104 GARDENS AND THEIR MEANING 



An inexorable garden law is, Never sprinkle. What the 

 earth craves is a thorough soaking, so that the moisture will 

 sink down far below the roots. The time to water is early in 

 the morning or in the evening, not in the blazing sun ; so 

 goes the good old rule. An expert gardener, however, who 

 is less bound by tradition, writes : " Water at any time that 

 the plants need it, only water thoroughly. When I am told 

 that watering under a noonday sun will burn up my plants, 

 I answer that my plants will certainly burn up if I do not 

 water them." This piece of advice is certainly comforting to 

 the school gardener, who may live some distance away and 

 who often finds it impossible to devote early morning or 

 sunset hours to the work. The point, however, upon which 

 everybody agrees seems to be that the wet surface must be 

 promptly mulched with dry earth. 



The mulch so often spoken of should be spread not only 

 over newly planted ground but around plants at all stages of 

 their growth. It frequently happens that the mulch put at 

 the base of young shrubs or trees consists of sawdust or coal 

 ashes. Weeds would certainly find cold comfort in a mulch 

 like this. In truth, such materials are pretty nearly weed 

 proof. Whatever the substance, however, the purpose is 

 always to keep the soil in prime condition, ready for taking 

 in moisture but not for parting with it. 



In connection with watering, a word may be said in favor 

 of a plant tonic which gives excellent results and yet costs 

 nothing. This is a liquid preparation of ordinary street ma- 

 nure, which is put into a jar or tub and covered with boiling 

 water ; after cooling, it is thinned to the color of tea and 

 used freely for watering. Under this treatment, plants shoot 

 up quickly and vigorously. 



Irrigation, as we know, is the wonderful means by which 

 farm lands are made independent of rainfall by being supplied 



