HOW TO BEGIK. 15 



the tops are dying or have died down. It is hard to col- 

 lect the plants in the spring, because they look so much 

 like other plants as they are coming through the ground 

 that it is hard to distinguish them, and it is difficult to 

 remove them at this season without injury to the small 

 rootlets that have been produced before the leaves 

 appear. It is better to transplant wild plants in the 

 fall, when the roots are ready for a rest and are not 

 nearly so likely to be injured, besides being much more 

 easily found. It is better to transplant autumn-gathered 

 plants at once than to keep them until spring, although 

 this may be done without trouble or fear of greater loss 

 than when set in the fall. In storing, plunge the roots 

 in damp, not moist or wet, earth in a cool place where 

 they cannot dry out. 



An easy way to get a large number of roots in a 

 small space, and without danger of injuring them, is to 

 stand an open box, a soap box is a handy size, upon 

 end and tilt it slightly back by putting a brick under 

 the front. Put in a layer of fine earth an inch or so 

 deep at the end, and lay a row of roots upon it so that 

 they do not touch each other. Cover these with earth 

 and put in the next layer of roots ; so on until the box 

 is full. Always take care to prevent the roots from 

 touching one another, as contact will hasten the spread- 

 ing from plant to plant of any decay that may commence. 

 When full, set the box upon its bottom, and fill in any 

 looseness in the packing by adding more soil. When 

 finished, the roots will be in their natural position. 

 Store in a root cellar, separate from the dwelling, if pos- 

 sible, although a house cellar will do if it is not too 

 warm. If the roots become dry they will not grow. If 

 stored in a cool, moist place, such as a root cellar or pit, 

 do not water them, as this might induce rot. Do not 

 let them freeze, for though they will stand a low tem- 

 perature when properly protected in the forest, they are 



