GARDENING FOR LITTLE GIRLS 
garden, coax some one stronger than yourself to 
dig up the ground thoroughly, and spade in some 
fertilizer—preferably farmyard manure. Plants 
live on the tonic salts they draw out of the soil 
through their roots, as much as they do on the car- 
bonie acid gas which they take out of the air 
through their leaves. So have the ground nour- 
ishing, and also nicely pulverized and free from 
sticks and stone, that the little rootlets can easily 
work their way through and find their needed nu- 
triment. 
Never forget that third rule before mentioned,— 
“*Preserve open lawn centers.’? A beautiful lawn 
is as satisfying to the eye as flowers, so never spoil 
one by cutting it up with beds. They can be put 
along the sides, used for bordering walks, and 
nestled close to the house. 
PLAN FOR SMALL BACK YARD 
One of the loveliest gardens I know is at the back 
end of a city lot, not more than thirty feet square, 
with a plot of velvety grass in the center. The ir- 
regular border surrounding this bit of lawn is a 
mass of flowers from earliest spring until black 
frost,—from March until December,—and delights 
the whole neighborhood. The secret lies in the fact 
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