WEEDS AND PESTS AND DISEASES 139 



strong digging fork with long thick prongs can be driven 

 in, and by judicious prising practically the whole of the 

 root of each plant will come up with the clod of soil. 

 The soil can then be shaken off and the plant burnt. In 

 the case of well-established deep-rooted weeds it is well 

 to dig away some of the soil around them with the spade 

 to the depth of a foot ; the fork can then be let in at the 

 bottom, and will usually bring up a large piece of the root. 

 Any that may then be left will be too deep to do harm, 

 and will die. 



In the ilower garden there are cases where it is quite 

 impossible to use the Dutch hoe for fear of injuring the 

 border plants. Weeds have a way of growing very close 

 to the stems of perennials, biennials, and annuals, and if 

 allowed to remain they gradually stifle the plants and 

 eventually kill them. To remove such weeds hand weeding 

 is required, and, oh ! what labour it means! Especially if 

 the border is a large one. Bend down and grip the offend- 

 ing weed with the right hand, a slow and strong pull will 

 usually bring it out with most of its roots ; a sudden jerk 

 would only break a part of the plant off, and leave most 

 of its roots in the soil. No tools can be used for the lifting 

 of these weeds. It is not safe to use even the tiny weeding 

 fork offered by nurserymen. The hands alone must be 

 used to pull them up. 



My lady readers must be warned that this kind of 

 weeding usually leaves bad stains on the hands which 

 may not wear off for some days, so it is well to wear an 

 old pair of gloves. 



As the weeds arc pulled up they should be deposited 

 in a pail or basket, and should never be left lying on the 

 border to be collected or raked off at leisure. Unless this 

 is done, many may be forgotten, and a shower of rain 

 will start most of them growing again. The same thing 

 applies to the hoeing of a very weedy border. The weeds 

 should be raked off at once. 



Disposal of Weeds : All soft unseeding weeds and those 

 which do not spread by tap or surface roots or creeping 



