SPADEWORK 
47 
forth, are at their best in late September and 
early October. But a border is not dug and 
trenched in a day, and one must be prepared 
to sacrifice some of the beauty of one’s garden 
in order to get in the precious plants before 
heavy rain or hard weather sets in. In 
November delays are bound to occur, for 
though trenching may be done in the rain, 
planting cannot be undertaken until the soil 
has dried and settled somewhat, lest it get 
sticky, and lose that friable quality so valuable 
to root-growth. This does not apply to plant- 
ing a stray plant or so, which with proper 
care can be done really at almost any time. 
In hot, dry weather, if a cc treasure ” has to 
be put in at once, the best way is to make a 
hole of the desired size and water the hole 
well, then plant the treasure firmly, watering 
it afterwards ; and, last of all, draw some fine 
dry soil over the surface, keeping the moisture 
in thereby. Stirring the surface gently with 
a hoe in dry weather is better than watering, 
which cakes the soil and prevents evaporation. 
If watering has to be done, a good plan is to 
give a thorough soaking and then mulch with 
peat-moss litter. The mulching also keeps 
the weeds down. In the drought of 1911 a 
splendid bed of phloxes was kept going by 
