Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-19

favored the beneicent germ method, but
1 favored the electric impetus way. The
card said that when the soil was prop
erly impregnated with beneficent germs
the plants fairly jumped with joy. On the
other hand. another card said that II q
vegetable. was surrounded by electric
nodes, or kilowatts, or something, moth
ing could retard the growth of that plant
So We adopted both systems But when
we told Moses he did not seem enthust-
astic.
So "Yassah" he said: "dat mighty fine
gardenin', both dem ways what yo' tell
me about. Amt nothin' in d. world gwine
please me SO much as to garden both dem
ways. but All can't do it. No, sab. All
amt gwine TEX no chances with no germs.
All amt specially acquainted wild no
benefcent germs well enough to say
'howdy' when All see dem. All amt
gwfne be. able to tell is dat germ a good
germ or a bad germ. No. sab! An All
knowed man what picked up a live wire
once-jus' once. dat all! Alb amt gwine
take no chance slimmin' nah foot ,ginst
no punpkin whit got electricity in it. No,
sab! An ,Ah amt gwine monkey wild no
live tomato, nuther No, sah.'
So we gave up electric and germ farm
ing. It did not matter much-I had other
methods on my card system. Why, had
a list OF $50 absolutely essential things TO
do to a growing. squash alone.
When I was ready to plant my seeds
Mary came to the garden and Mr.. Mill
1HRlOn leaned over one IeI1Co ana MI
Farley over the other. 1t was quite
party. We had a heated discussion as to
whether the squash seed should he plant
ed with its back or stomach up. and when
we settled the question we'could not de-
eide which was the back and which was
the stomach of squash Seed SO we COM
promised by planting 1t point up. 1t
turned out to be quite as well. We also
had some excitement when Moses dropped
the, tomato seed. ana the five of us hunt
Cd hal ON hn1fr hofnre vtyr>f OlIn6 ii AGAIN
After the planting day I was careful
not to neglect the garden. Every few
days I went out and looked at 1t. and
read selections from the card system to
thralled. ] saw his establishment and
knew he was learning many things he
had never known about the propagation
of vegetables Then he would sit on an
upturned bucket at the garden side and
study what he had heard. He sat on that
upturned bucket most faithfully-hours
and hours at a time-watching for our
first sprout to appear. and when it did
diately. I went with him tp look at it.
Now. sah.' he said, 'wut All want to
know is: Does yo' want met do all dem
things 20, read to me to dis little young
vegetable? Course All amt say All re-
member all dem things. No. sab. All amt
recall all Of dem. All amt recall mo-
dan about two thousan', but pears to me
it amt right to go an do all dem two
thousan. things to dat little young vege-
table, No, sah!"
'.The rules given on those cards"
began.
mo, sah!" said Moses, shaking his
head. 'Ah been sittin' an sittin' an
lookin' an watclin' 70 dat little young
vegetable to come up, an seem lax All
become sort Of attach to dat sprout. All
amt got no heart to do all dem things
to it. All amt feel lax it Christian to
treat dat little young vegetable dat
harsh!
I told Moses that his feelings did him
credit, but that all schedules must be rig
idly followed. He did not rebel: he went
away with tears in his eyes. and the next
day, when he met me at the gate, he was
much distressed.
"Ah's mighty sad bout dat little young
he told me. 1T mighty
strange whut happen to dat vegetable:
Yassah! All was sittin' on de bucket
contemplatin' dat vegetable when long
come one Of dem beneficent germs Wnut
yo' told me bout. Yassah! An An
mighty glad to see dat, TO Ans r1ght
down fond of dat little young vegetable PIE:
But All asks yo' dis: Why TO dit Dat
germ eat dat po' little young vegetable
all up? OATS whut All asks yo'; why did
dat germ consume dat little young vege-
taDle?"
I felt that Moses had made a dreadful