The San Francisco call., 1910-07-03
Q B0H amf % 81
ny Lillian E. TALBERT


been able to do in a garden.
Why am so eager to tell this story
is because 1 am sure that what this
boy has done every other boy can do,
If he sets about 1t with the same de-
termination and the same persistence
From the beginning this boy has
been handicapped. His first seven years
were spent In one long struggle to
keep life in the frail body. At the
end of that time a change came and
the anxious parents made q new home
for their boy. And here. nestled in the
warm sunshine of the hills, with the
good salt air Of the bay giving strength
another life began for him. And the
child grew to an understanding of an
hour free from suffering and pain
There was a large yard in the new
home, and there the child was fold to
play: but what fun was that, playing
alone. when other boys went whistling
off to school?
should have a garden. Then began
glorious days. when the little. fellow
could actually use the hoe and the
rake, and could turn the good, brown
earth. and plant the little seeds
Spring was kind to, that first gar
den, and kinder still to the frail child
who now began to show the promise
of healthy boyhood. True, he still
lacked much. and his speech seemed
to respond most slowly to the forces
that had called him back to Iife But
mother always understood him when
the words refused to come, and then,
there was the garden with the sun
shine and the salt air.
That was six years ago. Today that
boy is a strong, manly looking fellow,
5 feet inches high. straight as an
arrow, full of the joy of living, and
ready to tell what that garden has done
for him not only physically. but edu-
cationally.
That first year. when mother was his
companion. he began by growing let
tuce. But when the lettuce was raised
what was to be done with it? Well,
mother would buy it. So mother, his
friend and companion, was his first GUS
toner. and she paid him for that let
tuce just what she would have paid in
the market. This gave him encourage
ment and the next year. he enlarged
his holdings. Besides the lettuce, there
should be peas. This being successful.
a year or two later he took up the cul-
tivation Of beans.
Then began his experiments with
raising the different kinds OF lettuce.
the different kinds of peas, the different
kinds of beans. He found that certain
seeds were not adapted to the soil; that
raising certain varieties Of vegetables
did not pay in proportion to the time
spent. and that 1t was important that
he study the demand Of his market.
For. though his mother had been his
first customer. neighbors had soon
found that they could depend on him to
furnish them with garden products bet
ter and fresher than could be had in
the market and at the market price.
With increasing demands for his
produce. 1t became necessary to in
crease the variety of his supply. though
he still believes it is best to understand
the raising and marketing of a limited
number OF varieties. So he spends his
efforts on lettuce. peas beans. vege-
table marrow and beets. He undertook
the raising of onions. but he found that
they did not pay. He has learned the
reason why. Much information has
been gained by these experiments. He
tried raising sweet peas. but found they
did not pay, owing to the fact that in
his vicinity flowers were abundant.
fO io ,.Ia 0(
land about 25x75 feet. From this linn
tied area he cleared last year sss.ss. Is
that not good showing for boy OF