Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-11
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Observation-Disclosures
s How His Garden Grew /

HE average man who moves from
fiat or from city house with
~ by IA lawn to place in the suburbs
with a generous back yard yearns to
plant things and see them grow.
Mr.. Grimston-which, by the way,
is not his real name-says this was
one of his ideals which, last year, was
rudely shattered. He says he thinks
the reason Mary was quite contrary"
was because her garden made her so.
Their suburban residence has quite
an extensive back yard, and Mr.. Grim
ston worked industriously at it morn
ings and evenings trying to get it into
presentable shape, for the previous
tenants had used it as depository for
tin cans. old rusty pans and disabled
coffee pots.
"How delightful it is to live in home
at last" he remarked to friend who
called one evening soon after they had
moved. II don't call the flat where we
have been living a home. God bless our
| home looks out of place on the walls
of suite of rooms in large apartment
building; it ought simply to be God
bless our fiat We have procured a
cat and three kittens in order to make
the place seem as homely as possible,
and am going to raise one of the finest
gardens in the back yard you ever
saw. To raise our own vegetables will
be saving of money, and"
Il don't know about that" inter
rupted his friend II raised some po-
tatoes one year and at the end of the
season found they had cost me just five
dollars bushel. Cheaper to buy at
the grocery, you know"
THAT was because you hired man
to take care of 'em. I'm going to work
my garden myself. l shall attend to
it mornings and evenings, see"
There is something poetical and
wonderful to me about the planting
season." said Mr.. Grimston when he
came home one night with various
packages of seed. "Think of the germ
of life inclosed in one of these tiny
seeds! Our schoolbooks told us of
a raspberry seed found in the stomach
of a man who had been dead hundreds
of years, and the seed upon being plant
ed grew and produced fruit. There is
no accident or caprice in nature; every
little seed knows just what it has to do
and it does it,
II am not posted on such things"
replied his wife, but / wish our yard
had more sunshine. Those large trees
on either side of us will completely shade
your garden
"Oh, that doesn't matter" he re-
turned; don't you worry. This after
noon | shall plant my radish. lettuce,
onion and cucumber seeds, and to-mor-
row shall plant my peas and buy some
tomato plants. The vegetable man will
not make much by calling here this
year, my dear! Think of having fresh
vegetables of our own growing! When
was boy and used to visit my uncle
in the country would take some salt
/ and go to the garden and break open a
large, beautiful tomato, red as ruby
I on the inside, sprinkle some salt on it
and eatit right there, and assure you
it was perfectly delicious. And the
radishes! Why. half the radishes we
buy are soft and spongy from being
kept too long. You will see that ours
will be crisp and toothsome."
Mr.. Grimston whistled gayly as he
raked and hoed his vegetable beds,
and who SO happy as he when the
threadlike green spears and scalloped
leaves began to peep from the ground!
1 "Our lettuce will be very fine,' he
said; sit has such large, strong roots
and our tomatoes are growing like
anything
II should think sol" returned his
wife. AT the rate these plants are
shooting up they ought to bear fruit
as large as watermelons.'
True" said he, land the cucumber
roots also are very large. The onions
look little sickly, but they'll come out
all right, for onions will grow any
where"
He had driven sticks in the ground
for his peas, which were beginning tc
grow nicely, and he felt that, taken all
in all, his garden was in very satisfac
tory condition.
Unfortunately Mary Ellen-the cat
and her offspring enjoyed working il
the garden fully as well as did Mr.
Grimston, and this became more evi
dent as the kittens grew older. The
twining pea vines were never-endine
source of delight to the kittens. Some
times they amused themselves by
climbing to the top of the supports
; at others they preferred to stand of
a few PAGES and with sudden run anl
jump throw themselves against the
vines, which they bore triumphantly
to the ground. Mr.. Grimston tried tt
keep these pests shut up in the cellar
but stupid Bridget invariably managed
to let them escape from their prison
when they returned to their old tricks
with more enthusiasm than before.
'Ye'll niver raise garden wild thin
cats around" said Bridget, who wa
> tired of being reproached for her care
: lessness.
Il agree with you, Bridget" he re
turned, "and will get rid of Mary Ell
len If Vol, will dicnoSa of tho Liftapc