FOR THE HOME BEAUTIFUL 191 



even between the rows of flowers and vegetables in 

 the garden, thus reducing the necessary labor. 



This treatment will also be found of particular 

 benefit for your Rhododendrons and Azaleas. 



A particularly good material to use as a mulch 

 on your rose beds is tobacco stems to a depth of 

 two or three inches. This material may be pur- 

 chased in hundred-pound sacks at about four 

 dollars retail, and acts as a mulch, and at the 

 same time a fertilizer and insecticide. 



Being vegetable the stems will rot in time and 

 may be dug or hoed into the soil there to provide 

 the humus that all growing plant life requires. 



If your lawn is mowed regularly, and it is an 

 excellent plan to see that it is, it will not be 

 necessary to rake up the lawn clippings, but it is 

 better to allow them to wither and sink into the 

 grass, there to lay as a mulch, conserving the mois- 

 ture and protecting the tender grass roots from 

 the effect of the hot summer sun. 



It will be seen that in the scheme of floriculture 

 mulching ha& much of value, having a fourfold 

 purpose, as related, in summer, and being an abso- 

 lute necessity as protection during the winter 

 months. 



