The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-24
THE JAB'S BIG. PUMPKIN.
MORAL PERIL AVERTED FRoM THE
OWNER OF 4
A first Experience IN Raising Vegetables IN q
Region where Most or the Neishbors Owned
DOC, The Prize Pumpkin nnd the Deed OF
Friends who Were Cruel 10 BE Kind.

kIO y NneTtN Nv W.
Dogs Tho Prize Pumpkin nnd tho Derd OF
Friends who Were Cruel TO BE Kind.
Tho Jab had qualified MS ono OF the select
cotcr.c which knew the difference between n
shark and a boojum before he took the lease OF
the house on Constable street with n garden.
81 nm not going to be foolish about my gar
den; but l will say now that l expect TO haVeh
good one" said the lab rs ho was snperlntohu-
ing tho lacking down of carpets. 1t Is all non
sense" he continued, ito say that n good garden
is the direct result Of experience. l never hnu
experience with n garden, but Ill Dct my seoos
will grow as quickly as my neighborS ana l
shouldn't he Mt all surprised II had to supply
them with egg plant and things ike mat
The Jab's ncighbors said that his remarks
were fatuous only when his proposed garden
was the subject Of them. In other ways lie
was sane. Tho lab selected his seeds with caro-
and.buricd them, according to'dircction' in neat
little trenches. Each trench was labelled.
at makes INC hungry just to go into that gar.
den" said tho lab on tho day nftor planting,
and read the things that are billed ahead for
this summer. | tell you, n man doesn't know
what life is until he has a garden of his Owl.
The pcacefulncss of 1t is soothing to the nerves.
1t brings one close to.naturc and" but here
Mrs. lab, who:was:skcptical ar . practical, sug.
gcstcd that Mr.. lab had better save his cnthu.
siasm until he could:cxpcnd it to advantage on
the weeds.
Two mornings later the Jab went ont to In
spcct his garden, and where once there had
been order he saw chaos. All his little signs
were scattered. The ground had been scratched
up and apparently all of his ncighbors' dogs
had used his garden as II playground.
ITS "A shabby trick" said the lab. land IL I
could see "A dog now I'd throw n stone at it.
Yes. l would, my dear. There are times when
N man must hr firm oven IL he npuprS his
ncighbors."
PERHAPS the damage isn't rs great rs you
suspect" said Mrs. lab. Just wait till your
seeds grow aud see what comes up
The next two weeks We're uneasy ones for
the lab. He ran out to inspect his garden "A
dozen times u day and then when the sprouts
came M he enlisted an expert to tell him what
Now, in this bed / planted bccts,' said the
Jah;, pointing to some, struggling plants.
plants are undoubtedly beans
IAN" And here ! planted cucumbcrs"
corn, Alnd some plants that | can't identify.
Was One man who laid out this garden sober at
why, ! did it myself" SAID tho lab ingen,
nously; but you see this is, a great neighbor.
" "SS4 l i%' S "SS' r had 'b% SSyn T pisnt9 ny F ! fhimk i' tGat
they: disnrrangcd it sadly; In fact, ! know they
did ar conrse my garden Won't look orderly
;As the garden developed it was full of sur
nriScs. Beans, bccts. peas, and potatoes struG;,
El't h'S'lh' ~ N'IlhlI 'hN'LtS ulI'l ~ kbbl tfhl
OF the ground was barren. One determined
plant distanccd all the Others and defied idcn.
LITIGATION. The Jab read up every plant that
he had put in his garden, but he found nothing
that correspondent with the sturdy invader.
The dogs returned at night about once n week
ana they bliEhtcd everything in the garden hut
this one plant.
Il shouldn't be surprised if that plant turned
out to be u valuable orchid" said the Jab.
Even if we haven't made II success with the
rest e Of our ip Far nP,n we are in deiightfgl sn Is:
matrimony or q lottery and we will JuSt watch
it develop
When the time came for this plant to hoist its
colorS it proved to be IA pumpkin. The Jab
had not planted any pumpkin seeds, He son.
the whole garden to feed on this pumpkin grew
and tiourishcd until it was the wonder of the
Uh% e II M mnEih TSa The vine vim s sqfppoEted only
proud of it when it was a young pumpkin, but
when it grew until none OF the ncighhnrs had
S'""Ii'td d. rather vlh"T' do ,"G one f thinr f and a do It w W.T. J" Said
the ,Jah, than do a lot Of things and do them
kind to me. I am raising the biggest pumpkin
that ever was grown. ! will coax il until it.can
Ef 12S it Ro to %G 'Sa s e"an 'gen FAIR i wiz Hbfin nkIAS OF i it II and d
prize from our garden the first year. What do
If" care rnd for G'I E" S SmI P ISSm an" ihan thing, in To like , ihst
I'm going in for pnmpkins.hcrcafter. That noble
plant has been neglected TOO long. l shall be;
come an expert on pumpkins. and perhaps |
may name II prize brand after myself
Mrs. lab ,rrioiccd with her husband and she
iaEen, The rExc. Th@ ,iInh's rrtiS sweiied until itii
You'd think from his strut" said one OF
them. That he'd been drawn on a Coroner
pumpkin loomcd M. and now he's rs naughty
as II he had planted it himself. I think we
owe ii to ourselves TO humble his pride"
Mr.. and Mrs. .Iab >at on their back piazza
on moonlight, NIGHTS and gaz"d fondly at the
hiE pumpkin as it chung hnnErily TO its vine.
hullscyc lantern so thut il cast II ruddy glare
on his pumpkin, The children were neglected.
N.,l f,r.. .,,,ta nN,., tl,y ,,t
On the night before the dpcnirne day of the
county fair Mr.; and Mrs. lab spent two hours
we will gather ii in to,morrov and take ii
direct to the fair grounds, said the lab.
II know That it will take a prize, added his
MIR. and Mrs. .Inb arose early the next morn.
ing and before dressing they pcepcd out OF their
smiling bnrk ut tlrlr IN early sunlight.
Isn't ii, a daisy, sand rhc, lab.
Mr.. and Mrs. lab hurried through their break,
fast and then went into The garden to get thc
"WtH"i's that trian tsnifs" SHAPED ped c Ut - ASKED siSS
II merely o.aI Why! Who the-confound
The Jah shook with emotion.
"Whnt /, wronG!" asked Mrs. lab.
tapuch. mntilatri. ruined"
',l;ut perhaps rs all right inside
The JAh removed The plug and n glimpse ot
r the t,,crior OF his WIG pU'.H.kin made hin
spcorhlo-s, WITH wrath. NJ. LAB sat down A.
nIlti u'h't 7i' ,nHthn', ny Sl'Fl'hl ana lhllRlrd
The big pumpkin had been scoorcd out and
stuffed with straw.
~ jealous rival has done this" said the Jal
When h. had mustered his wrath, Some on,
the hour Of NV triumph. This is the hit,crcs,
moment OF, my hfr. III get oven with them
Next year wont havc-ary garden"
at was hard ON he lab" said one of his neigh
hOrs. but We had TO do it for his own good. /
he had taken that pumpkin to the fair and wor
IA prize every man on this street would have beer
+. forced TO move AVA in sclf-dcfcnre. Ii IA mar
succeeds in raising anything in his first garden
he's spoiled forli Thanks to us the Jabis safe.
FIG HTISG 4 RITER.