14 Essentials in Gardening 



not only conserves the moisture in the soil but it 

 permits the air to reach the roots of the plant as 

 well. Hard, dry earth must be broken up. Roots 

 cannot push their way through it when in search 

 of nourishment, and the growth of the stems 

 and leaves will be retarded when root growth is 

 retarded. 



Weeds must be kept down. If they once get a 

 start they are hard to eradicate, hence vigilance 

 must be exercised from the beginning. Often 

 there is no other remedy than to pull these 

 nuisances up by hand or with the weeding hook, 

 which will be found most serviceable, as any appli- 

 cation to kill the roots of weeds will be likely 

 to result in poisoning the roots of flowers as well. 



Watering the flowers is something that every 

 gardener must expect to have to do and to do with 

 regularity. Even out of doors rain cannot be 

 depended upon. Water furnishes the sap which 

 courses through the stems and leaves, and without 

 the amount of moisture suited to its individual 

 need no plant can grow luxuriously. Often when a 

 plant is not thriving, all that is needed is water. 

 Large plants and trees should have a pipe driven 

 into the ground near them, and the water should 

 be poured down this by means of a funnel stuck 

 in the upper end of the pipe. In this way the 



