4 
Ot)£ Slower (^ r o W er 
January, 1918 
MRS. AUSTIN’S TALKS 
[ IV riten expressly for The Flower Grower , ] 
SELF-DENIAL. 
S ITTING on the step of the back 
porch, Lois watched the fire in the 
edge of the forest. She knew the 
place well, for there, she, with play- 
mates, had sought cowslips in the 
swampy borders and, venturing farther 
in, had gathered the wood violets and 
other flowers. The tract of about fif- 
teen hundred acres abounded in game 
and she wondered where the birds and 
animals had gone to escape the heat. 
She felt a personal interest in them, 
especially the foxes, for "Fox and 
Goose” had been a favorite winter game 
at school and many times had they left 
the game to join in the real chase when 
one, like a flitting shadow, passed 
down the run pursued by the hunters’ 
hounds. She had sometimes thought 
that perhaps the foxes had chosen the 
place for their run near the school 
hoping for help if overtaken. 
It had become quite dark and she 
could see that the fire had made a little 
gain since the previous evening. One 
particularly conspicuous tree which 
had been smoldering a couple of days, 
had broken into flames, and she recog- 
nized it as the old bee tree, nearly dead. 
It burned like a mammoth torch and 
by its light she saw that many of the 
nearby trees had been cut away to pre- 
vent, if possible, further spreading of 
the fire. As the upper part toppled 
over a feeling of chill foreboding and 
desolateness swept over her and she 
arose and entered the kitchen. 
"Don’t close the door, dear.” It was 
her mother’s voice. 
"Why not, mother, the smoke almost 
strangles me and the heat is terrible. 
How can we sleep, and why can’t we 
shut it out and try to forget it just over 
night ?” 
"Yes Lois, I know it is unpleasant, 
but do you want to shut it out, all the 
smoke and heat and hard work and 
worry, and danger out there, where 
father is? Think how little discom- 
fort we have compared with him and 
the others. We must not forget it 
for a moment.” And as she turned 
away she murmured in an undertone : 
"We must be ready if the wind should 
rise.” Lois read the fear in her moth- 
er’s face. "O, mother, can it come 
here? Can’t they put it out? How 
could it get here?” 
"Yes, we will hope they can put it 
out, but we must help about it. Now 
go to bed and sleep so as to get up 
rested and ready. You will have to 
take care of the stock at the barn to- 
morrow, and I will cook and bake pro- 
vision to send to the men.” 
The smoke was settling. There were 
great blue wreaths of it slowly waving 
up and down. No wonder they were 
alarmed for it was their little world 
that was burning. There had been 
showers within a few miles, but in that 
immediate vicinity there had been no 
rain since spring. The prolonged 
drought with the added peril of fire 
made the situation serious, and faces 
were grave as they searched the sky 
for signs of rain. 
Day after day of burning heat had 
curled in spirals the long leaves of the 
corn, browned the green of the pastures 
and stilled the murmuring brooklets. 
As Lois drove the thirsty cows down 
the dusty road to the creek, she re- 
alized, for the first time, her own re- 
sponsibility. That caring for the cows 
was not a playtime, just a chore. It 
had become a work, a part of her share 
to do, and she saw the world and her 
part in it in a new light. 
The next day Lois rushed into the 
house saying breathlessly : "What do 
you think, mother, Mary Smith says 
there is no use of being so afraid of 
fire ; that they do not deny themselves 
warm meals ; that her mother does not 
watch her fire any closer than she ever 
did and bakes when she wants to, and 
she is going to get up a big dinner and 
have a quilting party to have some- 
thing else to think about instead of 
fire.” 
"Yes, I know about the Smiths, Lois, 
they cannot see the fire from their 
place and are so interested in their 
own work that they would hardly know 
of it if it wasn’t for the smoke and 
heat.” 
That very evening the Smiths’ chim- 
ney burned out and a spark falling in 
dead grass started a fire which was 
quickly whipped out, but the Smiths 
had realized their danger. 
The next morning the sky was over- 
cast, a few reluctant sprinkles came. 
At night a gentle rain which increased 
to a downpour, and the fire fighters 
came home. 
How like the little fire of years ago 
is the great world fire of today. The 
boys at the front giving their lives 
to save their fair land from destruction 
and death. The ones at home putting 
forth every effort to help. Perhaps 
there are some thoughtless "Smiths” 
who must have a fire in their own door- 
yard before they will arouse them- 
selves to action, and perhaps there are 
some who have not yet awakened to 
the fact that wheatless and meatless 
days are not a joke, but days of self- 
denial. Days to save the lives of 
women and children who are actually 
starving. Self-denial days that we may 
conserve food for our own boys as well 
as sell to our Allies that there may be 
plenty to keep all strong, well and able 
to combat the enemy. It affords an 
opportunity for those in every home to 
aid, to do a part of their bit, and if 
there are some who are not quite will- 
ing, they cannot learn too early that it 
is an edict of the Government and wilful 
failure to observe it may result in 
punishment. 
Is it so hard to substitute fish or 
oysters only one day in the week, and 
save the beef and pork ? 
Did good old-fashioned johnny-cake 
ever taste so good as on wheatless days ? 
There is a butterless day, too. Try 
eating good wholesome bread with 
nothing on it. Do not spread it with 
expensive jams and jellies. Teach the 
children self-denial to bring good to 
others. 
It bids fair to be a long continued 
struggle, do not wait until there is a 
service flag with one or more stars in 
your window. Stand by the President 
and heed the requests of the Govern- 
ment now. 
Mrs. A. H. Austin. 
How to Pot Plants. 
The following suggestions for pot- 
ting plants, prepared by the United 
States Department of Agriculture for 
the use of high school teachers, will be 
helpful to any amateur gardener get- 
ting plants ready to bring into the 
house: 
For potting plants the following 
equipment and material are needed: 
A workbench, suitable soil, a coarse soil 
sieve, a sprinkling can, a shovel, ma- 
terial for drainage, pots, and plants. 
The soil should be rich in plant food 
and should contain sufficient sand and 
organic matter to prevent any tend- 
ency for it to harden or bake upon 
drying. When moist, it should fall 
apart readily when squeezed in the 
hand. Equal parts of a good loam, 
clean sand, and well rotted manure or 
compost, all worked through a coarse 
sieve, will prove suitable for ordinary 
work. 
The following may be considered 
essential of good potting : (a) The soil 
should be moderately moist through- 
out ; ( b ) the pots should be clean and 
soaked in water before using ; (c) the 
pots should be of a size suited to the 
plant ; ( d ) pots 4 inches in diameter 
and larger should be filled one-fourth 
full of pieces of broken pots to provide 
for drainage ; {e) the plants should be 
placed at the proper depth and in the 
center of the pot ; (/) the soil should 
be filled about the roots carefully by 
hand and then made compact by pres- 
sure with the thumbs ; ( g ) the plants 
should be watered thoroughly after 
potting and then placed away from 
direct light for a day or two until they 
are established. If the soil has been 
properly compacted about the roots, 
it will be possible to remove the pot 
by turning it upside down and giving 
the edge a slight jar, the soil remain- 
ing compact. As the plants grow so 
that their roots fill the pots they should 
be shifted to larger pots if they are in- 
tended for inside use. Practice in 
shifting may be given along with pot- 
ting if there are pot bound plants on 
hand. 
High school teachers of Agriculture 
who have not received the document 
dealing with home floriculture may 
address the States Relations Service of 
this department. 
Mrs. Austin, on this page, in her 
usual lucid way, gives us a lesson in 
self-denial and patriotism. Let it be 
hoped that we will all heed this lesson. 
