THE GARDEN PRIMER 



It is a subject not only of deepest interest but of 

 boundless possibilities. Only a suggestion of these can 

 be given in a work of this nature of course, but the wise 

 gardener will pursue the matter further, for it is so 

 far-reaching that no amount of study will be wasted. 



Seed is the starting point of plant life; the end and 

 aim of a plant is the reproduction of its species, hence 

 the end and aim of the flower of a plant is the seed. 

 Unless seeds are formed therefore, the whole purpose 

 of the plant is thwarted; which is the reason why many 

 plants will go on in the effort to produce seed — to re- 

 produce their kind — by blossoming again and again 

 when deprived of their blossoms. This is at the bottom 

 of the rule never to let a flowering plant go to seed, 

 but always to cut the fading flowers away before seeds 

 have formed, thus encouraging further bloom. 



Perhaps we are cruel to do this; certainly it does 

 seem hard, the patient, persevering struggle that the 

 helpless things carry on to fulfil their destiny. Up they 

 come bravely in spite of greedy shears, in spite of re- 

 peated discouragement, just as sweet and just as beau- 

 tiful as ever — and just as hopeful, bless them! Heigho! 

 Who can a gardener be and not fall to philosophizing ? 



Double flowers are monstrous man-made forms, 

 unnatural and abhorred by Nature! Sounds dreadful, 

 does it not ? — ^but it is all true. For double flowers are 

 ''double'^ at the expense of the reproducing organs; 

 they have been selected and inbred and restrained and 

 cajoled until they have twenty or fifty or any number 

 of times their normal number of petals, at the expense 



