FALL CARE OF LAWNS 



To have a beautiful lawn through the 

 summer special care must oe ta^en 

 in the fall. Close and frequent cutting 

 during the warm months gives the best ef- 

 fect, but when winter approaches it should 

 not be kept cut so close as it is well to have 

 considerable growth for protection during 

 the rigors of winter. If, however, it is al- 

 lowed to become too long there is danger 

 of it forming a close mat and damaging its 

 own roots. 



GOOD FERTILIZERS. 

 If the grass has lost its fine rich green 

 color or is becoming thin in places, fertiliz- 

 ers are required. Most landscape garden- 

 ers recommend adding a dressing of some 

 of the coarser fertilizers in the fall, while 

 others use a quickly soluble one in the 

 spring. A thorough dressing of rich cow 

 manure in the fall is as effective as any- 

 thing in producing the desired growth, but 

 the unsightly appearance and rank odor pre- 

 vent its common use. A fine compost is 

 claimed to be equally effective and has not 

 these objectionable features. Commercial 



lawn fertilizers are suitable but very expen- 

 sive. They are composed of salts of am- 

 monia, soda and potash, and these elements 

 can be secured for much less money in their 

 unmixed state. . Finely ground bone, fish, 

 ets., being slowly soluble, may be used late 

 in the fall or during winter when it will be 

 washed down amongst the grass with the 

 melting snows. 



" We do not cut the lawn much after 

 October," said Mr. E. F. Collins, of Allan _ 

 Gardens, Toronto, to a member of The 

 Canadian Horticulturist staff recently. 

 '■ The grass should be quite a length before 

 winter sets in so that the covering may pro- 

 tect the roots. If any fertilizers are to be 

 used it is best to apply them early in the fall 

 before frost comes so that they will have 

 worked down through the grass and pro- 

 duce a rapid growth in the spring. 



" The lawn should be kept perfectly clean. 

 If rubbish is left lying around and leaves 

 are allowed to collect, the grass is weakened 

 in a few days and a bare spot frequently re- 

 sults." 



Wintering Pansics 



^4 TH HERE are plenty of pansies grown," 

 X said Mr. P. Fogarty, of Fogarty & 

 Sons, Pape Avenue, Toronto, to a member 

 of The Horticulturist staff who visited his 

 place recently, " but the large grower must 

 have something better than the ' other fel- 

 low ' if he hopes to find a ready market. 



" Pansies like cool weather, and the best 

 quality of bloom is always produced on 

 thrifty plants late in the fall or early in 

 spring. With a good strain, a nice clay 

 loam, and plenty of work, it is not such a 

 difficult matter to winter the plants and have 

 an abundance of bloom before warm 

 weather comes in the spring. 



" We start the seeds outside and then set 

 the young plants in cold frames four inches 



apart each way. Some varieties come into 

 bloom much more quickly than others. Our 

 earliest usually show some bloom in the be- 

 ginning of October and then others follow 

 until the ground is frozen up. 



" When cold weather comes the sashes 

 are set on the cold frames to protect the 

 plants. In case we have not enough glass 

 to cover all the plants we spread straw over 

 them. The straw is equally effective but 

 gives far more work. In the spring as soon 

 as fine weather comes there is a profusion 

 of the finest bloom." 



Let plants such as the calla lily rest until 

 they show signs of growth and then shove 

 them as rapidly as possible. — (A. J. Frost, 

 Preston avenue, Toronto. 



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