Gardening for Amateurs 



55 



acts as a deterrent 

 to their ravages, 

 while the ordinary 

 worms which spoil 

 our lawns are not so 

 active where it has 

 been freely used. 

 For potting composts 

 stir the sand up in 

 water, pour the liquid 

 off, and let the sand 

 dry before use. One 

 objection to its em- 

 ployment in the 

 garden is to be found 

 in its smooth, rounded 

 nature; a sharp, 

 gritty sand is gener- 

 ally best. 



Mixing Soot and 

 Lime. Soot con- 

 tains much nitro- 

 genous matter in the form of salts of 

 ammonia, hence it is a valuable manure 

 for the garden. It also contains other 



The Spring Star Flower (Triteleia uniflora), a 

 pretty bulb for the shady border. 



frequently advised. 



chemicals which 

 make it a powerful 

 insecticide, and in- 

 deed few better sub- 

 stances can be had 

 for the borders. 

 Whenever lime in any 

 of the more active 

 forms, like quicklime, 

 slaked lime and the 

 like, is mixed with 

 soot the nitrogenous 

 matter is dispelled, 

 and its manurial 

 value reduced to a 

 minimum. For cer- 

 tain purposes, how- 

 ever, its insecticidal 

 and fumigant powers 

 are increased by the 

 admixture of lime, so 

 that the practice is 

 Remember, then, to 



apply the substances at different times when 

 the manurial properties are to be utilised. 



Poet's Narcissi, which may be freely grouped in partial shade. 



