The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1899-09-27
The influence of a Garden.

a newcomer into a suburban street,
where the houses were squatted in the
mud and the yards OvergrOWn with
weeds, while the occupants sat behind
clay pipes and discussed the mistakes
and wrongs Of the government. How
Il transformation was brought about is
thus described:
"a new arrival came OH the scene;
simply a workman, as was seen by his
plain garb and roughened hands. The
usual gossip was early set OH foot:
"WhO he was, where he came from,
and what quality of neighbor he
would be-"
He speedily set the latter query ut
rest by showing that lie was steady
ploddcr to has work and return; that
there Was not an atom of the idle
lounger in his composition: that he
never paid a visit to saloon OF liquor
den, but spent all his spare time in
Identifying his home. In the latter
respect he set the whole street agOg
in r1arvelling wonder. The first move
he had the lot plowed, and as soon as
the little cottage was up, forked six
riches of stable manure into the re-
naming land; then, when finely raked,
|sowed it with choice lawn grass; plant
ed four Lombardy pOplars in front,
seven grape-vines along the rear fence,
and fruit bushes, roses and running
vines all about the cottage.
At first it was decided that John
Weiss must be weak in his head, and
his young wife not much better, as
she worked among the flower beds
with all the eager delight of her hus-
band.
Of course there was not much show
the first summer-a good garden is not
made in day. But John pcgged in
late and early with a will, as if he
knew what he was about, with good
help from his wife; and when the
second summer came around, showing
beautiful sward of close-c"Opped
lawn from front to back, embe!lished
with a profusiOn of flowers, whose
fragrance scented the air all round
about. while filing the eyes with such
rare delicacy of form and color as only
natures poisoning can produce
the neighbors awoEe to a new
revelation of what steady Industry,
coniOined to tasteful arrangement. can
&C complish.
And now a wonderful change took
place. Pete Gafney, who had spent
most of his evenings on his front patch
of weeds and wild grass behind short
pipe, gossiping with his neighbor,
Steve POTTERY:. also pulling at cane
stemmed smoker, remarked that he'd
be 'dOd-dinged' if he would let any
man yet ahead OF him in either garden
or any thing else.'
So he straightway put up a decent
front fence, planted trees on the side
walk. and ''sailed I'M for garden flor
all he was worth"
POTTERY:, giving all extra pull to his
pipe, ALLOWED, when he'd worked all
day. he wasn't big enough fool to
worry hisself with no measley ga
den."
But his little, trim-built wife thought
differently. She had ambition and the
way she worked with mower and hose
sprinkler on their scrubby grass, be-
sides getting down on her knees to dig
out weeds and thistles, soon brought
wonderful change to their loSt-lOOk
ing place.
This finally spurred up POTTERY: to
Get shade trees and a decent front
fence, with some rose bushes aid 9th
er towering plants inside. And so
with every settler on the street. Am
bilious emulation eventually turned
that ragged-looking waste prtch Of I'M
trimmed rookeries into a dozen homes
that were pleasure simply to look at.
More than that; so attractive did the
short street become that boom in