OF PLANTS 



for it to make use of it; therefore its applica- 

 tion will injure rather than benefit. 



Allow the plant to stand still as long as it 

 wants to. It knows, better than we do, when 

 it has rested long enough, and you may be 

 quite sure that it will begin to grow again as 

 soon as it feels equal to the demands that 

 growth will make on it. Then — and not till 

 then — should larger quantities of water be 

 given. When active growth sets in it will 

 be safe to apply a fertilizer, but it should be 

 used with great discretion. Begin with small 

 quantities, and increase the amount as 

 development increases. 



A plant that has been allowed to rest will 

 have all the vigor of a young plant when it 

 gets down to work again, while a plant that 

 has been spurred to constant action by fre- 

 quent and copious applications of water and 

 fertilizer never appears at its best because for 

 it there is no best. What might have been 

 made its best is frittered away upon an effort 

 to keep it ahvays in prime condition, which 

 is impossible. 



Not all plants rest at the same time. Those 

 which do most of their work during the winter 

 generally stand still — or should be made to 



59 



