516 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



and Blackberries that have borne their fruit, 

 and thin out the young shoots to three or four 

 canes to each hill or plant. If tied to stakes 

 and topped when four or five feet high, they will 

 make stronger canes for fruiting next year. 



Vegetable Garden. — All planted crops 

 should be hoed deeply and kept free from weeds. 

 Such herbs as are now in flower may be dried in 

 a shady place for winter use. Buta-baga Tur- 



nips sown last month will require thinning, and 

 the various soft varieties, such as Eed Top 

 Strap Leaf, White Globe, White Egg, etc., and 

 Radishes for winter use, may be sown up to the 

 end of the month. Onions will in most sections 

 now be ready for harvesting. This condition 

 will be known by the tops becoming yellow and 

 falling down. They are best dried by being placed 

 in some dry shed in thin layers. (See " Onions.") 



SEPTEMBER. 



Gkeen-house and Window Plants. — To- 

 ward the end of the month, in many sections 

 of the country, the various green-house plants 

 will require to be housed, care being taken to 

 keep them as cool as possible during the day. 

 Plants that have been plunged out during sum- 

 mer will require to be examined as to drainage, 

 and receive a top-dressing of good, rich soil ; 

 many of them may require shifting into larger 

 pots, though this should have been attended to 

 last month. Cuttings of plants required for next 

 season's use should now be made, as fall root- 

 ed cuttings generally bloom more freely than 

 winter struck plants, and are preferable to old 

 plants. This is true of what is known as bed- 

 ding plants, such as Geraniums, Fuchsias, "Ver- 

 benas, Heliotropes, etc. ; but with Eoses and 

 other plants of a woody nature, larger plants 

 are usually the best. Roman Hyacinths, Early 

 Tulips and other Dutch bulbs should be planted 

 as soon as received, especially for an early crop, 

 and seeds of Pansies, Daisies, Mignonette, 

 Sweet Alyssum, Candytuft, etc., should now be 

 sown, and Chrysanthemums should not be 

 pinched back later than the first of the month. 



Flower Garden. — The general routine of 

 work recommended for last month will suffice 

 for this. Lawns, grass edgings and walks kept 

 neat and tidy, improve the appearance of the 

 garden tenfold. Cuttings of all bedding plants 

 may now be taken off without injuring the effect 

 of the beds, and generally make stronger and 

 better plants for the following season if struck 

 early.' Violets that are wanted for winter will 

 now be growing freely, and the runners should 

 be trimmed off as recommended for Strawberries 

 last month. French and African Marigolds, 

 Cosmos, Single and Double Dahlias and other 

 autumn flowering plants are now at their best, 

 and should be staked and tied up as they re- 

 quire it. This is the best fall month for sowing 

 lawn Grass for new lawns, though by careful 



preparation of soil and rolling, new lawns can 

 be made in any month from end of March to 

 beginning of November. 



Fruit Garden. — All transplanting should be 

 done as early as practicable ; it is not necessary 

 to wait till all the leaves are off before doing so. 

 If the roots have been badly mutilated, reduce 

 the head proportionately, cutting away what- 

 ever may not mature, and see that the earth is 

 well packed about the roots. If not already done, 

 attend to Blackberries, Raspberries ajid other 

 small fruits as recommended last month. New 

 plantations of Strawbeny plants may still be 

 made from the runners that have been layered 

 in pots. The sooner in the month they are 

 planted, the stronger they will be for next 

 season's crop. These plants will soon make 

 runners, which must be trimmed off to throw the 

 strength into the crowns for next season's fruit- 

 ing. 



Vegetable Garden. — The main crop of Spin- 

 acfh and Sprouts for spring use may now be sown, 

 and early Celery banked up fully, while even the 

 latest planted should be "handled" so as to 

 have it in close-together heads when placed in 

 winter quarters. (See "Celery.") Early sorts of 

 Turnips may yet be sown, though there is little 

 chance of their being a full crop. Onions that 

 were not harvested last month should now be 

 attended to or they will not amount to much. 

 Seeds of Cabbage, Cauliflower and Lettuce to 

 raise plants to be placed in cold-frames should 

 be sown in this latitude from the 10th to the 

 20th of this month, and when large enough to 

 handle, pricked off into cold-frames two to three 

 inches apart for the winter, although this plan 

 is little used now, the plan being to sow for 

 early plants in January and February'. (See 

 "Cabbage" or "Cauliflower.") Late sown Beets, 

 Carrots, etc., will now be coming in, and are 

 the more valuable on account of their sweet- 

 ness and tenderness. 



OCTOBER. 



Green-hotj.se and Window Plants. — As the 

 season advances it becomes necessary, espe- 

 cially North, to house all tender plants, for 

 w^hich, of course, preparations have already 

 been made. Unless the nights become cold 

 enough to chill the plants inside of the house, 

 they are better without fire heat, though the 

 green-house at this season should never be 

 allowed to fall below fifty degrees at night. 

 When there is indication that the night is likely 

 to be cold, let down the sashes that have been 

 raised for ventilation early in the afternoon, 

 and thus shut up the heated air until next day. 

 If the thermometer falls to forty or forty-five 

 degrees outside, a slight fire should be started 



in the green-house, as Roses, particularly at 

 this season, are easily hurt by a sudden chill. 



Carnations, Camellias, Azaleas and Roses will 

 do just as well, or even better if kept in a cold- 

 frame until the middle of November, thus giv- 

 ing them a rest before forcing begins. See that 

 all Camellias, Azaleas and other hard-wooded 

 plants are thoroughly clear of insects before 

 being housed ; it will make the -winter's work all 

 the easier. 



Flower Garden. — Unless in a very favorable 

 season, by the middle of the month frost has 

 cleared off all Dahlias, Marigolds, Cosmos and 

 other plants that make the autumn months so 

 gay. All the fall bulbs, such as Hyacinths, Tu- 



