434 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURISi. 



first of the winter flowering bulbs to claim a 

 position in the window, followed later by 

 varieties of narcissus, or a pot or two of 

 the pink or blue varieties of the Roman 

 hyacinths, as well as some of the later 

 flowering- Dutch hyacinths. The Von 

 Sion narcissus (daff"odil) is perhaps the 

 easiest grown and most remunerative of the 

 Narcissi family. The trumpet daff'odils 

 are also useful and pretty if a variety is 

 required. Dutch hyacinths and some of 

 the Polyanthus narcissus, such as Double 

 Roman, Grand Monarque and Staten Island, 

 succeed well in the window, not forgetting 

 a few bulbs of the Narcissus Poeticus, or 

 the improved variety Ornatus. The last 

 two varieties I consider to be the gems of 

 the Narcissi family. A nice pot oi them 

 when in flower has a strikingly beautiful 

 effect in a window of mixed plants. A few 

 jonquils and perhaps a few bulbs of the 

 pretty blue flowering Scilla Siberica — the 

 " Forget-me-not " amongst bulbs — will 

 complete a useful list that will give a 

 succession of flower from early winter until 

 spring. These, with the more permanent 

 occupants of the window, such as 

 geraniums, cacti, begonias, etc., and 

 perhaps a hanging basket, or a few hang- 

 ing or bracket pots filled with some trailing 

 plants that have occupied the window box, 

 or perhaps a rustic stand outside during 

 summer, will make a gay and attractive 

 window during winter. Watch closely for 

 the first signs of insect pests, especially red 

 spider and green fly. Apply tobacco water 

 for the last named pest, and syringe the 

 plants infested with red spider as often as 

 possible with clear water. Red spider can- 

 not thrive if drenched with water occa- 

 sionally. 



Flower Garden. ^ — Dutch and spring 

 fl'owering bulbs should be planted before the 

 end of October. No mulching is required 

 for these until November, or perhaps later, 

 according to the severity of the weather. 



It often happens that the first frosts of 

 autumn barely nips the foliage of dahlias, 

 cannas, gladioli, or even the more tender 

 Caladium esculentum, not sufficient to 

 warrant the plant lover in rooting them up, 

 whilst the second visitation of frost is some- 

 times severe enough to freeze unprotected 

 roots and bulbs of these plants in the 

 ground. It is a good plan to place a mulch 

 of some kind around the roots of these and 

 similar plants to ward off" this second attack 

 of frost, so that the tubers and bulbs may 

 not be damaged. By doing this it will give 

 them time to mature and ripen in a more 

 natural way than if taken from the ground 

 immediately after the first Irost. They must 

 not, however, be risked too long in the 

 open ground, but must be dug up and 

 removed to a shed, or out-building, where 

 they will be safe from frost, and allowed to 

 dry before being stowed away for the winter. 



All flower Beds or borders, as soon as 

 vacant, should be given a coating of short 

 manure and the ground dug up deeply, the 

 surface being left as rough as possible. If 

 the ground is of a stiff", clayey nature, 

 throw it into ridges for the frosts of winter 

 to pulverize and sweeten. Make the ridges 

 so that the furrows between them will 

 drain off" all surface water quickly. By 

 ridging up ground in the fall much time 

 and labor can be saved in the spring, and 

 better results attained the following season. 



Fruit and Vegetable Garden. — Picking 

 and storing fruit will be the principal opera- 

 tion in the fruit garden during October. 

 Many of the early varieties of pears and 

 apples will already have been picked and 

 stowed away. Almost all varieties of pears 

 are better picked before they are ripe, and 

 ripen best packed and covered up closely in 

 boxes and stored in a warm shed or out- 

 building. If placed in the cellar to ripen 

 the flavor and color of the fruit is greatly 

 impaired, and if laid out on shelves or 

 benches exposed to the air the fruit often 



