Work for the Month of October 



By Henry Gibson. 



The Fluwek Garde.x. 

 As the notes are penned, the flower yarden ib in the 

 height of its glory. The geraniums \\ere never brighter, 

 the begonias have become miniature forests, and the 

 sahnas are hues and circles of fire amid the sombre colors 

 of approaching autumn. Tonight, Jack l-'rost mav throw 

 the first line of his advance guard' across the land, and 

 tomorrow there will be left only black ruin. W'hen this 

 occurs no time should be lost in cleaning off the old plants 

 and bulbs planted for making a display next Spring. Xo 

 manure is needed when preparing the beds for the bulbs, 

 in fact it is detrimental to their future welfare. In heav\ 

 soils a layer of sand placed beneath the bulbs would l.)e 

 beneficial. If the soil is very dry when planting is done 

 a good w^atering will greatly assist, the bulbs making roots 

 and l:ecoming established. 



The Peke.\.\i.\l Bokdeu. 



The work of rearranging and dividing the occupants of 

 the hardy border should be preceded with apace, so that 

 the plants may re-establish themselves before severe 

 weather arrives. When dividing the old plants it is a 

 good plan to force them apart by placing two digging- 

 forks back to back and forming a sort of lever. Less 

 damage is liable to be done to the roots by this method 

 than when they are severed with a spade. While on this 

 subject it might be well to mention a late flowering peren- 

 nial that is not seen as much as it merits. This is Salina 

 Azuna Cirandiflora, a [ilant growing five or six feet tall 

 and certainly of a pleasing shade of blue. When massed 

 and properly staked up, as the writer saw it last fall, it 

 certainly is worthy of a place in any collection. 



Dahlias and Cannas should be lifted as soon as frost 

 has blackened the foliage. The former keeps well when 

 wrapped in old newspapers and placed in barrels and 

 stored in a cool cellar. Canna roots should be lifted with 

 a nice ball of soil adhering and stored on shelves in a 

 frostproof shed or cellar. Under the bench of a carnation 

 house is a good place if one is available where there are 

 no heating pipes and free from drip. 



Lawns. 



There is a marked difl?erence in the growth of the lawn 

 at this writing, compared to what it has been all through 

 the summer. Movi'ing need not be so fretpient now, and 

 ere the month is out should be discontinued. The weather, 

 however, will be a deciding factor in this, should a warm 

 spell occur the grass may take on a secondary growth, 

 which if neglected will have to be paid for with interest 

 next spring. Grass that has been allowed to stand over 

 winter takes on a wire-like texture and is very difficult 

 to cut. JMoreover, it leaves a yellow unhealthy appear- 

 ance behind it. Edges of bed and walks should be neatly- 

 trimmed before operations cease for the season. The 

 present is a good tinie to relay turf. If the work is pushed 

 ahead the edges of the sods will have a chance to knit 

 together before the w-inter overtakes us. 

 The \"Er.ET.\BLE Gakdex. 



Now that severe frost is inevitable it would be well to 

 draw the soil well up round the stems of late cabbage and 

 cauliflciwers. This will help to keep them quite late. 

 Cauliflowers should have the leaves drawn over the heads, 

 to ])rotect then-i from frost and rains. 

 Celery. 



Just how to keep celery through the winter in the best 

 possible condition is a probleni that nearl)- all gardeners 

 have to contend with. One of the best methods that we 

 have seen is to dig a trench about two feet deep, four 



feet wide and long enough to accommoilate the quantity 

 of celery to be lifted and stored. (Jver this trench is 

 erected a span roof, of boards, with air vents here and 

 there. The root covered with straw and then a foot or 

 more of earth placed on top. Celer\- lifted and stored in 

 a st'-ucture like this is kept well all winter. 



LiETi.vG -\xi) Stoki.ni; Rikit Ckoi'.s. 



Carrots, beets and parsnips, should be lifteil during 

 favorable weather and stored away for the winter. Do 

 nut let them lay round on the garden to the drving in- 

 fluence of sun and winds for any length of time. The 

 (|uality is nut imprii\-c-il by such treatment. 



Th]-: (Ikeexhoi'ses. 



.\ close watch shduld be kept on the night temperature 

 'if the rose house. Though the nights are considerably 

 cnoler now, the sun during the day is still strong and 

 the thern-ion-ieter is bound to run up. Have the night 

 temperature just a few degrees above what it shoifld be 

 in mid-winter. Too great a dift'erence between night and 

 day temperatures is not conducive to the welfare of the 

 roses. Turn on the heat to ofifset the difference that the 

 cooler nights make and gradually work the iiight tempera- 

 ture down to a nornial one. 



.\ weaken.ed condition of carnation ])lants caused 1:)\- 

 too high a tem])erature is hard to overcome with the 

 short dark days of winter drawing near. In s]iring it 

 wouldn't matter so n-iuch, but at this time of the year keep 

 them as cool as possible, a little too low is better than too 

 high. As long as the mercury plays round the 50 mark 

 at night one isn't far wrong. Cleaning off yellow- leaves 

 should be attended to as should disbudding and remov- 

 ing the small side shoots. Watering should be done care- 

 fullv and onlv when reallv needed. Syringing should be 

 done as earlv in the morning as possible to allow the 

 plants to get dry before night. 



Feeding of chrysanthemums should be discontinued as 

 soon as the buds show color. Xo good purpose is served 

 1)\- giving stimulants when this occurs. In fact we believe 

 that when carried on too long feeding has a tendency to 

 cause dan-iping of the bloon-is at an early stage. Watering 

 should be no slip shod operation in the Mum house at this 

 time of the year. Let it be done as early as possible and 

 ipuh as recpiired for as the plants finish less water is taken 

 u]). -Ml su]:)erfluous water should be dried up before 

 nightfall. .\ heavy humid atmosphere is not what is 

 wanted as the moisture will condense on the petals of 

 the ex| landing flowers and cause them to damp oft'. In 

 the event of a spell of dull, wet, heavy weather, a little 

 heat in the hot water pipes with a crack air on all night 

 will help to carr\- awav surjilus n-ioisture. On the other 

 hand a light covering of whitewash on the glass will pre- 

 vent scorching in case the sun -hould be unusually strong 

 during the day. 



Cinerasias are now in vigorous growth and should 

 have everv attention from this on. A low temperature 

 and fullest light at this season is what cinerasias delight 

 in. Particular attention should be given to ventilation on 

 warm dull days to prevent soft flabby growth. C,ive them 

 a shift into larger pots before the\' becoiue pot bound. 

 Regular fumigation is necessary to keep down queen fly. 



Cvclamen. which have been grown in cold frames all 

 summer, should now be brought indoor.-.. A light, airy 

 l)ositiot-i near the glass, with a temperature around 56 de- 



.;rees at night's, suit cyclan-ien adn-iirably. .Alternate ap- 

 plications at root and weak liquid maiuire water is very 

 beneficial, especially if the pots are full of roots. 



