Evening star., 1932-08-16

or water alone, but needs the good
earth. OF it he need never be ashamed
It is clear gain for the home gar
dener to indulge in some one activity
which makes it necessary for him TO
recall at intervals that his plants grow
in the earth.
And nothing will do this half so well
as cultivation.
Whether one stirs up the soil around
growing plants with a stick or hoe
or a kitchen fork, or a trowel, or a
wheel hoe, or whatnot, there are two
gains.
First. the earth is cultivated
Second, the mind is cultivated.
The first aspect, as we have attempt
ed to say is not really the most i'm
portant, but it is important enough.
Any one who has applied himself at all
to the garden, will come to the belief,
after a few years at it, that there is
something to cultivation" after all.
After he has read all the explanations
of the experts" after he has been told
that stirring the soil keeps the water III
it from evaporating. after he learns
that some air is given the plants by
this action. after he realizes that the
physical consistency of the soil is bet
tered. there will yet be firm conviction
on his part that there is another and a
!
greater gain.
This gain will not be that of keeping
down weed growth. Some one has said
that pulling weeds all Summer long
shows a lazy gardener. since they
should not be there to pick.
All these gains are evident enough
if not proved. but over and above
! them all the gardener will feel that
| there is yet another gain as yet en-
tirely unexplained, secured by the
| cultivation of the earth at regular in
tervals through the growing season.
! Recently we asked what we call a
Real Gardener, as distinguished
| from the amateur. just why this con-
| viction came to one, and the answer
was: Because it is one of these
! convictions SO Keen that it must be
| true. even if one cannot prove it."
| Perhaps that is not a very convinc-
| ing argument, but 1t states the case
! for the necessity for unceasing culti-
/ walton. Proof is not always forth
coming in a world constituted as Is
! this one: arguments need not be con-
| vincing so long as they tend to be
! logical and earnest.
i Every one who has gardened fol
! any length of time, and during that
period has cultivated the soil, for a
time, and then permitted 1t to go un-
cultivated, will be willing to declare
we belive, that not only did his plants
look better during the period OF cul-
tivation, but that he felt better him.
self, as a gardener.
Not only did he secure the cleal
physical gains named above, but he
managed to kill many worms and bugs
of various sorts, and prevent thell
growth and spread.
This, however, was but one practi-
! cal gain. Over and above 1t was the
personal feeling, on his own part, anc
utterly for himself, that he was putting
more time and effort on his garden
and that therefore the garden wa:
meaning more to him.
| Only as anything has meaning fol
human being can 1t be said to eXlS'
for that human being. There /!
nothing mystical about this. A man
conceivably, might be born and live
all his life in Italy, and yet never have
heard of Julius Caesar. II he had not
| the name julius Caesar Woulo meaI
nothing to him.
The more meaning a thing has tt
one. the more one will be interested
in it, and the more he will enjoy 1t
everything else being equal. This ap'
plies with peculiar force to gardening
and the things of the garden. Ane
of all the acts of gardening, perhaps
none so readily induces the right re-
lation of plant and garden. and o.
garden and gardener. as that of cult
vation-the simple stirring of the sol
to prevent the surface from becoming
baked. If sometimes this seems to bt
unnecessary sort OF loves labor lost
the home gardener may stir himSel
| &l,oI &c nh
everything else, the tie that binds
him to the soil. and the one thing
next to the living plants, which unite.
him to the gardeners of all ages.