CHAPTER XL 

 GARDEN MANAGEMENT 



THERE comes at last a time in summer when the garden 

 seems almost able to take care of itself. The gardener has 

 time to walk carelessly about, look forward, and look back, 

 and enjoy the present. 



Looking back, it is easy enough to remember periods when 

 the work of gardening took up all the spare time. I say 

 spare time, because to most of us gardening is but extra work 

 and pleasure ; there are other duties that occupy most of the 

 day. But early in spring, when preparing flats and mixing 

 earth; and later, when spading the garden and planting; 

 and perhaps later still, when transplanting : at these times 

 especially the gardener had his hands full. In midsummer, 

 however, everything is growing well, and though the fall is 

 yet to bring its labor, that is still some weeks away. Yet 

 even now there is some work and a little thinking to be done. 



The first is the work of cultivation. After every rain, 

 and again whenever the weeds start, the gardener should go 

 out with cultivator or rake and renew the blanket of dust that 

 is so valuable in keeping the ground moist. With this is the 

 work of finding the weeds that in spite of the keenest eye 

 will snuggle themselves away under the growing plants, 

 not to be seen until the seed-stalks shoot to the light, bearing 

 the blossoms, or perhaps the already formed seeds. It is for 

 these, grasses, sorrels, or weeds of many kinds, that the 

 gardener should always be on the watch. When found, they 



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