CHAPTER V 

 SPRING WORK IN THE GARDEN 



Too many there are who look out of the win- 

 dow of a February day and sigh: "Oh, I wish 

 that spring would come, so that I might work in 

 the garden again." Not so the wise gardener. 

 Already he is up and doing; for he knows full 

 well that spring, so far as its particular garden 

 chores is concerned, is then at hand. 



There are February days when little or no snow 

 lies on the frozen ground. Then is a good time 

 to spread on it some manure, to be soaked into 

 the soil by later snows. If it has to be wheeled, 

 or carted, over the lawn it can be done at that 

 time without ruts being left on the turf. Where 

 plants are green above ground, as not a few peren- 

 nials are, place the manure around them, not on 

 them. 



In February, too, take the pruning shears, out- 

 doors between snows and cut off from the shrubs 

 branches that the winter storms have broken, or 

 any that show unmistakeable signs of being dead. 

 Throw them into a wheelbarrow as you go along, 

 to save a second handling, and at the same time 



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