349 



SEPTEMBER. 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR THE FLOWER 

 GARDEN, SHRUBBERY, AND GREENHOUSE. 



Auriculas. — These must be ex- 

 amined, their dead leaves picked 

 olf, the frames cleaned out, and 

 the pots arranged for the winter. 

 They may have all the air that 

 can be given by taking the lights 

 partially or altogether oti" on ail 

 dry days. They must be shut 

 down in heavy rains, because we 

 must begin now to be sparing of 

 water; not to let them get quite 

 dry, but not to give them any 

 water while they are at all moist. 

 The less water they have, so they 

 but keep alive, the better until 

 they begin to grow again. Seed- 

 lings must be examined, as well 

 as offsets, and all that are crowded 

 and large enough to pot singly 

 must be placed in small pots, one 

 in a pot. Seedlings that have been 

 pricked out many in a pot may 

 be replanted half the number in 

 a pot. 



Carnations and Picotees. — As 

 the layers of these plants get well 

 rooted they must be cut oil' the 

 old plants, and be putted in clean 

 loam, without dung, and if the 

 loam you have be too stitf mix 

 two-thirds of it with one-third 

 peat, if you have it good ; and it 

 not, put instead of it as much 

 sand as will open the pores a 

 little, for the less excitement 

 these plants have during the 



winter months the better. These 

 should be two in a pot of the size 

 forty-eight, and when watered, to 

 close the earth about their roots, 

 they shottld be placed in a frame 

 on a very dry bottom. The best 

 way to ascertain whether the 

 layers are struck is to scrape the 

 earth away from the upper part 

 of the stem of the layer, and draw 

 up the peg. If the layer is pretty 

 firm in the soil it is rooteel, and 

 should be cut off the old plant as 

 near the main stem as may be, 

 because whatever is useless can 

 be cut off afterwards. Having 

 severed the layer from the plant, 

 thrust a trowel or a wooden spud 

 into the soil, so as to raise the 

 earth and roots together without 

 breaking the tender fibres ; then 

 with a sharp knife cut off all the 

 stem below the part rooted, and 

 pot them near the sides of the 

 pot, opposite each other. Let 

 each put contain a pair of the 

 same sort. On no account pot two 

 different varieties in the same pot, 

 for it leads to occasional mistakes. 

 The closer the stem below the 

 root is cut off to the joint next the 

 root the belter, for there is less 

 chance of rotting. 



Dahlias. — Place extra stakes 

 where they are necessary to sup- 

 port the growing branches, for the 



