BEDS AND BORDERS 87 



the case of heavy soils, be applied to form a 4-inch layer 

 when spread over the surface. 



Soil preparation is not completed by the March opera- 

 tions, and the cultivators who would achieve a full measure 

 of success must subsequent thereto fork the ground over 

 two or three times previous to putting out the plants at the 

 end of May or early in June. To the beginner this may 

 appear unnecessary, but experience warrants the assertion 

 that the aeration and pulverisation resulting therefrom have 

 a highly beneficial influence upon the root system, which 

 will be seen in the rapid and satisfactory progress made 

 by the plants during their earlier stages of growth. Soils 

 that have been highly cultivated for a considerable number 

 of years will be greatly improved by a dressing of newly- 

 slaked lime, the quantity used to be sufficient to form a 

 thin layer over the surface. Soils manured early in the 

 winter may receive their dressing of lime in March, but the 

 others should be limed about a month after the manure is 

 applied. Lime and manure should not be applied simul- 

 taneously because of the loss resulting from the setting free 

 by the action of the lime of some part of the ammonia 

 contained in the latter. 



BEDS AND BORDERS OF GARDEN DAHLIAS 



In the preparation of beds and borders for Dahlias 

 grown for the embellishment of the garden or for the supply 

 of cut flowers a less generous use of manure should be 

 made than is necessaiy for those grown for exhibition. 

 The quantity should be reduced by about one-half unless 

 the soil is light and much impoverished, when two-thirds 



