ting. With this tool it is so easy to
make a hole, and to press the soil against the plant dropped in that
hole! But I believe that many of the failures in transplanting result
from the improper use of this tool. Unless the dibble be properly
operated the plant may be left suspended in a hole, the sides of which
are more or less hard and impervious to the tiny, tender rootlets that
strive to penetrate them. From my own observation of the use of this
tool, I believe that the proper place for the dibble in the novices
garden is in the attic, side by side with the "unloaded" shotgun, where
it may be viewed with apprehension.

[Illustration: Wooden Dibbles]

In spite of this warning, if anyone is hardy enough to use a dibble, let
him choose the flat style, not the round one. The proper way is to
thrust the tool straight down, at right angles to the direction of the
row, and press the soil back and forth with the flat side of the blade
until a hole, say 2 or 3 inches across and 5 or 6 inches deep, has been
formed. In the hole the plantlet should then be suspended so all the
roots and a little of the stem beneath the surface will be covered when
the soil is replaced. Replacing the soil is the important part of the
operation. The dibble must now be thrust in the soil again, parallel and
close to the hole, and the soil pushed over so the hole will be
completely closed from bottom to top. Firming the soil completes the
operation.

There is much less danger of leaving a hole with the flat than with the
round dibble, which is almost sure to leave a hole beneath the plant. I
remember having trouble with some lily plants which were not thriving.
Supposing that insects were at the roots, I carefully drew the earth
away from one side, and found that the earth had not been brought up
carefully beneath the bulbs and that the roots were hanging 4 or 5
inches beneath the bulbs in the hole left by the dibble and not properly
closed by the careless gardener.

I therefore warn every dibble user to be sure to crowd over the soil
well, especially at the lower end of the hole. For my own part, I rely
upon my hands. Digits existed long before dibbles and they are much more
reliable. What matter if some soil sticks to them; it is not
unresponsive to the wooing of water!

LOCATION OF HERB GARDEN

In general, the most favorable exposure for an herb garden is toward the
south, but lacking such an exposure should not deter one from planting