June . 
83 
A little three-pronged fork is the most useful 
tool in this month, because with it you can so 
nicely loosen the upper soil just round the root of 
a plant, or draw out a weed from some corner in 
a bed. 
Watering, too, is a daily delight in June, and 
can hardly be too complete, a thorough washing 
does the plants so much good. 
Tying up all the plants that require support is 
another process, in which our winter’s supply of 
sticks will be extremely useful, and pegging down 
Verbenas, and Roses, and Petunias on the ground 
will give us work in abundance though there is 
not much to say about it. The long straggling 
branches that would look wild and ugly are thus 
all made neat and quite to form a thick mat upon 
the ground, and at the joints where the plants 
touch the soil they generally put out roots, and 
become in this way ever so many plants. Pinks 
and Carnations are often thus increased this month, 
slits being made half-way through, just at a joint, 
and then a little soil put over it and a small 
hooked stick to keep the branch bent down. You 
should always choose however a sunny day for this 
work, because when the sun is shining the Pinks 
are flabby, and after rain they break very easily. 
Gr 2 
