The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-03-11
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How His Garden Grew


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12 by IA lawn to pace in. the suburbs
with generous back yard yearns te
plant things and see them grow.
Mr.. rimston-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 herso.
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
| pesentable shape, for the previous
! tenants had used it as a 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. Il don't call the fiat where we
| have been living home. God bless our
| home looks out of place on the walls
| of a suite of rooms in large apartment
building; it ought Simply to be God
bless our fat We have procured a
cat and three kittens in order to make
the place seem as homely as posi- BILE,
and I 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"
s'I don't know about that" inter
rupted his friend. Il 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 a man
to take care of 'em. I'm going to work
my garden myself. I 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 sehoelbooks told us of
raspberry seed found in the stomach
OF man who had been dead hundreds
OF years, and theseed 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,
L am not posted on such things,''
replied his wife, ''but I wish our ward
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 L shall plant my radish. lettuce,
onion and cucumber seeds, and to-mor-
row l shall plant my peas and buy some
tomato plants. The vegeta ble 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
large, beautiful tomato, red as a. ruby
on the inside, sprinkle some salt on it
and eat it right there, and 1 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!
Our lettuce will be very fine,'' he
said; sit has such large, strong roots,
and Nour tomatoes are growing like |
anything"
Il should think sol" returned his |
wife. AT the rate these plants are
sh ooting up they ought to bear fruit |
as large as watermelons."
True" said he, "and 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 to |
grow nicely, and he felt that, taken all |
in all, his garden was in a very satisfac- |
tory condition.
Unfortunately Mary EIlen-the cat
and her offspring enjoyed working in |
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-ending |
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 off
a few PAGES and with a sudden run and |
jump throw themselves against the
vines, which they bore triumphantly |
to the ground. Mr.. Grimston tried to |,
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. !!
yell niver raise a garden wild thin |,
cats around!" said Bridget, who was |
tired of being reproached for her care
lessn eSs.
II agree with you, Bridget" he re- |
turned, "and will get rid of Mary FL !
len if you will dispose of the kittens.
hox !