42 



great deal of trouble in seeing that the gardens get their watering 

 twice each day of the week, Sundays included. 



I am often asked the question, how often should the plants in a 

 garden be watered ? It is impossible to give an answer to this 

 question that will suit all cases. The owners of gardens should 

 know when their plants need watering, and when water is needed 

 they should see that sufficient is given. 



More than one-half the water that is given to gardens is wasted, 

 either because the plants do not need it, or the ground is not in a 

 fit condition to receive it ; it is just of as great importance that the 

 ground is in a fit condition to receive the water if the plants are to 

 be kept in a healthy, growing condition, as that the water should 

 be applied. 



All owners of gardens who wish to see their plants looking 

 healthy, and to get satisfactory returns for the money they spend on 

 them, should see that the soil between the plants is dug about three 

 times a year to a depth of from twelve to fifteen inches. When 

 digging is being done, leave the surface of the soil rather rough, 

 that is, do not have the surface raked smooth as is done in most 

 gardens. My reason for recommending this is that when the 

 surface is in a broken condition, water and air can enter the ground 

 more freely, and half the water that is usually given will be suffi- 

 cient to keep the plants in a growing condition. 



The plants in any well managed garden should not need 

 watering more than three times a week. I am speaking now of 

 the gardens about Kingston and suburbs. If a copious watering 

 every other day does not keep the plants in good condition, then 

 the soil is either too hard or too full of roots. If the former, it 

 should either be forked or dug to a depth of about 15 inches ; and 

 if the latter, judicious root pruning should be carried out when the 

 ground is being forked or dug. 



In the case of pot plants, for every one that dies through want 

 of water, probably two die through being over-watered. No plant 

 should need watering more than once a day, or three waterings 

 a week should be sufficient for most plants, unless the pots are 

 filled with roots, or the soil is too sandy. If the plants have filled 

 the pots or tubs with roots, they should be moved into larger pots 

 or tubs, at the same time cutting off a few of the outside roots. 



Care should be taken when potting plants to see that the pots 

 or tubs are quite clean, that the soil is neither too wet nor too dry, 

 that enough space is left between the top of the soil and the rim 

 of the pot or tub to allow the plant to be given enough water. 



It ought to be remembered that plants should not be made to 

 grow too fast, but they should have just sufficient water given to 

 them to keep them in a healthy condition ; also that by keeping 

 the soil about them frequently hoed or forked, not only maintains 

 them in good condition, but reduces the watering by one half, and 

 so reduces the cost of upkeep of the garden. 



