Tuesday, July 28. Hoed com. Thinned the 

 beets. Took 1 peck of beet greens. Pulled 2 dozen radishes, 2 heads 

 of lettuce, and picked some flowers. Sold one half on the way home. 

 Ate the rest. I saw a dragon fly come out of his skin. He was clinging 

 to the bridge. He was soft and flabby when he came out, but grew 

 stiff er and stiff er, and at last flew away. He eats mosquitoes. " (Daniel 

 closes his note book and continues his hoeing.) 



Garden Director: "I am glad you saw that dragon fly; it is one of the 

 most wonderful sights you will ever see. "^Taat have you done with most 

 of your garden stuff?" 



Daniel: "What we haven't eaten, I've given away or sold. They 

 say our beets are sweeter than those they buy at the market. " 



Garden Director: "Good enough!" 

 (Daniel finishes hoeing.) 



Garden Director: "Now you've hoed it all over, we'll transplant the 

 lettuce, so the plants will be one foot apart, one foot from main row, and 

 six inches from edge, — five plants, transplanted. " 



(Daniel takes garden line and measures 1 ft. from row of lettuce, makes 

 small holes every foot, transplants as he talks. Grabs and catches a beetle.) 

 "Oh, see this beetle! it is the ground beetle, isn't it? Well, if I hadn't 

 come to the garden, I should n't have known it, and should very likely 

 have killed it. Now I know it is a friend that eats wire worms which 

 destroy com and other vegetables. " 



Garden Director: "Yes, he's a very useful little creature. We'll let 

 him go now." 



Daniel (puts down beetle): "See him run!" 



Garden Director: "Why do you suppose he moves so quickly, while 

 the June beetle goes so slowly?" 



Daniel: "Why, his food is animal, so he has to move lively to catch it. 

 The June beetle eats vegetable, so does n't have to hurrj'." 



