The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-01-26
The Summer Garden.

Early last spring Joan set vigorously
to work on her garden. There was
such digging, hoeing. raking. making
beds, planting seeds. that the early ants
of the season became anxious and
thought she meant something and might
keep it up.
"Ifn blow over" said q venerable
ant; "rve seen similar rumpuses for
many seasons. They never last long"
Darby conceded with the ants. Joan
bought all sorts of flower seeds and
many plants in pots; also a new little
hoe, rake, a trowel, and spade. and
q green watering-pot. The early spring
weeds received no mercy whatever
They were pulled up as soon as they
showed the tiniest shoot. and slaught-
cred regardless of age or sex. This
Juror lasted one month. During that
period Joan was all garden. 1t ceased
about the 31st of MAY. From and after
that date the weeds took heart and
gradually recovered their lost ground.
First, cautious old pigweed, who
had flourished in that yard for many
generations. poked his head up in cor
ner. After accommodating the ground a
week he gave the signal. and the young
pigweeds came up by scores and hum
dreds. At first Joan waged with them a
feeble warfare. Many were sacrificed.
1t mattered not Thousands came up
to fill the gaps in the ranks. Along
with the pigweed came dock. black
weed. wild pepper-grass, knot-grass
and stramonium, or stinkweed. They
massacred the Towering plants. They
nipped them in the bud. They de-
prived them of their sustenance. The
ants crawled up and down the hoe.
They feared it no longer. They erected
habitations under it.
81 told you so." said the venerable
ant. "She was too much enthused at
the start-too much steam and excite
ment. If she had hoed, say half an
hour day. should have been alarmed
and advised moving into the next yard"
"How green your garden is getting"
said Darby on the 18th of June.
Joan took her hoe and sadly cutdown
a few pigweeds. Then she laid down
that hce and returned no more that sea-
son. There it Law, and the pigweed. the
dock, the blackweed and wild pepper
grass and the scores of other weeds
whose mission it is to grow in flower
and vegetable gardens and to ac-
company man whithersoever he gueth,
and never to leave him and flourish
elsewhere-they all came up and
fourished. as the wicked always flourish.
How verv green your garden has
grown" said Darby on the Sd of Au-
gust. But 1 see no flowers"
1t was very green. The weeds were
luxuriant. They had crushed out the
flowers. They had out-voted them ten
to one. They had full control of the
garden government. They had APP
pointed their own police and other off
cials. The natives of the soil had won
theiS original supremacy. They climbed
the fence and .poked their heads out be-
tween the pickets. Avagrant sunfiower.
which had come up by accident. was
the Mayor of Joan's garden. The de-
partment of streets and avenues she
had so pretty laid out was in charge OF
a riotous pumpkin vine. The only sur
viving rosebush was mobbed by pig
weed. .. '.sr.-I .i'. 800" ~ 81.
"Young women are not of great &C
count in flower garden unless they've
got patience. n'-Prentice MuLford, IN
Sdis Francisco Chronicle.