THE GARDEN SPELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3882, 7 August 1928, Page 11

THE GARDEN SPELL.

A GARDEN PLOT FOR EACH CHILD. Paradise for a penny, which Walter Prichard Eaton talks of, comes near to being realised when children invest some of their pennies in small packages of flower and vegetable seeds. Tiny black seeds; funny, fuzzy seeds, like down blown from dandelion blossoms; large flat seeds—whatever their shape or size they are full of pontential beauty. Magic lies in each package. Children’s eyes grow big with questioning wonder, as with dimpled hands they pat the seeds firmly into the soft earth which they have so carefully prepared, and then wait eagerly for the little cracks to appear in the ground showing that the plant has rooted from that tiny seed and is now. pushing its way up to the glorious sunshine. It would seem to be the heritage of children to have a plot of ground which they may call their own, .’here they may spade and sow. work and wonder, love and learn. What if some of the little seed lings are dug up to see if they are growing? Do not children of older years often look prematurely for the fruition of their plantings? What .‘f frocks are soiled and hands grimy? From the contact with growing things will come many lessons which, once learned, make for happy and useful lives. The miracle of seed and bloom, the goodness of God in sun and shower, come with a private and confidential understanding to the child who views them through the intimacy of a little garden of his own. The bulb.which the child buries in the earth in the autumn, and which keeps its rooted station until, in the spring, it produces a lovely tulip or jonquil, sends its lesson also into the heart of the child and brings an understanding of the time and constancy required to bring forth the fruit of. labour.

The child whose flowers grace the living room window, or whose vegetables form a part of the family’s menu, plays an important part as a member of the family circle, and gains a lasting impression of his part in the scheme of things. Most of us who look back through windows of homes which we may haw ow'ned, across gardens that we have known, and perhaps made, find that there is no such outlook, no such in all of them, as in the little garden we had as children, where the seed-pod of hollyhocks made gorgeous dishes for old doll’s table, where gladioli ladies graced our parties more charmingly than any that we have since known. The blue-pencil of infancy has erased all but the lovely and has given us memories fragrant with for-get-me-not and mignonette, hallowed with

thoughts of evening hours and sunny day<j and happy with lessons learned and cherished.

Give the children a garden. If possible, one in their own yard. If that seems out of the question get a box of earth and let them have a small garden in a sunny window; or even a flower pot in which they may plan+ a seed or two is much better than never to have the joy of watching the unfolding of little leaves. —Christian Science Monitor;