FEBRUARY. 345 



even at a good deal of trouble, should be preferred to all 

 others. Guano and superphosphates in moderate quan- 

 tity are well enough, but if used alone — especially in 

 heavy land — they do not provide that openness of the 

 soil that tends to the retention of moisture, and the ad- 

 mission of air, so essential to perfect vegetation. Cow 

 droppings, a year or upwards old, that have been turned 

 occasionally to aid in decay, form the best of all ma- 

 nures. In time it will become as fine as the soil, and 

 provision should be made to have a supply of this on 

 hand for top-dressing the lawn, mixing with potting 

 soils and other uses. Of the artificial manures, those 

 composed largely of bone and other animal matter should 

 be preferred. True and so-called Guanos of different 

 kinds are in the markets, and these are mostly very good. 

 Sometimes good street scrapings or similar matters are 

 easy to procure; these, if allowed to lay a while, with an 

 occasional working over, prove valuable for mixing with 

 the soil or sub-soil. Eefuse hops from breweries, after 

 laying awhile and being forked over a number of times, 

 become as fin£ and useful a manure as can well be found; 

 it possesses high fertilizing properties. The same is true 

 of decayed leaves from the woods, excepting that it takes 

 a much longer time for these to become reduced to a fine 

 friable mould. 



RUSTIC WORK, TRELLISES, ETC. 



Repairing and improving of these should be done before 

 the press of other spring work comes on. Root rustic 

 work, having shaved surfaces, ought to receive a coat or 

 two of linseed oil yearly. Vases, trellises, or other painted 

 garden work may now be put in order, by cleaning and 

 painting. Prepare new trellises in good season. Plant- 

 boxes, stakes, labels, and such things as will be needed 

 during spring and summer, should now be made ready. 



