{HISTORY}

There's something to be said about a gardening book that contains no fanciful introduction or romantic language luring you into its pages and convincing you that your patch of soil will indeed turn into a magnificent floral paradise if you follow the advice given.

Maurice Grenville Kains (1868-1946) had no such showmanship when it came to his 1940 book, Gardening Short Cuts. He indeed did quite literally cut to the chase by simply presenting dozens of gardening tips and tricks across seven chapters to help make gardening tasks easier, more efficient and more enjoyable. 

Aimed at the new gardener who suddenly finds themselves with access to a garden plot, a yard, or a farm, Maurice's goal with this book was to eliminate costly mistakes and time-wasting endeavors that naturally plague all first -time gardeners. By illustrating a bevy of time-tested techniques, his mission was to help get growers set up for success from the very beginning. 

 No stranger to the horticultural world, Maurice graduated with a degree in agriculture from Michigan State University in 1895. He then went on to study further at Cornell and Pennsylvania State College where he also taught classes, lectured, and embarked on a horticultural writing career that would span the rest of his life and produce more than two dozen published books on a variety of garden-realted topics.

Most well known for his 1935 bestseller, Five Acres and Independence about practical ways to achieve self-sustainability and profitability through small scale farming, it established Maurice's ability to offer sage and workable advice garnered from his own hands-on experiences with farming and agricultural study.

When Gardening Short Cuts was published in 1940, there was no need to add extra salesmanship to his writing. Gardeners already knew and trusted his advice. That being said, Gardening Short Cuts is packed full of helpful tips to help make a successful gardener of anyone. From lawn care to seed starting, compost building to vine maintenance, vegetable growing to tree care, all topics are covered with Maurice's knowledgeable this-is-what-I-learned wisdom gathered over the course of his 70 years of hands-on gardening trials and tribulations. 

Thin your fruit trees right after the "June drop." Create this easily made tackle block and rope system to stack and store barrels of root vegetables. Stop mowing your grass during the month of September to let the roots strengthen before winter sets in. Paint wooden handled garden tools a vivid color and hang them by hooks on a shed wall for easy identification and access. Create adjustable ventilation for cold frame openings out of a single piece of  wood notched at 2" inch intervals in step ladder format. Sew a sack out of burlap and stuff it full with straw to make a naturally comfortable pillow in which to kneel on while weeding. Instead of carrying yard sticks or measuring tapes into the garden to ascertain proper spacing, measure and then mark the handles of all your gardening tools and use those those in figuring spacing for plant widths and depths. If you struggle with growing grass on a hillside, try periwinkle or Japanese spurge instead  which are low-growing evergreen plants that thrive in both sun and shade.

These are just a few examples of the types of topics covered in Maurice's helpful book, which are still very applicable today. Because his advice focuses on eliminating waste, unnecessary equipment, and novice mistakes,  it's also kinder on budget, body and the environment by creating dependable practices that can be utilized year after year.

In addition to all this expert advice, a previous owner also tucked snippets of vintage newspaper clippings randomly throughout this book offering further insights and tips into successful gardening practices.

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• May 1943 edition, Fifth printing
• 198 pages including detailed index
• Illusrted throughout with black and white line drawings
• In addition to how to advice, this book also offers step by step instructions on how to make specific pieces of equipment, boxes, bins, bags, etc to achieve various gardening methods discussed

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition, this book is clean and bright throughout. The pages are lightly tanned due to age. a couple of pages are pulling away from the spine ever so slightly but are still firmly intact. There is slight fraying at the top of the exterior spine. the coverboards are clean and bright. Please see photos. 

{SIZE}

Measures 8.25" inches (length) x 5.75" inches (width) x 1" inch (depth) and weighs 13 oz.