TIMELY TOPICS FOR THE AMATEUR. 



387 



sailor," etc., makes a very pretty, effective 

 and easily g-rown plant for a hanging pot or 

 basket. A nicely g^rown specimen of this 

 plant, especially when in flower in summer, 

 has a pleasing appearance suspended in 

 a window. Othronna crassifolia suc- 

 ceeds best in a hang-ing- pot or basket in 

 winter. 



Roman hyacinths bulbs may be potted 

 two or three in a four inch pot at intervals 

 of a week or two. By potting a few bulbs 

 at a time at intervals, a succession of these 

 useful and frag'rant flowers can be had from 

 October until April if required. For culture, 

 see pag'e 456, November, 1899, Canadian 

 Horticulturist. Cuttings of g-eraniums, etc. , 

 can also by taken as recommended in the 

 above mentioned number of this journal. 



Avoid using- larger pots than is necessary 

 for wintering plants in ; over potting-, espec- 

 ially in winter, has proved fatal to many a 

 pet plant. Use plenty of drainage when 

 potting plants for winter eff"ect. Water thor- 

 oughly all plants when water is required. 

 Commence operations against insect pests 

 early. Prevention is better than cure. 



Flower Garden. — ^Asters and other late 

 flowering- annuals will be at their best during- 

 this month. A little weak liquid manure 

 once or twice a week will help the dahlias, 

 if the plants are not robust and strong-. 



German iris and paeonies may be divided 

 and planted out toward the end of the month 

 or early in October, as the rush of spring- 

 work often prevents these from beingf planted 

 out early enoug-h in spring- to g"ive flowering 

 results the same season. A lig-ht mulch, 

 applied late inthe season will help thepaeonies 

 through the winter. 



Japanese lilies growing- in the open bor- 

 der should still be making a showy display 

 early in the month. I prefer planting these 

 valuable bulbs inside in large 7 or 8 inch 

 pots, and plunge pot and all outside in the 

 open ground, in slight shade if possible, 

 about the end of May. The pots can then 

 be lifted into the house if the plants are in 



flower when the first frosts arrive, as is 

 often the case. Lilium auratum, L. ru- 

 brum, L. speciosum album and many other 

 varieties of these gorgeous Eastern lilies 

 can be had in flower in this way until quite 

 late in the autumn. If the bulbs are properly 

 cared for and given their proper resting 

 period they will still be useful for planting 

 out permanently in the open border and give 

 good results. Flowering shrubs and peren- 

 nials have given grand flowering results 

 this summer, many of them continuing in 

 flower almost the whole of the summer. 

 Amongst perennials the campanula persicifo- 

 lia alba and the numerous varieties of herba- 

 ceous phlox have flowered very well indeed. 

 The accompanying photo of Diervilla or 

 weigela rosea, Fig. 1909, shows one of these 

 beautiful shrubs in full flower in early June. 

 At this date (August) there are several fine 

 sprays of bloom on this plant. 



Fruit Garden. — Gathering in the early 

 autumn fruits will be the principal operation 

 in the fruit garden during this month. 

 Fruit picking is often very carelessly done ; 

 too much care can hardly be devoted to this 

 operation. It is very little use to devote 

 a lot of time and attention in pruning, culti- 

 vating, and spraying fruit trees, and then 

 lose 50 per cent, of the fruit, as it often the 

 case, by careless handling at picking time. 

 Handle fruit carefully and as little as 

 possible. 



Daily pickings of fruit, especially peaches, 

 apricots, nectarines, and even plums, is 

 advisable. A little practice will soon enable 

 the close observer the proper time to start 

 fruit picking and supply the table with 

 luscious, healthful fruit from the garden. 

 A dish of fruit from your own fruit trees, 

 carefully handled so as to preserve the 

 natural bloom, will be more pleasing to the 

 eye, as well as tempting to the appetite, 

 than a whole basketful of fruit would be 

 with the natural bloom all smeared and 

 smudged, to say nothing perhaps of bruises 

 from careless handling. It is pleasing to 



