564 



THE EDITOR'S OUTLOOK. 



in inducing the purchaser who wants Pond's Ex- 

 tract to buy Smith's preparation instead, simply 

 because Smith puts up his own brand, and so, of 

 course, makes a much bigger profit on it than that on 

 which a handsome fortune is yearly spent in ad- 

 vertising. We regret that the reason for this cam- 

 paign of the daily press seems to be to curry favor 

 with their advertisers, as much as to break up a 

 reprehensible practice. Substitution in seeds and 

 plants is incoarmpably more unjust and wicked, 

 and is close to being criminal, because in these 

 things the substitutionist, without argument or rea- 

 son, keeps the purchaser's money and sends him 

 something that he does not want, too often with 

 the false label of the thing really wanted. Yes, 

 this is criminal in its essence, and deserves to be 

 dealt with accordingly. Where are the doughty 

 legislators who will frame a law for the proper pun- 

 ishment of this new class of criminals ? 



» * 

 * 



'T'HE farm schools, or, rather, farms 

 THE BOYS without schools, in connection with 



reformatory institutions are common 

 features of the American reformatory system. 

 Recently we have seen developed a grade higher in 

 the Burnham Industrial Farm, where boys of more 

 or less badness are taught the ways of respecta- 

 bility and morality, and, incidentally, farming. 

 Now, here comes a California paper, an organ of 

 the Roman Catholic church, jubilantly announcing 

 the planting of an orchard and vineyard at a boys' 

 orphan asylum in that state, and vigorously rec- 

 ommendmg the development of the idea to such an 

 extent that these orphan asylums should, in fact, 

 become farm and garden schools. Here not only 

 would the little ones be sheltered and taught the 

 lore of books, but also be trained in useful em- 

 ployments. It is an excellent idea, for if these chil. 

 dren could be trained to become skilled workmen, 

 they would not only be a benefit to their future em- 

 ployers, but would be kept out of the cities, be sure 

 of a good living and, perhaps, in time become em- 

 ployers themselves. The paper mentioned suggests 

 not only fruit growing and farming in the broad sense, 

 but also dairying and preserving of fruits for the 

 girls ; for the boys, the harder work of the farm, 

 the garden, the field and stables, care of animals, 

 floriculture, seed raising, etc. The writer takes a 



sensible view in that his plan especially provides 

 for the practical training of these boys and girls as 

 skilled workmen and workwomen to take the place 

 of the ignorant and degraded Chinese and ItaHans 

 who now largely monopolize labor of this char- 

 acter, and they monopolize it simply because of the 

 lack of trained labor. He concludes with this : "It 

 is the duty of us Catholics to train boys and girls 

 for the farm, garden and factory, as well as for the 

 convent and monastery. The opportunity is ours. 

 Who are the rich Catholics who will set the ball 

 rolling ?" We wish the enterprise all success, and 

 trust that it may have many imitators among other 

 Christian sects who seek to save the children for 

 good and useful lives. 



* * 

 « 



ir/LD 'THERE ARE wild gardens and wild 

 GARDENS. * gardens. One that we saw the 

 other day was a garden full of wild 

 weeds ; even the drives and paths were encroached 

 upon by the general weediness. Passing the place 

 a week later, the transformation astonished me. It 

 was another "before and after'' case. The 

 "before" view was full of newness, crudity and — 

 weeds. In the "after" there was sharp evidence 

 that the master had sent the old John about his 

 business and that a new John had stepped into 

 alleged gardener's shoes. And how those same 

 shoes must have been hustled about that little place 

 in the interim I The weeds had all disappeared. 

 There was a spic-and-spanness about the whole 

 establishment. Pretty climbers about the verandas 

 and porches seemed to feel the new influence ; all 

 were fresh and thrifty, not a straggler among them. 

 Paths and drives seemed newly laid, so smooth and 

 neat were they. Trees and shrubs no longer wore 

 a disconsolate air bred from neglect, but bore them- 

 selves jauntily in the light wind, nodding joyously 

 to every passer-by. In place of the former ragged 

 and seedy lawn here was now a pleasant green 

 carpet, clean and refreshing to the eye, velvet to 

 the foot. Beds and borders, roses, cannas and 

 caladiums, hollyhocks and sunflowers ; pansies and 

 geraniums — in the " before " time dejected and age- 

 ing fast — had in this ' ' after " life become as maidens 

 restored to their lovers, fresh, sweet and youthful 

 again. The first seen wild garden possessed a wild- 

 ness that none of us want, and which no good gar- 

 dener will permit or long endure. 



