HARVEST MONTH IN THE GARDEN 



harden. Privet is often pruned twice — in June and 

 in September. Young hedges are greatly strengthened 

 at the base by being well pruned 

 back. 



Pelargoniums in Pots. — Plants that 

 were rested and cut back after 

 flowering may now be turned out 

 of the pots, a good deal of the 

 old soil crumbled away from the 

 roots, and repotted. Later plants 

 that have ripened up their wood may 

 be cut back. 



Zonal Geraniums for Winter. — 

 Zonals in 3-inch pots may be trans- 

 ferred to 6-inch, and the latter re- 

 garded as the flowering size. The 

 best place for them until the autumn 

 rains begin (when they should go 

 into a frame), is an ash bed in the 

 open garden. They will need a good 

 deal of water when growing freely. 

 Continue to nip off any flower stems 

 that push. 



Fruit 



Gathering Apples and Pears. — The progress of the 

 season is marked by the fact that some of the earlier 

 varieties — such as Irish Peach, Lady Sudeley, Mr. Glad- 

 stone, Duchess of Oldenburg, Lord Suffield, and Lord 

 Grosvenor Apples ; and Jargonelle and Williams' Bon 

 Chretien Pears — are either ripe or near enough to it for 

 use. A safe test of ripeness is to raise the fruit 

 until the stalk is slightly above the horizontal at the 

 apex or fruit end. This brings a gentle pressure to 

 317 



Aug. 

 16-31 



Fig. 66.— Stopping 

 Zonal Geraniums. 



a. The point of the stem 

 pinched off. 



b. The dotted lines show 

 the resultant growth 

 of the side shoots. 



