1 08 GA RDENING BY M YSELF. 



the air ; can never drink in the dew nor 

 bathe itself in the sunshine. And weeds 

 have a fashion of starting up exactly where 

 your young plants are set ; availing them- 

 selves of protection, it may be, against hoe 

 and rake, as an army sometimes advances 

 with prisoners at the front. Hoe and rake 

 are, indeed, of little use here ; and only in- 

 exorable fingers can avail Nor can these 

 always help making sad work, if the weed is 

 well grown and the flower very young. In 

 such a contingency (which may come up 

 sometimes, even in the best regulated gar- 

 dens) put the fingers of your left hand close 

 about the stem of the little plant, holding it 

 well down, and then with the right hand 

 root out the weed, using a quiet, steady 

 pull, rather than violence. If the verbena 

 or aster can be thus kept in place, while 

 only the intruder is uprooted, it will pro- 

 bably soon establish itself again and grow 

 on joyously. But if the weed roots have so 

 wrapped it round that it must needs come 

 out too, then • you can only replant and 



