OCTOBER. 179 



neatness of the beds and borders. Gather ripe seeds, 

 and sow some kinds. Make collections of composts for 

 choice plants. Plant cuttings ; make beds for bulbs 

 and choice flowers. Earth over the crowns of dahlias. 

 Watch for early frost to save tender plants. Pinks and 

 carnations to flower late and in winter. Purchase 

 bulbs. Transplant evergreens. Re-pot. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



GARDEN OPERATIONS IN OCTOBER. 



TRY by some means or other to get a nice stack of fibry 

 turf to mingle and mellow for future use, and pack over 

 it a thatch of good square cut turf, it will prove a store 

 worth anything at from one year old onwards. Cow 

 manure, too, should be laid up in store, to come into 

 use when two years old. These are only two of many 

 items to be needed for making valuable composts. 



When October begins, frost in real earnest must be 

 expected at any time and prepared for. After the 

 foliage of the dahlias is cut down, they may remain 

 a short time still in the ground, and then the roots 

 must be taken up. Preparation must be made for 

 protecting tender plants and climbers, as it may become 

 necessary to defend them any night, with very short 

 notice. Preparation of protective materials may em- 

 ploy bad days ; look over and arrange mats of all kinds, 

 and make any covers of reed, straw, &c., that may be 

 useful. Hardy creepers may be made snug by neat, 

 close training, and have rampant straggling sprays 

 removed. Do the pruning of tender sorts at twice or 

 thrice. Taking up and potting all choice plants which 

 frost would hurt, must be systematically proceeded with. 

 The newly potted geraniums and other plants should, 

 if possible, be placed on mild bottom heat, to start the 

 roots before being put by in winter quarters. If chrys- 

 anthemums, and some other plants in flower, are 

 .protected from the first frosts, they may yet go on and 



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