26 
ladies’ flower gardener. 
Mildew and blight infest roses and honey-suckles, Soap-suds 
thrown over rose bushes; heavy waterings with tobacco-water, 
or the water in which potatoes have been boiled, is successful in 
a degree, but the best way is a very troublesome one to perse¬ 
vere in. Pinch every leaf well which curls up, by which you 
may know a small maggot is deposited therein. By so doing 
you destroy the germ of a thousand little monsters. 
Mildew and blight come from the east; therefore honeysuckles 
should be sheltered from that aspect; for, as they rise, and spread 
widely, they are not so manageable as a rose-bush. A mass ot 
luxuriant honeysuckles is beautiful to the eye and delicious in 
fragrance : but covered with mildew, it is a blackened and miser¬ 
able object. Mildew, fortunately, does not make its appearance 
every spring; but once in four or five years it comes as a plague, 
to desolate the garden. A great deal may be raked away it 
taken off as soon as it spreads its cobwebs over these lovely 
flowers ; but it should be done without delay. 
I cannot lay too great stress upon the neatness in which a 
lady’s garden should be kept. If it is not beautifully neat, it is 
nothing. For this reason, keep every plant distinct in the flower¬ 
beds ; let every tall flower be well staked, that the wind may not 
blow it prostrate ; rake away dead leaves from the beds, and 
trim every flower-root from discolored leaves, weeds, Ac.; re¬ 
move all weeds and stones the moment they appear, and cleai 
away decaying stems, which are so littering and offensive to the 
eye. There is always some employment of this kind for ever/ 
week in the year. 
Old iron rods, both large and small, are to be procured cheap 
at the ironmongers. These old rusty rods, painted green, or lead 
color, are excellent stakes for supporting flowers, and do not 
wear out. The slighter rods are very firm upright support ers 
for Carnations, Pinks, &c., while the taller and larger rods are 
