116 MANUAL OF GARDENING 



Whether it has any special requirements as to germina- 

 tion, and whether it transplants well. 



Whether it is specially liable to attack by insects or 

 disease. 



Whether it has a special inability to grow two years in 

 succession on the same land. 



Having suited the situation to the plant, and having pre- 

 pared the ground well and made a resolution to keep it well, 

 special attention must be given to such matters as these: — 



Guarding from all insects and diseases; and also from cats 



and chickens and dogs; and likewise from rabbits and 



mice. 

 Protecting from weeds. 

 Pruning, in the case of fruit trees and bushes, and also of 



ornamental woody plants on occasion, and sometimes 



even of annual herbs. 

 Staking and tying, particularly of sprawly garden flowers. 

 Persistent picking of seed pods or dead flowers from flower 



plants, in order to conserve the strength of the plant and 



to prolong its season of bloom. 

 Watering in dry weather (but not sprinkling or dribbling). 

 Thorough winter protecting of plants that need it. 

 Removing dead leaves, broken branches, weak and sickly 



plants, and otherwise keeping the place tidy and trim. 



Sowing the seeds. 



Prepare the surface earth well, to make a good seed-bed. 

 Plant when the ground is moist, if possible, and preferably just 

 before a rain if the soil is of such character that it will not bake. 

 For shallow-planted seeds, firm the earth above them by walk- 

 ing over the row or by patting it down with a hoe. Special 

 care should be exercised not to sow very small and slow-ger- 

 minating seeds, as celery, carrot, onion, in poorly prepared soil 



