THE GARDEN GUIDE FOR OCTOBER. 



Kitchex Gardex. — Cleanliness -will 

 do wonders now for the present and the 

 next season. The more weeds, the more 

 seeds, and the less air ; so stir the ground 

 between all standing crops, and ridge up 

 the plots that are to be vacant all winter. 

 This is the best season for planting rhubarb. 

 Heap up manures and composts. Empty 

 the muck-pit, where the whole can be 

 turned two or three times before spring. 

 Plant August-sown cabbage and lettuce in 

 warm situations. Take up potatoes car- 

 rots, beets, and parsnips. Earth up celery. 

 Lay cabbages and hroceolis with their 

 heads to the north; fork over asparagus 

 beds, and mulch the crowns with rotten 

 dung. Get cauliflower plants under hand- 

 glasses. Tomatoes in pots not ripe should 

 be put under glass, and kept rather dry. 



Fruit Gardex. — New plantations of 

 gooseberries, currants, and raspberry 

 bushes may be made towards the end of 

 the month. Canes may be put in to in- 

 crease stock, and for this purpose two- 

 year-old wood is better than the shoots 

 of the season, if disbudded a foot or eigh- 

 teen inches from the base. Drain and 



trench the ground where fruit trees are 

 to be planted next month. Moss on apple 

 trees generally disappears when the ground 

 is drained. Root pruning and planting 

 may be commenced the last week, but 

 root pruning should only be resorted to 

 in the case of over-luxuriant, unfruitful 

 trees. 



Flower Gardex. — Train out chrysan- 

 themums in pots, give plenty of water and 

 liquid manure. Plant hyacinths, tulips, 

 crocuses, scillas, crown imperials, liliums, 

 gladioli, narcissus, jonquils, daffodils, and 

 snowdrops. Part perennials in the borders; 

 get auriculas and carnations under glass 

 for the winter, but give plenty of air. 

 Remove decaying leaves; keep walks and 

 lawns tidy. 



Greenhouse and Stove. — Use fire 

 heat in the greenhouse only to dissipate 

 damp. Remove shading, give plenty of 

 air, and fumigate at once if any sign of 

 vermin. Plants to bloom during the 

 winter should have the best places. Re- 

 duce the heat among pines. Keep the 

 air very dry where grapes are hanging. 

 Bottom heat for pines 85°; 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



The Earwig Pest. — Sud-brook's apricots 

 have been destroyed by earwigs this 

 season, not one of which has not been 

 more or less eaten, and some altogether 

 destroyed. Neither peaches, nectarines, 

 nor plums of various sort*, although on the 

 same walls, have been touched by them. 

 Will it be necessary to take any pre- 

 cautions against them for another year ? 

 — [There is but one way to deal with 

 earwigs, and that is to hunt and trap 

 them, in detail. Suppose we begin this 

 season, with a view to save next year's 

 crop. The first thing will he to unnail 

 the trees as soon as the leaves are down, 

 and well brush the wall. If it wants 

 repointing, the doing it this season 

 would be very beneficial. The cleansing 

 of the wall will sweep away myriads of 

 eggs, and that is one step towards saving 

 next year's crop. The next business 

 will be to begin trapping at the end of 

 April, and trapping is the only reliable 

 mode of getting rid of earwigs. Bean- 

 stalks may now be found in the kitchen- 

 garden, and a few might be saved for 

 traps. The pea-shcoters which boys 



use as playthings make admirable traps. 

 So do little tufts of dry paper, crumpled 

 up and thrust in next the wall. Any- 

 thing dry and dark will entice earwigs, 

 especially if they have to ascend to it. 

 Plenty of syringe, or engine on the trees 

 all next summer will do some good, but 

 SudbrooTc must trust chiefly to traps and 

 vigilance.] 

 Vallota, agapanthus, Anomatheca. — 

 I should be glad if you would inform me 

 of the proper culture of Vallota purpurea, 

 and also of Agapanthus umbellatus. 

 The Vallota I purchased last summer 

 did not flower. It has grown on this 

 year, being fully exposed to the sun, 

 and well supplied with water ; has been 

 repotted once into fresh loam, peat, and 

 rotted dung. Agapanthus was bought 

 in flower last year. It burst its pot in 

 the autumn, and was repotted. There 

 are no signs of blossom. Can I grow 

 seeds of Anomatheca cruenta ? Soms 

 I allow to ripen in my window. The 

 plant is the best bulbous flower I have 

 had ; never fails to bloom ; increases 

 yearly by its offsets, which never die. I 



