50 HARDY PERENNIALS 
of both the soil and manure which each help by 
combination to form real plant food. 
Labelling 
It is always a pity to neglect to label plants, and 
it should be done at planting time lest it should be 
delayed until names are forgotten or the exact 
situation of a particular plant becomes mere guess- 
work. If no labels are used there is danger of 
disturbing roots which are completely dormant, and 
although at first one may be disposed to argue that 
names do not matter very much when the plants 
are just grown to make the garden gay, there is 
sure to come a time when a friend will ask the name 
of some plant, and the absence of a label will be 
regretted. 
As to whether plants should be watered at time 
of planting must depend upon the condition of the 
soil and the state of activity or inactivity of the 
plants. 
In the first place, it is never wise to transplant, 
nor even to dig when soil is in a sodden state, nor 
can a plant make fresh root if the soil about it is 
made too wet and pasty by watering. There must 
be access for a certain amount of air into the soil 
otherwise no root action can take place, and whether 
plants be newly potted or put into the open ground 
they always make fresh root quicker in a moderately 
dry soil than that which is excessively wet. When 
it is necessary for planting to be done in very dry 
