Book excerpt: Did you know that banana skins, laid just below the surface of the soil, have long been said to be beneficial for roses, and that horticulturists now approve the practice? Or that mulching strawberries with pine needles will improve their flavor? Or that hollyhocks thrive on beer? Maureen and Bridget Boland have been collecting garden wisdom for many years, both from "old wives" and from books ancient and modern. In this charming little volume, they pass on the best of their store of useful and curious information. It will be seized upon with delight by all gardeners who are not afraid of finding a sprinkling of superstition mingled with much good sense.