Evening star., 1932-05-01


Of bits Of neighborhood effort with common
interest in trees and plants spurred by friendly
rivalry as the source of these famous beauty
spots of that section.
And so the old stories run. Among them the
work of Edward Box, who transformed the ugly
railway station of Merton into rosengartlen
Of beauty His inspiration, the legend of an
ancestor who. once upon a time, recreated a
rocky isle of the North Sea into an emerald
glow of verdure and bloom. Innumerable
these stories here of the conversion of wayside
dreariness into quiet leafy vistas of sweet re-
Fiction
John T. Faris is a great man to go along
with on expeditions like this. His sense of
place is balanced ard sure. His feeling for it
true and his portrayal pictureque without ex-
cess. have been with him, by book, all through
the Middle West and the Far West into the
Eastern States besides. And one surpasses
John Faris a satisfying companion upon out
farings of this kind. So, here, in these old
gardens he is the same man, richly filled with
these neSted corners of Philadelphia, turning
them face toward us in a delight that is half
reminiscent, half that of immediate and con-
unuing companionship.
1t has taken more than 200 years for the
garden spirit to take hold of the country in any
sort Of vigor and reach. But it is here at last
Village rivalries, neighborly emulation, county
fairs, city exhibits. and other whatnot Of awak-
ening and work have, at last, brought the
garden into its own as art and civicS and social
inspiration and many another worthwhile i'm
pulse that beauty, in itself, is sure in the long
run to command.
Here is Washington, every suburb has its
garden society. Yards and lawns carry evidence
of the interest in this great gift of nature under
mans guiding hand Over in Georgetown,
where really historic gardens exist, there are
periodic pilgrimages for one object another.
that open these protected and somewhat
secluded bowers Of lovehness to the enjoyment
and inspiration Of the army Of garden lovers
and workers that the Capital so manifestly
houses and homes.
THE BACKYARD GARDEN; A Handbook for
the Amateur. BY Edward l. Harrington,
Secretary Massachusetts, Horticultural So
ciety. Boston: The Stratford Co.
THE purpose of this book is to help the be-
gtnner in gardening. Therefore it is little
book, its first invitation that OF saving time.
It is simple, not q bogey-book Of unfamiliar
terms and long. heavy explanations and direc-
tions. From its practical nature it Is a step
ahead OF the theory that one must learn by ex-
perience For, here has been weeded out some
of the errors that first contact with garden
tcol and ground and seed is likely to impose.
Here are directions by way of which every
available scrap of ground may be used. Direc-
tions also for preparing the soil, for sowing the
seed or transplanting slips for watering the
young shoots and for protecting them against
insect enemies.
This book has as its main concern the vege-
table garden but there are instructions here
for the development OF a flower and plant yard
as well Just now the fashion OF beautiful back
yards has come into full force. And If, as may
be, growing corn and carrots and beans are not
considered objects Of beauty as well as of use
to the householder, he will be able to find in
this compact little book ways and means for
flower beds instead for climbing vines, and for
other purely decorative features of the yard at
the back of the house
An excellent book drawn straight from ex-
perience, to meet the growing and distinctly
worthwhile plan of the back yard garden in
either of its forms.
WHISPERING GATE. BY Anne Jerrymore
Presented to the world at large by Carex
Macphail. indianapolis: The Bobbs- -Mer-
rill Co.
THERE are two ways Of reading this book, two
ways Of approach. Either from the sur
face downward, or from the center upward In
one case you will agree with some one speaking
here-I do not recall the one-that this is the
scandalous tale OF scandalous old woman" In
the other you will find the story to be instead
sequence of two originating sources. Alone
ness is one Of these A child, rather primitive
than perverted is the other
whispering Gate" the gloomy, grand, re-
mote old English estate. buried in forest trees
that rustic and talk and whisper, night long
and day long, from center to gateway, years
around. Within the great house only an old
woman and her little granddaughter living in
something of ceremonial state. Servants only,
besides. And the little girl grows and the old
woman grows too, older. And the child plays,
dresses up in fnerieS found hung away, or
folded within chests. And. playing, she sees
herself in the company of others, admired,
liked. But she never is in the company of
others. Except. one day, she worked in the
garden with Alonzo, the new gardener. His
slantng dark eyes, the golden hoops in his ears,
the smooth bronze Of his legs-Oh, beautiful