76 How TO Geow Cut Plowees. 



tion, and I cannot tell you better how a man comes into 

 possession of this art, for art it is if ever there was one. 

 Only general principles can be outlined. The applica- 

 tion of them to existing circumstances must be largely 

 at the discretion of the operator. 



During the summer and fall, the soil should be kept 

 in a good growing condition, not dry, neither should it 

 be saturated, for it must be remembered the soil is far 

 from being filled with working roots, and in their ab- 

 sence moisture cannot be as readily taken up as in the 

 spring when these conditions are different. Examine 

 carefulljr every bed each day and determine what it 

 needs. If the soil has a •' growing touch," if you can 

 close the hand upon it and upon. opening have the soil 

 retain its form as though it had been cast in a mould, 

 syringe only, letting the quantity of water used be gov- 

 erned by the character of the day. Never let your soil 

 get in such a condition that you can squeeze water from 

 it, not even a drop. This applies, of course, only to a 

 soil that has become sodden from too much water, not 

 to one recently watered. Occasionally let the benches 

 get a little dry, then on a bright day water well, re- 

 membering alwaj*, the more dense the foliage, and 

 the more the plants are bearing, the greater will be 

 the amount of moisture they will need and absorb. 

 On every bright day the foliage should be well syringed. 

 This should be done early in the day in order that it 

 may have sufficient time to dry should it become cloudy 



