238 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



Work for the Month in the Garden 



SAMUEL GOLDING 



THE work in the garden after this date, that is. (hiring 

 August and Septemher. is of a routine nature, con- 

 sisting of harvesting the ripened crops and en- 

 couraging in every way the growth of the plants which 

 are for late Fall and Winter use. Plans should be made, 

 and seeds sown for next Spring's flower garden. Early 

 potatoes should be lifted as soon as they are ripe, and if 

 there are signs of decay among the tubers, they should 

 be placed thinly in a dry place with a little air-slaked lime 

 scattered over them. 



Harvest the onions as soon as the tops die off and the 

 bulbs are thoroughly ripened. After they are jnilled, 

 spread out to dry, turning thent over with a wooden rake, 

 being careful not to bruise the bulbs, as this will impair 

 their keeping quality. When dry, place in a dry airy shed 

 until they can be stored away for Winter. 



Celery will be growing apace and will need constant 

 attention from now on. Keep it free from weeds : pull 

 oft the suckers or basal growths, and see that it does not 

 suffer from drought. An occasional dusting of Scotch 

 Soot is beneficial, and a dressing of .some approved fer- 

 tilizer will help to maintain a rapid growth. Watch care- 

 fullv for the appearance of rust and spray immediately 

 with Bordeaux Mixture if signs of it are found. Earth 

 up some of the earliest at intervals, the amount of which 

 should be determined by the expected demands. 



Transplant lettuce and endive, and sow more string- 

 beans, for although it is late, should we have a warm Fall, 

 they may mature. Also sow French forcing carrots, beets 

 and turnips. In September prepare and sow in cold 

 frames for successional batches those vegetables above 

 mentioned, so that when frost threatens the sash can be 

 ])laced on for protection. As soon as the onion and the 

 early potato crops have been removed, this space makes 

 a good place for late spinach. The prickly seeded variety 

 is very good for this work as it is verv^ hardy. 



Sow cauliflower and cabba.ge in September for next 

 Spring's use, wintering it in the cold frame. 



Thin out seedlings from last month's .sowing when they 

 can be conveniently handled. At this time of the year 

 things grow ra])idlv and soon suffer if allowed to become 

 crowded. 



Tie up enough endive to blanch at intervals of about 

 ten days, to meet the demands for that time. If more 

 than can Ije used is tied, it may decay, especially so if the 

 climatic conditions are humid. 



Trans]>lant parsley into cold frames for Winter use. 

 Give the green cro])s a dressing of nitrate of soda. Thi.s 

 is an excellent stimulant but .should be used with caution. 



In many localities good farm yard manure is becoming 

 more and more difficult to obtain and each succeeding 

 year finds it less ])lentiful, with a corresponding increase 

 in price. Consef|uently the value of a cover cro]) is 1)eing 

 more ajjpreciated and is proving a good substitute. Wlun 

 the land is cleared of croi)s sow a mixture of rye and 

 "Hairy Vetch." This will soon make good growth and 

 if dug or i>loughed in next Spring, will ensure a good 

 supply of organic matter and nitrogen to the soil. 



Cut out all old wood from raspberry jilantations. 

 From now on and throughout the Fall until the first 

 killing frost, the flower garden will be ablaze with a 

 galaxv of color. The dahlia will be at luimc now ,ind 



should have every encouragement if we would have the 

 best. Dahlias should have an abundance of moisture with 

 some li(|uid manural waterings at intervals; if the weather 

 is dry, disbud early, tie and stake securely. See that 

 gladioli are ]>roperly staked, otherwise the spikes are 

 easilv ruined. Late asters, scabiosas and other annuals, 

 will repay attention of good staking where it may be 

 needed. This may be done early so that by the date of 

 blooming the stakes are quite hidden by the growths. See 

 that the beds and borders do not suft'er from drought 

 during August so thev will be carried on in good con- 

 dition throughout Sei^tember. 



Prepare the propagating liench to recei\-e cuttings of 

 stock for next year's bedding, including coleus, fuchsias, 

 heliotrope, hmtanas, alternantheras, and other soft stock. 

 .Sow pansies, English daisies for Spring bedding, and 

 also a full line of perennials in the cold frames for use 

 in the borders next Summer. 



Keep the rose beds free from weeds and spray with 

 Fungine if mildew is prevalent. Tie the ramblers in 

 position so they can have the full benefit of sun and air, 

 and that the wood may ])e thoroughly ripened as it will 

 then be in a better contiition to withstand the rigors of a 

 severe Winter. 



Any alteration in the peony garden should be done 

 carlv in September in order that the places can be pre- 

 l^ared now for the reception of the new .varieties, which 

 were probably ordered during peony time last May. 



The chaste Madonna Lily should be planted as soon as 

 possible for the best results. ]\Iany other varieties of lilies 

 are incomjiarable for garden decoration at this time. They 

 compel attention in almost any situation and are easy to 

 grow if the land is fairly well drained. They are partial 

 to leaf soil but impatient of strong manures. 



The bulbs also should be planted as soon as they are 

 received from the dealers, as they shrivel if ex{X)sed to 

 the air and their vitality becomes impaired. Order now 

 the bulbs from voiu- dealer for next Spring's display. If 

 notes were taken (Uu'ing the flowering time they will be 

 found of much value when .going over the lists, as mis- 

 takes of the past can be avoided if varieties and quantities 

 were noted. 



Early in September is a good time to move and replant 

 evergreens. The climatic conditions will necessarily have 

 some influence wlieii this shoulil lie il<ine, as it is a great 

 advantage if trans|)lanting can be accomplished during 

 showery or dull weather. They should not be allowed to 

 sufl'er from drought. Root action will soon commence 

 after careful planting at this date. 



This is a good time to carry out any renovating and 

 reseeding of lawns or making new lawns, as generally 

 there is more time to carry out the detail work than pre- 

 v.iils during the Spring rush. The ground should be 

 ploughed or dug over as early as |)ossible. This will .give 

 the weed seeds 'an ample opi>orlunily lo germinate and are 

 then easily killed by going over with the cultivator, (irade 

 and level the surface, raking it over to make it friable for 

 the reception of the .seeds. Choose a calm day f(n- sowing 

 as it is then easier to .get an even stand. 1 f w c have 

 showery weather germination is very ra])id, but if the 

 weather is dr\. ,irtifici;d watering should be resorted to 

 so that the lawn will be est;dilished before Winter comes. 



