THE JOY OE A GARDEN. 
71 
as a livelihood or as a pleasure only, is an art that 
ennobles all who share in its exercise. Make note of a 
man who has attained to high excellence in any one 
department, and measuring him by the world's rule, you 
will not expect him to impart to you one jot of informa¬ 
tion which may help you to similar success. But, put the 
thing to experiment, and once let him see that the spirit 
of a true gardener moves you in questioning him, and he 
will lay before you his whole routine, will show you his 
compost, and tell you how it is prepared ; will tell you 
when and how to make your cuttings, let you into the 
secrets of stopping and training out, and put you in the 
way to beat him, if you can, with his own weapons. 
Look at our leading nurserymen, one and all, they do 
their best to help the amateur in his pleasing occupation; 
the results of years of observation and experience, are 
placed at the disposal of all to whom they may be useful, 
and they would be as incapable of any paltry exclusive¬ 
ness as they would be of paltry dealings and low 
chicanery. 
A spirit of generosity is a most distinctive feature in 
the character of a gardener; he is perfectly miserable if 
he can find no one to accept a pinch of seed or a few 
cuttings of some choice thing; to keep it to himself is 
as much agony as a boy endures when he sees no opening 
for the investment of his pocket money. 
Go through the w T hole catalogue of gifts, and what 
can equal flowers and fruits ? It is not only a diffusion 
of God's bounty, but a sacrifice to friendship of the 
most valued labour of our hands; so that if we have 
toiled a wdiole season to produce a noble crop, we find 
