best and safest for this purpose, though cow manure answers very well. These are both rather oderous in solution, and some persons prefer chemical fertilizers, which can be had without odor. Great care should be taken in their use, for they are often dangerous from being stronger than they appear.

The most important preparation of the borders consists in digging them deeply and thoroughly and breaking up the earth. It is usually profitable to give personal supervision to this work, otherwise, when planting, one is apt to find a mere turning of the surface soil deftly covered by neatly raked earth. While the borders are being thus prepared it is well, in most beds, to have a liberal supply of manure worked in. Few gardens are overdone with manure, and most plants enjoy good food. Some plants do not require high feeding, and bulbs must not come in contact with manure. Bulbs, however, may be planted in rich soils if they are enveloped in liberal supplies of clean sand.

Unlike potted plants (reference to which will be made when treating of the conservatory) those in the open are growing under natural conditions. Plants require warmth and moisture to make good growth and special soil is a secondary consideration. The favorite plants usually cultivated in gardens properly planted in borders, as suggested, require very little attention from the gardener. The way not to plant is to gather the roots into a ball, and having scratched out a small hole set the plant in loosely, draw up the earth, and splash all with water. The careful gardener "plants with a spade," i.e., he disturbs the earth well and makes a good-sized hole. Then her gently separates the roots and spreads them out carefully, covers in and around them with fine soil, fills all in, compacting earth over the roots, waters thoroughly, and then draws dry, fine earth

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to the plants for a mulch. If it is a tender - leaved plant he shades from sunlight till it appears to regain vigor. Thereafter it will probably grow, if let alone, unless it is thwarted by neighboring weeds and grasses. There are certain little attentions often required by plants in the way of extra water, manure, training, or tying up. Such points are soon discovered by careful observation.

There are no mysteries or secrets about plant culture. One should use. the intelligence exercised about other mundane affairs, and it will be helpful to fancy that plants have certain human traits and habits. A lady, who is a physician and very fond of her garden, lately asked me what she should do for some of her plants. They were very weak and halting, she said, and she had given them strong manure in hope of starting them. She smiled rather painfully when asked if she fed strong food to her weak patients. Rightly considered, there is a page of cultural hints. in that anecdote. The fact is, one cannot "push a button" and have a garden. It requires thought and study and some experiments. If some plants are failures, there has been a certain amount of pleasure in the trial, and we know that the most skilful gardeners have their graveyards.

In these days of voluminous catalogues one can get a very fair idea of the habit of ordinary plants, and usually some hints as to any special treatment required. Most flowering plants need all the light that can be given them, and there are few, like the Lilies of the Valley and Vinca, which will thrive in partial shade.

If we have rather dry places, we must look to the Nasturtiums, Portulaccas, Ice Plants, etc., to fill them satisfactorily.

Plants that are vigorous growers and require much moisture must have