Besides, I will own it, I did begin to feel a little proud 

 of my humble achievement, flung into the world as it was, 

 at a time when the universe was rocking in the throes of 

 its greatest human cataclysm. The difficulties that now 

 appear insignificant, at this distance from them, were, at 

 the time almost unsurmountable. The ban on paper, the 

 strictures on labor and even on printers' ink. But on one 

 thing there was no ban — the printers' devil. I had heard 

 of this blithesome spirit ever since I had ever heard any- 

 thing about newspapers or printing. It was only after 

 I had plunged into the effort of publishing a magazine 

 myself that I realized he was anything but a mischievous 

 Puck, such as the comic papers depicted him. To my 

 great perturbation — indeed sorrow — I found that he was 

 different. I am not sure that I was not convinced that 

 all printers were devils! 



However that may be I struggled on, and if I have 

 succeeded in giving to my readers the useful hints and 

 informations for the arrangement and successful conduct 

 of their own beloved gardens that I have gleaned from 

 my own experience, my mission has been fulfilled so far, 

 and I hope will continue to fructify. And, yielding to 

 the solicitations of my friends, I feel that there can be 

 no better time to present them with my picture than with 

 this, the anniversary number of Our Garden Journal, 



5 



