CHAPTER TWO 
REASONS FOR LEARNING GARDENING 
I'd ruther kindo git the swing 
O’ what was needed, first, I jing! 
Afore I swet at anything! 
JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY 
THE idea expressed by the poet in the above lines is 
a good one. It is always well to find out why we are 
doing anything before we spend time and effort on it. 
Here are some of the reasons for learning gardening. 
Gardening is educative. The chief reason for learn- 
ing gardening is that it gives us astore of useful and inter- 
esting knowledge we would be likely to get in no 
other way. Through his work the gardener learns 
about insects, soils, and weather. He works with liv- 
ing plants and comes to understand how they live and 
grow. Thus he learns to know nature and nature’s laws, 
and how the workings of these laws affect his own life. 
he 4 EELS I i 
Fic. 10. Gardening is educative. Through his work the gardener learns many 
facts about plants, insects, soils, and weather. 
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