388 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



note the interest that is being taken by 

 commercial fruit g^rowers and the great 

 advance made in this direction of recent 

 years, so as to place our delicious Canadian 

 fruits before the consumers in the best 

 possible condition. 



In arranging- comparts of fruit for the 

 table, a few bright colored, perfectly shaped 

 leaves, taken if possible from the same 

 trees as the fruit, and placed around and 

 about it, will show the fruit off to the best 

 possible advcintage. Autumn tinted maple 

 leaves, or the leaves, or even the long 

 trailing shoots Qi the Ampelopsis Veitchii, 

 are very pretty and effective for this purpose. 



Veget.\ble Garden. — Make a sowing or 

 two of spinach for early winter and spring 

 use, one sowing early in the month, and an- 

 other about two weeks later. The prickly 

 seeded Spinach is the hardiest variety, 

 but the Round Summer is much used 

 for autumn sowing, and often come 

 through the winter almost as soon as the 

 prickly seeded variety. The latter is not 

 considered to be as tender eating or as nice 

 flavored as the summer varieties. 



Onions will be about ready to harvest now ; 

 see that they are thoroughly dried before 

 storing. Do not leave them too long on the 

 ground when growth is completed, as they 

 soon commence to grow again after reaching 

 maturity, especially during wet weather, if 

 they are not pulled from the ground. Store 

 them in a dry, cool place, with a temperature 



only a few degrees above freezing if possible. 

 Keep the bulbs dry and cool, is the best sec- 

 ret in storing onions to keep well until spring. 



Celery will require watering if dry weather 

 prevails, and earthing up a little as growth 

 progresses. Celery can be blanched by 

 wrapping a thick sheet of coarse paper once 

 or twice around each head, and fastening with 

 a piece of twine. Long clean straw, or 

 short pieces of board placed and fastened 

 close up on each side of the celery will 

 answer the same purpose. The wrapping 

 process is probably the simplest and 

 easiest, where small quantities of this use- 

 ful and healthful vegetable is used. 



Beet roots must be stored, or at least 

 pulled and protected temporarily, before 

 severe frosts ; handle carefully so as not to 

 bruise them ; leave the roots intact, and a 

 few inches of the tops on the beet, as trim- 

 ming either of these too closely detracts 

 from the color and flavor, as well as causing 

 the roots to rot early in the winter. 



Cut all vegetable marrows that are ready 

 for use before frost. These will keep several 

 weeks if placed in a fairly dry cool place. 

 Carrots, parsnips and salsify may be left in 

 the ground till later. A few roots of the 

 two last named may be left in the ground all 

 winter ; they are much nicer eating in the 

 spring than those that have been wintered 

 in cellars or root houses. 



HORTUS. 



Hamilton. 



The Amaryllis. — Those who love a gor- 

 geously-colored flower should try the amary- 

 llis johnsonii. Truly, it is a queen among 

 lilies. A year ago I purchased a bulb 

 and planted it in a large jardiniere filled 

 with rich soil. It soon sent up five stately 

 leaves several feet in length, then a large 

 flower-stalk from which soon developed 



three large, drooping, bell-shaped flowers. 

 The petals had the appearance of rich red 

 velvet with a white satin stripe down the 

 center. Words fail to give an idea of its 

 loveliness. Many persons seeing it in the 

 window came in to know the name of this 

 rare plant, and to admire its wondrous 

 beautv. — Park's Floral Map^asine. 



