THE 



GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



AND 



HORTICULTURIST. 



DEVOTED TO HORTICULTURE, ARBORICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS. 



Edited by THOMAS MEEHAN. 



Vol. XIX. 



OCTOBER, 1877. 



Number 226. 



)LOWER KARDEN AND if LEASURE MROUND. 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Ground. — 

 Again we may call attention to the necessity of 

 having colored maps for the bedding plants of 

 next year, so that due preparation of the plants 

 during Winter may be made. In our country 

 we may use many hardy things very effectually 

 which will not make so much demand on green- 

 house and greenhouse care during Winter. 

 Very beautiful effects may be made by massing 

 shrubs, and these will not cost much. The 

 defect in most of our gardening experiences is 

 that the cost exceeds anticipation. Many of our 

 gardens are too large. See at this season how 

 the garden may be cut down so as to make the 

 balance more beautiful. 



One great want of American gardening is 

 good roads in Winter. It is next to impossible 

 to have them of gravel or other niaterial without 

 great expense. In many surburban places it is 

 now customary not to spend much on foot 

 paths, filling up with sand or any light material 

 which will make good walking for ordinary 

 weather ; and to depend on board walks, or 

 permanent paved ways for wet times. 



In few things in American gardening has 

 there been so much improvement as in lawn- 

 making. Sodding or laying turf is now only 

 used for bordering or where an immediate effect 

 is wanted. Sowing is generally practiced. The 

 grass seed may be sown in October. Green 

 grass (Blue of Kentucky) is the best. A little 

 rye may be sown with it in Fall, but not in 



Spring. Its use is to make a little shade to keep 

 the young plants from thawing out. It can be 

 mowed at once next year, but must not be 

 mowed close, one inch the first year is enough. 

 Weeds are often troublesome in a newly seeded 

 lawn, but if the green grass is not cut too close, 

 in two or three years it will crowd out most of 

 the weeds. 



There is probably no branch of gardening 

 more pleasing than that which embraces hardy 

 bulbs. They come into flower so early, and 

 grow with so little care, that every one may 

 grow them at a small cost. Of those which 

 may be planted this month are Hyacinths, 

 Tulips, Crocus, Narcissus, Japan Lilies, Ane- 

 mones. Ranunculus, Crown Imperials, Snowdrops 

 — among tiie better known varieties. All of 

 these prefer a soil that is rich and not dry, but 

 by no means a wet soil. The Tulip, Anemone 

 and Ranunculus will do better in a dryer soil 

 than the others ; but the two last do not do well 

 where the sun will shine directly on them when 

 in flower. In planting these in the flower beds, 

 it is well to set them so that Spring planted 

 flowers for- Summer bedding can go between 

 them. Where some loose litter can be had, it 

 may be used to cover the bulb-ground with. It 

 prevents thawing of the soil till the warm Spring 

 rain comes ; and we presume our readers know 

 that it i.s the repeated thawings which " draw " 

 the roots of things out in the late Winter 

 months, and leave them bare to the sun, and to 

 their great injury. 



Many kinds of hardy annuals flower much 



