10 



these, so that they are easily obtained, and are of 

 great importance to the horticulturalist. 



Lime. — This is a valuable article for the compost 

 heaps, as it causes very perfect fermentation, especial- 

 ly, if the chief ingredient of that heap be ^fallow soil, 

 that has|become matted with grass roots. 



Plaster of Paris or GiJi^sum. — This is valuable for 

 most plants. It is used as a top dressing after hoeing. 

 It requires to be soAvn early so as to have the benefit 

 of moisture, and to insure its decomposition, where it 

 is used for a grass crop. 



Compost Heap. — This may be made from fallow soil, 

 meadow mud, leaves gatliered under forest trees, re- 

 fuse vegetables about the garden, weeds before they 

 have gone to seed, lime (fee. Weeds may be covered 

 slightly in hoeing so as to kill them, but not so deep 

 as to prevent them from decaying, and in that w^ay 

 -enrich the ground. This should not be done when 

 they have gone to seed, as it would be multiplying 

 ^our future labor. 



The Tools and Tool House. — The old maxim, "A 



place for everything, and everything in its place,*' 



•should be strictly observed by the gardener. Of all 



•men, he ought to economize his time. As soon as the 



Spring opens, he has his grounds to prepare, his seed 



to plant, his early plants to transplant and protect, and 



^from that time till the crop matures, he has to make 



a continual war upon insects and weeds. The waste 



of ten minutes a day in hunting up tools, amounts \» 



rf(* serious loss at the end of the year. Beside, if tools 



are scattered about in various parts of a garden, they 



.^'re subject to numerous injuries which they would 



r^scape were they properly cared for. A very neat 



tool house, and cheap one, too, may be made in the 



centre of the garden, in the shape of an arbor, or sum- 



jmer house. Over it, grape vines may be trained, and 



in that way it may be made an object of convenience 



vJ^nd beauty in the grounds. Boxes may be made for 



),^ho , smaller tools, such as hoes, spades, rakes, water- 



