90 THE LITTLE GARDEN 



one pound of tobacco-dust, mixing thoroughly; and enough water 

 to make five gallons. Apply to the roots of the plants, one teacup- 

 f ul at a time, being sure that the soil is well loosened around the 

 roots before pouring on the mixture. When you cannot get to- 

 bacco-dust, use tobacco-stems, soaking those till the water is very 

 brown, and then mixing with the lime-water. Begin these treat- 

 ments when plants are about six inches high in the spring; make 

 two or three applications for a week or two, then discontinue and 

 start again in two or three weeks, or when signs of the blight are 

 noticed. This is an admirable preventive of one of the worst evils 

 of the garden. For who can calmly survey the prospects of a gar- 

 den without the best blue of all the flowers that grow? The spray- 

 ing of lilacs when an apple tree is sprayed, and in the same man- 

 ner, is a practice to recommend, also; and the Japanese quince 

 should have the same treatment at the same time; for scale is the 

 foe of all these things. For directions concerning the proper spray 

 at the proper period for such subjects, I would refer the reader 

 again to Bailey. 



No good advice can be too carefully followed in the matter of 

 preparation of the soil for the flower-garden, and for the plant- 

 ing therein of trees, shrubs, and flowers. For the planting of trees 

 fine directions may be found in that place to which I am always 

 referring — the niu-sery list; for the planting of shrubs the same 

 holds good, though it is well to mention here Miss Tabor's em- 

 phatic statement, that she has seldom seen a hole to receive a 

 tree or shrub dug as it should be dug, the same size all the way 

 down. I can subscribe to this statement, too. Yet it is essential, 

 quite as essential, that roots of subjects to be set should not be al- 

 lowed to dry during transplating. For the flower-border deep dig- 

 ging the preceding autumn; the covering and working in of old 

 manure, from a cow-stable if possible; sprinkling the following 

 season (but never at a time when manure is added) with slaked 



