100 GARDENS AND THEIR MEANING 



to grow. An old hand would consider this a great joke ; he 

 would be tempted to remark that if her idea was to bury 

 seeds and then simply linger about, her best crop would 

 consist chiefly of great expectations. 



Experienced gardeners take this matter very seriously and 

 have a great deal to say about the care of crops at this stage. 

 "Tend the crop as you would tend pet animals," says one. 

 " Water and stir the soil as untiringly as a cook does her 

 kettle " are the words of another. But the bother of it ! And 

 after all, what difference does it make ? The gardener answers 

 that the surface of the land hardens and crusts over if it is 

 left untended. A hard soil that has begun to cake effectually 

 blocks the progress of the delicate seedlings which are try- 

 ing with all their might and main to push their tiny heads 

 through. More than this, it does not offer at all the right 

 consistency for soaking up rainfall and dew. Soil, above all 

 things, should be porous and spongy. If it fails in this, the 

 water (except, of course, in case of a heavy downpour, when 

 the earth cannot help getting drenched) quickly drains off into 

 the hollows, where it settles in puddles. In the meanwhile the 

 thirsty roots remain high and dry, and the water, all too soon, 

 evaporates and becomes nothing but a memory. 



Now roots have a wonderful way of seeking their water 

 supply. In whatever direction water may lie, their tendency 

 is to grow toward it. A deep source is an advantage, for the 

 deeper it is, be it natural or artificial, the more unfailing will 

 probably be the reservoir. The turn roots take, therefore, is 

 closely connected with the method of watering. Thorough 

 soaking means deep-striking roots, while surface watering 

 means shallow roots. This latter method of treating soil suits 

 weeds to perfection ; they want no better invitation. A mul- 

 titude of tiny seeds, as we know, are always lying dormant in 

 the dressing. Others, perhaps, have been flying with the wind 



