The Garden Under Glass

270 THE GARDEN UNDER GLASS Short pieces split into four come handy for staking short stuft Other stakes, such as hazel, can often be got from a wood, or bought cheaply. If a privet hedge be allowed to grow somewhat before being clipped, it will afford useful stakes for a variety of purposes, if the leaves be stripped off and the bark peeled from that part which is to be beneath ground. The economic amateur gardener will find a use also for the prunings of apple and pear trees. The best materials for tying are tar-twine and raffia grass. The former may be had in various sizes, and the latter, which is an improvement on the old bass matting, can be cheaply bought in bundles. Raffia tape, which can be bought in reels, does not fulfil all the advantages claimed for it, and is not likely to come into general use. Carpet thread will be found of service when it is especially desired to make the tying material invisible. Green twist is also a good tying material. How to Tie Plants Simple as it may seem, it takes some time to get into the way of tying plants securely, neatly and quickly. Almost every young man whom I have initiated into the gentie art of tying has given an affirmative answer when asked if he could tie a knot; but they all failed to do it without a lot of finger-fumbling, and usually ended in making a granny’s knot instead of a reef knot. The raffia may be split according to the strength of the subjects to be tied, or according to the strain to which it is likely to be sub-jected. It may then be deftly twisted in the fingers to reduce its apparent size and increase its strength, and after the tie has been made the raffia should be cut so that the remaining ends are less than a quarter of an inch in length. In cases where the tie is likely to slip down it is advisable