Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-09
Mr.. JOBSON's GARDEN

This one harks back to about this time
last year. Early In March last Mr.. Jobson
came home one evening with one of his
Misunderstanding bundles. He didn't say
anything about It till after dinner. Neither
did Mrs. Jobson ask him anything about
it. She knew that he would spring the
contents of the bundle in due season and
that he was probably even then. during
dinner. framing up his little speech where
with to explain the bundle. She was right.
We'll; I'm going to start something
around here" observed Mr.. Jobson. jaun-
tily, untying the bundle when he'd got his
pipe going after dinner. Going in to get
that newspaper prize for the prettiest front
yard in Washington. Watch me win 1t
| hands down." and Mr.. Jobson went right
on untying the package.
Some new kind of grass seed?" vehtured
Mrs. Jobson.
Grass seed, nothing replied Mr.. Job
| son, airily. ANY pin-head can chuck grass
! seed around the ground and then watch 1t
grow. But everybody can't be scientific
gardener. That's what 1 used to be when
was q youngster around my dads house
scientific gardener, flower sharp from away
back, champeen bamboozler and nourisher
of reluctant plants; heap-much conjurer In
the art Of just making EN- grow.
Why" put In Mrs. Jobson, Il had no
idea that you'd ever taken so much interest
in flowers or that
"Um-ha, ye-eh," interrupted Mr.. Jobson,
II didn't imagine you had any such an
idea, Mrs Jobson, but then. you see, there
are whole slews and siathers of ideas
that you haven't entertained yet, and this
Is one of 'em. If there was any growing
gossoon of a boy who had anything on me
at my age as a hower-josher he didn't
show himself, that's ALIVE got to give
that to myself. anyhow. And guess l
haven't forgotten how. I'm not much Of q
forgotten So 1 want you to Just watch
me haul down that little newspaper prize
for the SWEETEST front yard without half
trying-with both hands tied behind my
back, as it We're"
But" ventured Mrs. Jobson. 1.-The new
| sodding in the front yard did so we'll last
year: and"
That's it, stick in kick right from the
jump said Mr.. Jobson, stiff:ning. File
howl right off soon you see me
engage In something making for the up
lifting of our surroundings. Set up a
screetch the minute you see me begin
to
"Oh. l have no such purpose hastily
interjected Mrs. Jobson. only was think
Ing that the lawn really looked so well
last year. out in front. that it might be
better if you were to conduct your flower
raising experiments In the back yard, so
as to"
II desire to inform you. madam" broke in
Mr.. Jobson. with great severity of ex-
tHdt ain paying taxes on DOth
of the yards on these premises. the front
as we'll the back yard. and that it is
my purpose 70 raise flowers in the back
yard as we'll as In the front yard. And
beg you 10 remember that did not fail to
catch the Significance of that sheer of yours
with regard to my experiments
Oh. said Mrs. Jcbson, appeasngly, II
shall be delighted if
'Oh. you won't have to be delighted" cut
in Mr.. Jobson "No5odys going around
with four mle-long petition begging you
to be delighted. don't expect you to be
delighted over anything 1 do. All ask of
you Is mat you cut out those side wallops
Oh yours, those cracks and knocks with re-
gard to any old thing that | happen in
terest myself with 1 never had the innbe--
cility to suppose that you'd care salt
mackerel for anything intimately associ-
ated with modern ideas of mental cultiya-
tion-ahem-as flowers. The only kind of
MOWERS that ever knew you to care about
were those that l used to send YOU from
the florists in my sap-head days and that
set me back all the way from s. to SIS per
send. That's about as far as you ever went
in your appreciation of flower, madam.
III there's any way on earth whereby /
can raise you from your state of sodden
inapprecatton of all that is beautiful and
elevating in life. why, I'm the little Sun
locks that's going to make the attempt,
madam. whether you like it or not Folks
| that persist in fighting against being
ennobled by the finer influences of life have
just got to be dragooned into accepting
thCfu' thdt . dll-tIOSc are my sentiments
6ut wish, SAID Mrs JObSOn, that
you'd Just allow me to explain that +"
On, don't want any Of that apologizing
stuff at all, Mrs Jobson,' said Mr. Jobson.
We'll just let 1t go as it lays I'm going
to raise whole lot of flowers, and maybe.
when you see them illuminating our humble
grounds and catch the scent of their fra
GRANGE drifting through the windows. you'll
tility which 1 perceive you now feel to-
ward flowers. Maybe. in time. you'll"
Did You get some nice seeds?" inquired
Mrs Jo6son. with the idea Of switching the
tenor OF the conversation.
visibly swelling. well, I've got bunch Of
seeds here that 'ud make Luther Burbank
pop-eyed with envy if he saw 'em. that's
all. Seeds, hey? Well that's where I shine
in getting hold of the right kind of stun
1or anything l undertake. These seeds are
seeds for forty seven different varieties of
standard towering plants and shrubs. A
fine looking fellow that came into NV Office
today sold 'em to be. 1t seems that this man
came here from Detroit to promote a conner
mine In Michigan-he told me all about it
and ne intended to take large house. with
grounds. In Washington and settle here for
some years. Anticipa ting that. he went To
famous wholesale seed dealer in Detroit
seeds to plant in his Washington yard. The
florist gave him a large package of the
hnest seeds known to mankind. They are
nothing more nor less than seeds from
g.
nihcent gardens on the outskirts of De-
troit-a garden that is noted throuphont
the civilized world for its beauty
well. the mining man found, when he
got here, that he was presently to be trans.
ferred to New York. SO that it wouldn't
be worth while for him to take a house
and plant his flower seeds. So somehodv
sent him to me with lis package of seeds
I derived that he wanted to give the seeds
to me. but 1 wouldn't stand for that and
l gave him S35 for the bundle And n I
don't have all of the foriculturists of the
Department of Agricule buzzing around
here asking me how l did it within the
next three months. you can call me a Lap
lander that's all
Mr. Jobson went to work the next even
ing making his front yard garden. He
spaded up the fine sod and turned it over
like man getting $3.50 a day for the
job, and, holding a book of fiower-bed de-
signs in one hand, he pitched up the beds
and planted his seeds Then he went at
the back yard, while his neighbors on either
side stood on their back steps and made
such derisive inquiries as Raising some
onions Jobson?" and Fixing for a mess
O. greens around September. hey, old man?''
Mr. Jobson spaded around for four even
ings, at the end of which time he was
pretty stiff and rheumatic and had to take
a couple of days off from business to i'm
her He Dlaptad lot of