Smith College girls, and that then the company were shown stereopticon
pictures of a number of their own gardens as they looked during the past
summer and as they had looked when, a few years ago,--although seemingly
but yesterday,--their owners began to plan and to plant.

The contrasts were amazing and lent great emphasis to the two or three
truths we have here dwelt on probably long enough. To wit: first, that,
as a rule, all true gardeners are grown-ups; second, that therein lies
the finest value of concerted gardening; third, that the younger the
grown-up the better, for the very reason that the crowning recompenses
of true gardening come surely, but come late; and fourth, that,
nevertheless, gardening yields a lovely amplitude of immediate rewards.

For instance, this gathering in our People's Institute also, before the
announcement of prizes, took delight in hearing reported the aggregate
of the flowers, mostly of that season's planting, distributed by a
considerable number of the competitors to the shut-in and the bereaved.
This feature of the movement had been begun only the previous year, and
its total was no more than some three thousand dozens of flowers; but
many grateful acknowledgments, both verbal and written, prove that it
gave solace and joy to many hearts and we may call it a good beginning.

A garden should be owned not to be monopolized, but to be shared, as a
song is owned not to be hushed, but to be sung; and the wide giving of
its flowers is but one of several ways in which a garden may sing or be
sung--for the garden is both song and singer. At any rate it cannot help
but be a public benefaction and a public asset, if only its art be true.

Hence one of the values of our gardening in Northampton: making the
gardens so many and so artistically true and good, it makes the town, as
a whole, more interesting and pleasing to itself, and in corresponding
degree the better to live in. Possibly there may be some further value
in telling here how we do it.

As soon as signs of spring are plain to the general eye the visiting for
enrolment begins. A secretary of the institute sets out to canvass such
quarters of the field as have not been apportioned among themselves
individually by the ladies composing the committee of "volunteer garden
visitors." At the same time these ladies begin their calls, some
undertaking more, some less, according to each one's willingness or
ability.

This first round cons