338 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



Protection will be needed during the Winter, but aspar- 

 agus starts early in the Spring, and by planting in the 

 Fall one gets advantage of an early start in the Spring. 



As the crops are cleared away every available piece 

 of ground should be sown down with rye; it not only 

 makes a pleasant ground cover during the Winter, and 

 prevents erosion, but is a valuable addition to the soil 

 when ploughed in the Spring. 



Onions and spinach may be sown for wintering over. 

 If rhubarb is thin, and goes to seed rapidly, it needs 

 resetting. Do it now in well manured soil. 



Winter celery still grows rapidly, and will need atten- 

 tion in the way of blanching by hilling, or otherwise. 



Lazi'iis and Flower Gardens. — The lawns should be 

 kept mowed right up to actual freezing ; don't neglect 

 this, or a straggling growth will be left which will prove 

 troublesome in the Spring, inasmuch as it dies back, and 

 makes the lawn unsightly. 



Remember to shut off the water from all exposed pipes 

 and drain them out, before they freeze up. Just as soon 

 as the frost blackens the dahlias, cut off the tops, dig up 

 the roots, and stre them in a dry cellar, in sand. 



Cannas are handled in the same manner, but they may 

 be stored without covering ; under the greenhouse bench 

 is a good place for them, though they may safely be 

 stored in the cellar. All tender plants of a bulbous 

 nature that cannot endure the rigors of Winter, such as 

 Caladiums, Tritomas, Gladiolus, Tuberoses, Montbretias, 

 had better be lifted and stored in the cellar. Extra fine 

 Sweet Peas may be had by sowing the seeds now. Of 

 course, protection is necessary, but they are worth the 

 effort. Boards set on edge, with a top board over these, 

 and the space between filled with dry leaves, and a good 

 covering of salt hay or long manure over this will gen- 

 erally be sf.fficient during the severest weather. 



Continue to plant bulbs as they arrive; also to reset 

 perennials that have become crowded. Give the flower 

 bed a thorough cleaning if you are not planning any 

 changes in it. Cut down all dead flowering stems, and 

 clean the spaces between the plants, leaving everything in 

 readiness for the mulching when the time comes to put 

 it on. 



Bay Trees, Hydrangeas, Oleanders. — Other decorative 

 plants of a like nature, should be placed where they can 

 be protected overnight, now that frosts are inevitable. 

 It is too early yet to put them into permanent quarters, as 

 they will get soft, and not winter w^ell. 



Summer bulbous plants, such as Aeluinenes, Gloxinias, 

 Begonias, Caladiums, etc., should now be fairly well dried 

 off, so that the pots may be placed on their sides, under 

 a bench in a cool greenhouse, free from drip. 



Tender water lilies must be brought in from the ponds 

 after the first killing frost and stored under the benches 

 in the greenhouse, until time for starting them into active 

 growth again next Spring. Tender aquatics that are not 

 tuberous must be brought in before freezing weather, 

 otherwise they will be destroyed. 



Frames. — Do not leave the frames empty and neglected 

 this Fall. Plants that have occupied them all Summer and 

 which are intended for winter flowering had better be 

 placed in the greenhouse. If put into service at once the 

 frames can be used for blanching celery, ripening up 

 tomatoes and melons, which are nearly mature, but not 

 quite ripe, at the first killing frost, and' developing partly 

 grown cauliflower to a larger size. Get the frames as 

 snug and tight as possible for the Winter by banking them 

 nearly up to the top. All cracked and loose glass should 

 be reset. Old sash ma\- be made quite snug and tight 

 by the use of liquid putty, which can be applied very 

 rapidly with a putty bulb, or by a hand machine made 

 for that purpose. Then place in the frames a good light 



friable soil. It will pay to put this in now; even if you 

 do not intend to grow anything in them this Fall, it will 

 be ready for spring planting. Do not use heavy clay soil 

 in the frames, as quick drainage is essential to success. 



One of the most easily grown, and by far the most 

 popular vegetable for the cold frames is lettuce. The 

 two varieties that can be most strongly recommended for 

 the amateur are Grand Rapids and Big Boston, both of 

 which do well at a low temperature. About fifty plants 

 can be put under each sash, but if this number is planted 

 at one time they should be of dift'erent sizes. Try and 

 locate the frames so that they can utilize some of the 

 surplus heat from the cellar window, and make a sowing 

 of lettuce every three weeks throughout the Winter. 

 Radishes are easily grown, and Crimson Globe gives good 

 satisfaction. It cannot be planted as closely as some of 

 the other varieties, because its foliage is larger. Make 

 the rows five or six inches apart, and sow the seed thin. 

 Spinach is a low temperature crop, and in a frame where 

 a mild temperature can be maintained, a crop of this 

 vegetable may be had from w'hat otherwise would be 

 wasted space. Chicory may be lifted from the open 

 ground, and jilanted to a frame, where it may be blanched 

 by darkening the sash. 



Pansies or other hardy biennials, started this Fall for 

 next Sunmier's growth, can be developed into more sturdy 

 plants by transplanting to a frame than if left in the open. 

 They will continue to thrive long after those in the open, 

 and will begin growth earlier in the Spring, and be in 

 vigorous condition for transplanting. Yet another way 

 of utilizing a spare frame is to pot up some good straw- 

 berry plants, and sink the pots half their depth in the 

 soil. They will continue to grow for some time with the, 

 protection of the frame. When hard freezing arrives 

 they may be protected v^^ith mulching, so that they will 

 not freeze hard, and then in the Spring they may be stim 

 ulated into active growth by the aid of a mild hot bed. 



Not infrequently it happens that in a batch of cauli- 

 flower plants from seeds sown at the same time, quite a 

 number lag behind in maturing. With a deep frame 

 available one can take up these late plants, which ver\ 

 often make fine heads, and save them from what would 

 otherwise be a total loss. Set them as close as practical 

 in the frame, wetting down the soil if at all dry. Keep 

 them shaded, and the half-grown heads will increase con- 

 siderably in size, and give some fine cauliflower out of 

 season — something that will be doubly appreciated because 

 of the scarcity of such plants then. Any frames that are 

 not to be used now, if manured and fertilized, will be in 

 the very best condition for spring planting, besides saving 

 a good deal of time at that busy season. 



Greenhouse. — In the greenhouse vegetables are being 

 grown more and more, and the first crops of Lettuce and 

 Cauliflower should now be ready for planting out into 

 the benches. Beans and Cucumbers may also be sown in 

 a warm house. The successful grower of vegetables 

 under glass must be able to judge his own needs to have 

 a continuous supply with a minimum of waste. No hard 

 and fast rule can be laid down. The easiest and best 

 insurance is to sow plenty of seeds always; the cost is 

 small and the returns great. Sow often, and you will 

 have on hand enough young plants to assure a continuous 

 supply. It is well to tap the tomato plants as one passes 

 them about the noon hour. This will usually be sufficient 

 to cause them to set. In very dull dark weather it may 

 be necessary to resort to hand pollination. 



Now, that ventilation is reduced and fire heat again a 

 necessity, a sharp lookout must be kept for insect pests. 

 Chrysanthemums will be showing color earlv this month, 

 and fumigation should be done thoroughlv just before 



