The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-18
BOWSER and THE MOON
Does Il Influence vegeta&1on o
Doesn't II?

Tho robins had come to stay.
So had the dandelions.
There had been warm rains. and the
frost was out OF the ground.
Mrs. Bowser looked out into the
backyard where q bit Of snowdrift
was hanging on by its teeth ON the
shady side Of tho fence and sighed and
said to herself:
1T viii be just like Mr.. Bowsee TO
60 to ripping up the yard to make =
garden.
She had hardly ceased speaking
when. he arrived.
He had a spade and rake on his
shoulder and closely following him was
q boy with several pots Of plants and
q package Of seeds. Before Mr.. Bow
was informed:
You were saying the other day that
you wished we had q bit OF q garden.
I'm going to make one. I've got 1t all
planned out, and I'll fix up something
TO be proud off,
but our backyard IL no place for q
garden!' she protested. It's mostly
in the shade, you know, and the soil
must be very poor. wish you had
spoken about it before you bought
Don't you worry about the shade OK
the poor soil. my dear woman. shall
grow only such things ~ love the
shade, and q little guano will mako the
soil get up and hump In q way to
astonish you. Besides. have q special
| object in view. I will now get into an
| old suit and prepare the various beds.
I Digging and raking and smelling tho
fresh earth will carry mo back to the
old farm days again" ~
When he had changed his clothes he
| laid off q plot in the back yard and be-
gan work. The brickbats. old bottles.
states, and broken kettles had re-
manned undisturbed for years. but
| Farmer Bowser persisted until at the
end Of three hours he had prepared
| bed 10 feet long by feet wide. During
his labora he had burst his suspenders.
broke his spade. pulled tho handle out
| Of tho rake. and lost an eye out OF his
| spectacles, but he won out in tho end.
| When tho bed was ready he called
| Mrs. Bowser out and said:
This, you understand, II only pre-
liminary. 1 have prepared this for an
experimental bed. Later on 1 will lay
the whole yard out into circles. cres-
,'sWhat sort Of experimentr' she
asked.
| IT will inform you later on this even
ing. I shall rather mix things up in
this bed. I shall set out onions. tona-
toes and flowers. and shall plant the
seeds Of cucumbers and melons and
potatoes and add q few hills OF corn"
II should think that q few apple
trees, a grape arbor, and an artificial
lake would help things along" she OBJ
served.
Just so. was expecting you to say
something mean. When you UNDER
stand my object, however. you may
change your mind. shall now proceed
to sow and plant. and when I have
finished you can send the cook out
to gather the $1,000 clothespins, the
forks, and the 1000 spoons have dug
up in making this small bed. do not
wish to find fault-no husband ever
does-but II you could only manage to
plant what few dishes we have left out
here somewhere we could eat off the
ironing board with our Fingers
There were two clothespins. one old
fork and q broken spoon in sight, but
Mrs Bowser didn't dispute his figures.
fore dinner was over. and after the
meal he assumed the patronixing air
of the average husband and said:
81 informed that I had a special
object in mixing up things in that
bed. and I will now explain 1t. Did
/ you ever give thought to the vege-
tation around you?"
Eyes. several OF them"
"I'm glad to know 1t. and I will
mark 1t in your favor. What theory
have you got as to why seeds grcw?"
1T doesn't need any theory. Ma
l
itself. If a seed il planted in fertile
soil. 1t will produce again"
But there must be favorable in
duences."
''Of course. It needs sun and rain. -
Anything else, Mrs. Bowser?"
Nothing special, I guess"
What about the moon?"
Il why, believe hat some old gran
| MES contend that the moon haa
4 some sort OF influence on vegetation.
. but don't think that any level-head-
ed farmer believes 1t"
That was the point Mr.. BowDef had
[ been leading up to, and there was the
light OF triumph in his eyes a. he
walked back and forth and said:
81 But II the moon does influence veg
etation-if IL exercises tho greatest In
nuence over the planting and grow
. Iing-if It would make q difference Of
500 per year to every farmer to con-
suit the moon. then Whaf?"
why. It would be good thing fol
the world at large to know" she re-
} Piled
Exactly. and the man who proved
It to the world would become famous
and renowned. wouldn't he?
81 Certainly. But what has all THU
to do with your planting q dozen dit.
lfsrent things IN one bed3s