SEPTEMBER. 



690 



SEPTEMBER. 



pots filled with hay or straw, into which 

 they will creep, and from which they can 

 be easily removed and destroyed. Caps 

 of paper may be used to protect choice 

 blooms of dahlias from the intensity of 

 the sun's rays at mid-day. 



High Keeping. Now that the beds are 

 thoroughly covered, nothing contributes 

 more to that high state of keeping that 

 constitutes the chief charm of every garden 

 than the removal of every dead flower and 

 leaf as fast as it appears ; the maintenance 

 of neat edgings and sharply defined lines 

 of coloured or ribbon borders, or beds 

 planted on the ring principle. Regularity 

 of height is also another desideratum and 

 proof of high keeping. 



High Keeping, Meaning of. By regu- 

 larity of height it is not to be understood 

 that every bed, or every part of a bed, 

 should be of one dead uniform height, but 

 that they should either present a level or 

 an even surface. Suppose, for instance, 

 a bed is raised in the middle, as a rule it 

 should gradually fall towards the sides, 

 and the same parts of the bed should be 

 of the same height. If the edging is 6 

 inches high, it should be this height all 

 round ; if the second row is 9 inches, it 

 should be 9 inches throughout, and so on. 

 Nothing is more indicative of a want of 

 judgment in planting or slovenly keeping 

 than a row or bed 6 inches here, 12 there, 

 and 10 at another point, without regular 

 gradation, or any system whatever. Only 

 of secondary importance to the blending 

 of proper colours is the arrangement of 

 plants according to their proper heights. 

 Of course, the appearance of a weed, great 

 or small, on either beds or ground, is an 

 intolerable intrusion upon, and quite in- 

 consistent with, high keeping. Closely 

 mown, well-rolled turf is like the picture 

 frame's influence upon the picture, and 

 has & powerful influence in exhibiting 

 Seauty in the best light. In harmony 



with all this the walks must be scrupu- 

 lously clean, hard, smopth, and bright, to 

 afford pleasant facility of access to, and 

 be in character with, the beauty of the 

 objects they are designed to exhibit. 



Hollyhocks. The blooms of hollyhocks 

 may be much prolonged by treating them 

 like dahlias. Earwigs in hollyhock flowers 

 must be taken and destroyed. Every offset 

 of the best varieties which is found at the 

 base and here and there along the stems 

 ought to be inserted as cuttings. Previ- 

 ously rooted cuttings of hollyhocks should 

 be planted in the reserve garden. 



Pansies. Plant out in beds early rooted 

 pansy cuttings, insert a succession of cut- 

 tings, and prick out seedlings in the reserve 

 garden. 



Propagation. Having provided, regu- 

 lated, arranged, and enjoyed the highest 

 amount of beauty that the garden is cap- 

 able of yielding, the next point is how all 

 this is to be perpetuated or reproduced 

 another season. This brings us to another 

 great business of the month propagation. 

 All trimmings of verbenas, ageratums, 

 geraniums, calceolarias, &c., &c., that are 

 cut off to maintain sharp lines, clearly 

 defined edgings, &c., should be inserted 

 as cuttings. Where enough cannot be 

 thus secured, the thickest parts of lines or 

 beds must be thinned for this purpose ; 

 or, better still, plants that were placed in 

 the reserve garden for this object must be 

 cut down and divided into small morsels 

 for cuttings. 



Roses. Perpetuals may still be cut back, 

 with the hope of a third bloom ; and late- 

 budded plants will require looking after, 

 watering, and training to stakes. Growing 

 shoots that are heavy with buds should be 

 tied in, and thus secured from injury by 

 wind. Suckers should be removed. 



Roses t Budded. With regard to the 

 growth of shoots from buds that have been 

 inserted in the stocks early in the season, 



