Miscellaneous Hints on Gardening 283 



have them sharpened. Tools used season after 

 season must have some attention paid them. 



When grafting on a cold day, have ready a liquid 

 grafting wax to apply at once. This work had 

 best be done on a mild day. 



Hardy annuals may often be preserved throughout 

 the winter if they are covered with a mulch of straw 

 and manure. They should have coarse and loose 

 covering, permitting some air. Leaves, boards, 

 and boughs of cedar and pine may be used. It is 

 well worth while protecting many hardy annuals 

 as they will bloom much earlier in the spring of the 

 following year than annuals started that season. 



Do not hesitate to prune the flowers. Rank growth 

 means poor flowers, lacking both color and size. 

 Nearly all perennials and some annuals are bene- 

 fited by pruning. 



All dead flowers should be taken from the bush in 

 order to give the other buds a chance to receive 

 all the moisture and nourishment supplied by the 

 roots and stems. Many plants will cease flowering 

 when dead flowers are left to go to seed. 



If your neighbors have rabbits or chickens, prepare 

 for them. While it hardly seems fair to have to 



