The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-30
Garden Work for Fe.bruarv.

Hardly month in the year affords the
varied and pleasant work in the garden
that the month Of February does; that is in
the territory of the MORNING News. In
that part of il south of Milledgeville, sooner
or later in the month, a vast amount of
work becomes appropriate to the pro-
gressive, energetic gardener.
II he is engaged in growing vegetables
for market he knows how much to his in
terest it is to be amongst the first. il not the
first himself to put the products upon the
market. 1t is generally the case that those
who get in the first peas, spinach, onions,
beets, potatoes, etc, obtain a kind OF monopo-
ly among thier first served customers, which,
with care, may be maintained through the
season OF until all their vegetable crops are
disposed of.
These early crops, too, pay so much larger
profits. 1t is not to be wondered at that
gardeners generally are willing to take con-
siderable risks to mature them at the earli-
est possible moment. Many have gardens,
and garden as much for the pleasure Of the
thing, as for obtaining vegetables for
home use, and enter enthusiastically into
the work of the new year with the aim Of
being fully up with, il not a little ahead of,
their neighbors In showing the first mess OF
pObdtOSn, peas, DeeIS, 6JC.
One who has once acquired q tondness for
gardening enters upon the garden work for
new year with Zest and energy that one
who has no dealings with nature can little
understand. There is no other employment
on earth, probably, that brings more in the
way of health and genuine uualloyed pleas
ure than that of gardening when followed
bv one who has in his soul a reasonable love
or nature and a desire to understand her
ways. Ask Cato, Coluncla, Cincinnattus
Lord Bacon and thousands of intelligent
men OF the past and present II this is not
80. To an ignoramus or to the heartless the
art of gardening is the veriest drudgery,
only to be valued for the hard cash that Is
In it. If any man is warranted in finding
pleasure in his work, IL is the man who gar
dens intelligently and is provided with all
necessary means to make it a success.
This assertion was made recently by a
man of middle age who had been in turn "a
man of pleasure" cotton dealer. banker,
merchant, and who is now a philosopher
of the Jruest instinct and deepest dye, who
had rather be in his garden with hoe and
rake and dibble than to stand before the
applause of men or to handle the ribbons of
"four-in-band" upon the finest pike in
Georgia or Kentucky. Let any gard aner
who reads this column, and we trust there
are many who do, ask himself the question
whether, Iof all the enployInents he has been
concerned in, his gardening has not afforded
him the most unalloyed, inteusest pleasure
of them all. We cannot believe there are
many who regard this employment drudg-
cry and only drudgery.
Many time we meet with failures of
some crop or other, and sometimes the ag.
gregate result of the entire year is not what
1t should have been, indeed is far short OF
what it should have been for the labor and
money expended upon it, still it does not
discouraged us from renewed efforts With
the return of the new year.
Various accidents may have happened IN
the past year. accidents arising from poor
seed, from insects. or from bad weather or
other causes, over which we could exercise
no control. 1t does not dishearten u.s. We
recognize the feet that while some years
may be, must be, perhaps, lean and unprof-
liable, many are destined TO be, as they have
been. tat and full with richest harvests.
There is no occupation or employ ment un'
Ger the sun that has not its periods of de
preston and unprofitableness. Fortunate
is he who thoroughly understands the nat
ures of the dangers that threaten his owI
calling, and resorts to any available means
TO moderate the ill consequences.
The garden has to contend with frost and
beat and flood and drought, mildew and
many species Of noxious insects and acct
dents OF various kinds altogether different
from any of these. Some years be expert
ences in greater or less degree all OF these
evil influences. In other years he may bt
almost entirely free from all OF them. Ii
neither can he anticipate what is coming
and be can only pursue the even tenor ol
MS way from year to year, basiug his &C.
lions upon the experience Of the past and
general knowledge OF the subject.