The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1910-04-15
THE BACK YARD GARDEN.

THE BACK YARD GARDEN.
The Duluth Herald discusses the
back yard garden-which is being agi-
tated to some extent in Fargo-as fol-
lows:
Once again, now that the season
when the spade should be applied to
the soil is at hand, The Herald would
commend to its readers the back yard
garden.
few square feet in the back yard
properly cultivated can be made to
affect very noticeably the household
problem Of the cost of living.
! In the hands of the average house
holder with whom gardening is a re-
creation and not business, back yard
gardening will not spell wealth: but It
will furnish a reasonable amount OF
fresh, succulent garden truck for the
table, and every nickePs worth Of pro-
duce acquired that way is so much less
to be acquired from the grocer's. And
don't forget that every little bit added
to what you've got makes a little bit
more" g
So much for the economic features
OF the back yard garden.
Still more important, in many re-
spects, are the pleasure and health YOU
can get out OF diggi-- in your own
garden, under the blue canopy OF hea-
ven and out in the life- giving fresh air
There is something about contact
with the freshly turned soil that seems
to give life and strength. Perhaps It
Is mere fancy that it comes out of the
soil; perhaps 1t is the exercise cnd the
fresh air that do the business. But
whatever the cause, be assured that
there Is health and strength in it. and
when your products have paid for the
spade and the rake and the garden
seeds, all the rest is that much to the
good.
And then the pleasure of it! The
pleasure Of cleaning away the debris
from the back yard, Of turning the
fresh, sweet soil, of making neat. at
tractive beds, of the loving bestowal
OF the seeds in their proper places and
at the right depths; the pleasure of
watching the first pale green cotyledons
poke inquiring bi-partite heads above
the earth; the pleasure OF specializing
on whether IL is a bean or a pigweed:
green things grow and take form and
identity, so you can tell the weeds
from the vegetables; the pleasure OF
seeing them ripen to maturity and of
having them on the table, the fruits
or your own intelligence and labor
with minor recognition OF the handi-
work of the SOIL the sun and tie rain:
these are very real pleasures indeed,
and well worth cultivating. .,...
Besides, the back yard garden looks
ever so much better than the back yard
debris heap. Probably you can spare
space in the corner, or around the
edges where your wife will plant flow-
ers, and then the back yard blossoms
in the greater glory of vivid coIors.
The back yard garden is good be-
cause it helps cut the living expenses.
It Is good because the work of making
it, with the fresh air and exercise it
involves, is healthful and invigorating.
1t is good because of the excitement
and interest and pleasur ther. ia in
1t, 1t is good, finally, because IT makes
back yards sweeter and cleaner and
sightlier.
By all means have back yard gar
den this year Now is the time to be-
gin making 1t.
ET Did you notice the glorious rain
drops?
IsT Jeftersonianism will now retire
for another year.
ET King Menelik might send proofs
of his death to Copenhagen.
AZ The Knox family harmony propo-
sition may result in Knox attempting
something like that among the South
American publics
i lfT A Vermont man is a double for
Uncle Joe Cannon and frequently mis-
taken for the speaker Some members
LOT his church want to expel him.
a. The worst thing about Roose-
velt's African trip is the dificuIty sub
sequent hunters will have in making
a noise down in the hot continent.
n ~ Some Of the farmers wives object
TO being listed by the census enumera-
! tors as without occupations. they
,Efglns that earring for husband and .
half dozen children, cooking Cor sew,
eral hired men and the other house.