38 MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN 



early spring, fork it in, and top-dress 

 (that sounds technical) with a thick 

 layer of chloride of sodium : if you 

 cannot get that, common salt will do, 

 and the neighbors will never notice 

 whether it is the orthodox Na. Cl. 58.5, 

 or not. 



I scarcely dare trust myself to speak 

 of the weeds. They grow as if the devil 

 was in them. I know a lady, a member 

 of the church, and a very good sort 

 of woman, considering the subject 

 condition of that class, who says that 

 the weeds work on her to that extent, 

 that, in going through her garden, she 

 has the greatest difficulty in keeping 

 the ten commandments in any thing like 

 an unfractured condition. I asked her 

 which one ? but she said, all of them : 

 one felt like breaking the whole lot. 

 The sort of weed which I most hate 

 (if I can be said to hate any thing which 



