48 GARDENS AND THEIR MEANING 



or a clump of trees. And yet it should be kept in mind that 

 the presence of trees within the garden itself or crowding 

 about it means mischief. The reason is not merely because 

 they shut out sun, but because their roots thread the ground 

 to almost incredible distances. A network of roots running 

 beneath the turf in every direction and striking deep tells its 

 own story. It is that the roots are drinking up from the soil 

 the food for which, if they are planted too near, your precious 

 crops will be hungering. The elm tree, for instance, is said 

 to be the worst enemy a garden can have. Its roots steal 

 away hundreds of feet to get nourishment. When once the 

 site has been favorably passed upon, the next move is to 

 study its special peculiarities, taking into account all its strong 

 points and making each score for all it is worth. Since every 

 set of conditions differs, slightly at least, from every other, 

 no garden is in danger of being a replica of another. And 

 yet kindred difficulties will confront gardens great and small. 

 Some of the most serious are a scanty measure of sun, poor 

 soil, and exposure to the ravages of obstreperous animals. 

 Lack of sun, as has already been said, is the worst fault a 

 garden battles with, and yet, even when the only spot in 

 the neighborhood for a school garden is too deeply shaded, 

 the plucky gardener will not own himself beaten. To be 

 sure, he cannot move buildings or cut down trees, but he can 

 cherish every possible ray of sunshine, and he can make up 

 his planting list from the various desirable plants that can 

 brave shade. Madam Nature herself, as we know, succeeds 

 in making many an unsunned wilderness burst into blossom. 

 In the case of schools which have a moderate-sized yard, 

 the choice is often made between a garden and a playground. 

 Opinion is divided. Some persons believe that the aims of 

 the two are nearly identical, and that one supplies the place 

 of the other, while others, on the contrary, fear lest the 



