1847. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



267 



^^-^m^. 



HOKTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. 



CONDUCTED BY P. BARRY. 



Horticultural Hints for November. 



The most important matters in the Garden 

 and Orchard, that demand attention this month, 

 are the preparations for winter. 



Transplanting hardy trees, shrubs, and plants 

 may be continued during the first week or two, 

 or as long as the weather is mild. But in cold, 

 exposed situations we would advise laying in the 

 trees by the roots, in a slanting, nearly horizon- 

 tal position, in dry soil and a sheltered situation 

 — and planting them out as early in spring as 

 practicable. This will avoid the risk of winter 

 killing. 



Fall planted trees should, in all cases, be se- 

 cured against being blown around by the winds, 

 either by throwing up the earth in a mound 

 around the base, as we have illustrated in previous 

 numbers of the Farmer, or by tying up to stakes, 

 A covering of six inches deep of litter or ma- 

 nure is serviceable around the roots of trees du- 

 ring winter. If spread on now it can be forked 

 or spaded in among the roots in spring, and will 

 improve next summer's growth. 



Clean all long grass and rubbish from around 

 your orchard fences ; this will, in a great meas- 

 ure, save your trees from being girdled by mice. 

 Throwing up the earth around trees, a foot high 

 or so, prevents mice from attacking them, and 

 is no way injurious to the tree. It is easily lev- 

 elled down in spring. 



Hardy Bullous Roots, such as Hyacinths, 

 Tulips, Crocus, Lillies, Crown Imperials, &c., 

 &c., may yet be planted, and will bloom finely 

 next spring. The beds should be covered with 

 six inches or so of leaves or straw. Hyacinths 

 soon degenerate in our gardens. Where a fine 

 show of these sweet and beautiful spring flowers 

 is desired, fresh imported bulbs from Holland 

 should be procured. A lady lately observed to 

 us that she did not care for Crocus, "because 

 they bloomed so early !" That is tneir greatest 

 merit. They are always the welcome harbin- 

 gers of spring. 



Raspberries were so severely winter killed 

 last season that the crop was an entire failure 

 throughout a great portion of the country last 

 summer. Those who took the precaution to 

 protect their plants, had as good a crop as usual. 

 We hope this winter will find Raspberry beds 

 well dressed and protected. All the suckers 

 should now be taken up, leaving in a hill about 

 three of the strongest canes ; these should be tied 

 loosely to a stike and covered with a sheathing of 

 straw — or they may be laid down, and covered 

 with leaves or branches of evergreens. 



Strawberry beds should be dressed, (cutting 

 off" runners and old decayed leaves,) and pro- 

 tected with a few inches deep of leaves from the 

 woods, or straw when easier obtained. Manure 

 is not good on the tops of the plants, as it is apt 

 to rot them. 



Asparagus beds should now be covered with 

 three inches deep of well rotted, rich manure — 

 to be spaded or forked down in the spring dress- 

 ing. 



Grape vines. — Foreign varieties, such as Black 

 Hamburgh, Sweet Water, Chasselas, Muscats, 

 &;c., grown in the open ground, should now be 

 taken down from the wall or trellis, and covered 

 with straw or earth. Old vines that may be dif- 

 ficult to bend down may be protected with thick 

 matts or branches of evergreens tied against them. 



All half hardy or tender shrubs, Roses, &c., 

 should receive timely protection. Climbing 

 shrubs and Roses, should be taken down from the 

 arbor or trellis — the tops tied together and cov- 

 ered with leaves or straw. Upright plants can 

 be easily thatched with straw by putting down a 

 stake by them to keep them stiff. 



Tender Herbaceous Plants or Bulbs may be 

 easily protected by cutting away the old flower 

 stems, and placing an inverted sod over them. 



Carnations can be protected, where there are 

 only a few plants, by putting a small glass box, 

 or anything of that sort over them, and uncover- 

 ing them occasionally on fine days during win- 

 ter. Where the collection amounts to two or 

 three dozen plants, a small hot bed frame or a 

 similar frame should be taken, placed on a dry 

 spot, and the Carnations transplanted into it. — 

 Manure can be thrown around the frame outside, 

 and the top covered with boards or sashes and 

 matts, or straw. Uncover occasionally in mild 

 weather, during the middle of the day, and they 

 will winter finely. Monthly Roses will winter 

 better in such a frame than in a green house or 

 parlor. All the fine Tea, Bourbon, Noisette, 

 Bengal, &c., can be wintered in this manner. 



Do not forget to gather and secure, in season, 

 your Winter Cabbages, Celery, Squashes, Beets, 

 Parsnips, and other culinaries; clean up manure; 

 trench and ridge up the vegetable garden, to 

 prepare it for early spring crops. Work of this 

 sort should all be done now. 



New vegetable and flower gardens should be 



