THE VEGETABLE GAKDEtf. 177 



tion of this cottage garden was health strong, rugged 

 health that for the six years he was my neighbor, never 

 once failed him. 



I know this case is an extremely exceptional one, for I 

 never knew another man who so resolutely worked him- 

 self into health. There are hundreds of business men, 

 book-keepers, salesmen, clerks, and the like who live in 

 the suburbs of all great cities, many of whom can ill 

 afford to pay for the keeping of the plots surrounding 

 their cottages, but who think they can far less afford to 

 do the work themselves. As a consequence, in nine cases 

 out of ten, the rear, at least, of their suburban plots is a 

 wilderness of weeds. But this is not the least of the 

 evils, the owner has a certain amount of muscular force, 

 and this, be it more or less, being unused, its possessor 

 pays the penalty of his laziness in dyspepsia, and a host 

 of other ills. The proofs are apparent everywhere that 

 garden operations are conducive to health and longevity. 

 The work is not unduly laborious, and when fairly en- 

 tered into has a never-failing interest. The growing and 

 the watching of the great variety of plants gives a 

 healthy tone to the mind, while the physical labor de- 

 manded by cultivation takes care of the body. 



CHAPTER L. 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



It is perhaps best that the space allotted to vegetables 

 should be at one side of the garden, and that for fruits 

 at the other, at least in the beginning, though a rotation 

 of crops or change of position may be advantageous in 

 course of time. I will give in brief the culture of each 



