THE AMATEUR GARDEN 



leave his smoothly raked beds already a pleasant 

 show and a prophecy of delight while yet with- 

 out a spray of green. An hour later I saw those 

 two setter dogs wrestling and sprawling around 

 in joyous circles all over those garden beds. 

 "Gay, guiltless pair!" What is one to do in 

 such a case, in a land where everybody is ex- 

 pected to take everything good-naturedly, and 

 where a fence is sign of a sour temper ? Of course 

 he can do as others do, and have no garden. 

 But to have no garden is a distinct poverty in 

 a householder's life, whether he knows it or not, 

 and suppose he very much wants a garden ? 

 They were the well-to-do who began this 

 abolition movement against enclosures and I 

 have an idea it never would have had a begin- 

 ning had there prevailed generally, democratic- 

 ally, among us a sentiment for real gardening, 

 and a knowledge of its practical principles; for 

 with this sentiment and knowledge we should 

 have had that sweet experience of outdoor pri- 

 vacy for lack of which we lose one of the noblest 

 charms of home. The well-to-do started the 

 fashion, it cost less money to follow than to with- 



62 



