18 YARD AND GAEDEN 



acquaintance with nature, a broader glimpse of 

 nature's methods, and a deeper appreciation of 

 nature's handiwork. 



It is worth while to have a yard but it is 

 worth infinitely more to make use of it, and if 

 one will tend it with interest and some regard 

 for the fitness of things, surprising results can 

 be accomplished. And when mention is made 

 of the yard it must not be deduced that the spa- 

 cious lawns and gardens of large city or subur- 

 ban homes are in mind; on the contrary the 

 reference is rather to the little strip of ground 

 behind the house, and the smaller fitiip in front 

 of it which answer for breathing spaces for 

 most of us who 'dwell in cities and towns. The 

 city 3'ard, of course, is deplorably small, and 

 year by year, as population increases it seems 

 to become smaller. It used to be that we con- 

 sidered one house to a lot enough, but now the 

 builder, anxious to make his property pay him 

 goodly dividends, has developed the habit of 

 doubling the building without increasing the 

 size of the- lots. It might be possible to show 

 even to him that there are advantages often 

 from an investment point of view in more 

 ground and less building, but, while this is at 

 best a difficult task — for it affects too intimatelv 



