a winter-blanket of mature stable manure. The 

 holes should be deeply dug and if the ground is 

 poor, replace it with good soil enriched with old 

 manure. And do not fail to have them firmly 

 planted and ju^ as deep as they were in the 

 nursery. In the early Spring each bush should be 

 given a shovelful of rotted ^able manure well 

 worked into the soil all around them. 

 ^ One of the mi^akes so often made with the 

 lilacs, a mi^ake that should be avoided, is cutting 

 off the points of the delicate new young shoots. 

 This should never be done. 



^ I do not believe in pruning them at all during 

 the Winter. I think the only proper time to prune 

 them is diredlly after they have finished flowering, 

 for you know next year's flowers will be found on 

 this year's new shoots. Of course dead wood can 

 be removed at any season. 



^ I hope no amateur will fail to inspecft her lilac 

 bushes after they have flowered and observe if all 

 of the old flower panicles have been removed, and 

 if they have not, it should be done at once. For this 

 at the same time accomplishes the essential prun- 

 ing, and will result in a greater profusion of 

 flowers next year; larger and more vigorous bushes. 



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