g in as soon as spread. It is a very unwise
plan to spread manure on the land and let it lie, as in such cases, much
of the strength of the manure is lost. Young gardeners should be very
careful in preparing and collecting manure, and also when they are
moving it from the pits to the ground, they should take care and not
soil their paths.

GARDENING TOOLS.

It is quite necessary that a young gardener should have proper tools. He
should have a small but strong _spade_, a small but strong _rake_, a
digging _fork_, a _hoe_, a _trowel_, a good _pruning-knife_, a _box_ for
seeds, a little _wheelbarrow_, a _line_, and above all, a little
gardener's _apron_, and a _straw hat_ with a _broad brim_. Thus
equipped, he may commence his gardening operations with great comfort to
himself and some chance of success.

DIGGING.

The young gardener should practise digging, with a view to digging well.
In beginning to dig a piece of ground, he should first clear it of all
sticks, stalks, or stones, that might impede his labor. He should then
commence at one end of the ground, with his back to the sun, if
possible, and, beginning from the left-hand corner, dig one line all the
way to the right-hand corner, either one or two spades deep, as may be
required. The ground should be turned over, evenly laid up at the top,
nice and level, and the weeds completely buried. The operator should dig
carefully when near the roots of gooseberry, currant, raspberry, or
fruit trees, and more carefully still, among flowers. If digging early
in the season, he must mind he does not dig into his _bulbs_; such as
lilies, tulips, snow-drops, crocuses, or daffodils, and cut them to
pieces.

In the latter part of the year, in November and December, it is a good
plan to dig up any unoccupied ground into ridges, and leave it in that
state during the winter, that the frost may act upon it. The effect of
frost upon the ground so prepared is very beneficial, as it breaks the
clods and pulverizes the more cloggy portions, which fall down in a thaw
as a fine soft mould. When manure is dug into the ground, it should not
be dug in too deeply, about four or five inches being quite sufficient
in most cases.

WEEDING.

Gardens will always produce a great deal more than is wished for, in the
shape of various herbs, shrubs, and plants, called weeds; such as
dandelions, couch-grass, cow-parsley, chick-weed, and many other plants,
which go by the general name of