SPRING IN 



disturb their roots as little as possible, and, 

 taking one lightly between the thumb and fin- 

 ger of the left hand, I drop its roots into the 

 hole made for it, but do not let go of it. With 

 the right hand I press the soil firmly, but 

 gently, about the suspended roots. When a 

 row is filled with plants I water them, using 

 for this purpose a pot having a spout that does 

 not throw a large stream, for not a great deal of 

 water is needed by each plant. If a large 

 stream is turned upon them, there is danger of 

 washing them out or loosening them. Just 

 enough water should be used to saturate the 

 soil about the plant and settle it about its roots. 

 Then I arrange some sort of shade for them. 

 It is never safe to trust to cloudy weather in 

 transplanting. The sun may assert itself sud- 

 denly, and in a few minutes the newly-set 

 plants will be wilted. Always provide some 

 means of averting this danger. I make a sort 

 of cone of thick paper, run a sharpened stick 

 out and in through one side of it to support it, 

 and insert the other end of the stick in the 

 ground alongside the plant I desire to shade. 

 This keeps the sun away as effectively as a 

 little umbrella would, and as it does not touch 

 the ground, the air has a chance to circulate 



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