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THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



[Jutie. 



garden are portable ; hence, with little trouble, they can meta- 

 morphose their gardens as often as they choose, with as much 

 ease as they can alter the arrangement of the furniture in their 

 houses. 



DRESSING THE FLOWER BORDERS. 



The borders of the flower garden must be carefully attended 

 to, and no weeds allowed to make their appearance ; they 

 ought to be repeatedly hoed and raked, whether there be 

 weeds in them or not, to give an air of cheerfulness and neat- 

 ness to them. The oftener this operation is carried into etfect, 

 the less trouble will be given. All decaying branches or 

 plants should be removed, and the plants regulated and tied 

 up before the borders are finished ; the edgings, if of box, 

 ought to be new cut, or, if of turf, should be gone over with the 

 edging-iron, and cut neatly and fairly. The grass should be 

 kept well mown and rolled, and no litter allowed to be seen 

 within the boundary of the garden. The gravel walks, if any, 

 should be regularly picked, hoed, raked, and rolled. 



PRUNING ROSES. 



Many of the more delicate and fine French roses are apt to 

 die at the points of the shoots, when pruned in winter or early 

 in spring. To remedy this evil, a second pruning of the 

 tender shoots should be now performed, or when the flowers 

 flide. In the same manner as in winter pruning, all dead and 

 decaying wood should be cut out, and those shoots which have 

 done flowering, should be shortened back to a healthy strong 

 bud ; but those shoots, the buds of which have not yet flow- 

 ered, may be left unshortcned till the end of September or the 

 beginning of October. Some prune all their best roses at this 

 time, and tlieir common sorts in winter, in the usual way. 



