Garden Notes 
garland-flower, because of the wreath-like charac¬ 
ter of its branches—is of low, spreading habit. 
Early in spring, and at intervals thereafter through¬ 
out the season, it bears a profusion of soft pink flow¬ 
ers, as fragrant as they are beautiful. Because of 
its low growth it should be given a place near the 
path, or in the foreground of taller shrubs. If given 
a place where it can have an evergreen for a back¬ 
ground, it will be more effective than when planted 
in an exposed position. 
All shrubs ought to be carefully pruned each sea¬ 
son. There will be weak branches that need re¬ 
moval. If thick, there should be a good deal of 
thinning out done, to admit of a free circulation of 
air, and give the inner branches an equal chance 
with those on the outside of the bush. If any branch¬ 
es have suffered in winter, they should either be 
wholly cut away, or cut back to sound healthy wood. 
If there is lack of symmetrical development, shear 
away the too rank growth until the plant is brought 
into proper shape. But beware of going to the ex¬ 
treme of shaping it into a formality and primness 
which will be quite as bad as the plant’s own mis¬ 
take in developing branches where none were need¬ 
ed, or of making luxuriant growth, in places, at the 
expense of other branches. 
But, know your shrub before you prune it. By 
that I mean this: Be sure not to cut back, at 
this season, such plants as the lilac, whose buds 
were formed last fall, for, if you do so, you destroy 
the crop of bloom in proportion to the thorough¬ 
ness of your pruning. Let such plants bloom and 
then prune them. Spring pruning is for shrubs 
which make some growth of branch before they 
bloom, like the rose. 
All shrubs ought to have the grass hoed away 
from them early in the spring, and a liberal amount 
of fine manure worked in about their roots. Barn¬ 
yard manure is best of all, if you can get it, but if it 
is not obtainable, commercial fertilbers can be used 
with good result. To keep a shrub in good condition 
for a term of years, it must be fed well each season. 
A lady asks what I use to keep insects from destroy- 
ENGLISH HAWTHORN IN FULL BLOOM 
ing roses. My standby in the insecticide line is 
the ordinary Ivory soap of household use, half a cake 
melted and added to a pailful of water. Apply the 
infusion with a garden sprayer, being careful to get 
it to the underside of the leaves. I do not wait for 
the insects to come, but take it for granted they are 
coming, and treat my plants as if they were already 
there. In this way I prevent their gaining a foot¬ 
hold on my plants. It is the “ounce of prevention” 
that is “worth a pound of cure.” 
