HOETICULTUIJAL PROCESSES. 57 



the latter is used it should be exposed to the air for some time 

 before applying it ; 6, That the water should never be colder 

 than the plants to be watered. 



VIL— HOEING. 



The necessity for stirring the soil before planting has been 

 already shown. As soon as the plants are well above ground 

 it should be stirred again. In field culture, and to some extent 

 in large gardens, this is done with the plow and cultivator. 

 Where these can not go, the hoe must be faithfully applied. 

 The soil can not le stirred too often. 



One object in hoeing is the destruction of weeds. This 

 should be thorough — the extermination should be complete. 

 Spare not even the smallest. But keeping the weeds down is 

 not the only good result attained by hoeing. The soil is 

 thereby kept friable and porous, opened to the atmosphere and 

 the fertilizing gases, and new, fresh, and cool surface is pre- 

 sented for the absorption of moisture. Hoe deeply. A mere 

 scratching of the surface is not enough ; and do not fail to Mil 

 every weed. 



One year's seeding makes seven years' weeding. 

 YIIL— PROTECTION FEOM FEOST. 



Straw and leaves laid several inches deep about their roots 

 are very useful in protecting half-hardy plants during the win- 

 ter. Garden-pots, empty boxes, barrels, hand-glasses, and cold 

 frames should be brought into requisition in particular cases, 

 for the protection of early plants from spring frosts, and later 

 ones from those of the autumn. Common tumblers may be 

 used for very small plants, but they must be raised whenever 

 moisture accumulates. 



Fruit-trees in blossom, or covered with young fruit just 

 formed, may be protected by keeping up smoldering, smoking 

 fires during the night in various parts of the garden, at the 

 windward side. But little fire is required, the clouds of smoke 

 efiectually warding off the frost. The amount of fruit which 



8* 



