THE EARLY FALL GLORY 171 



I think the great department of bugs and diseases 

 and funguses and fruit troubles at Washington 

 might come sometime to helping the conservation 

 of vegetables, now that conservation is the 

 fashion !* 



While the weather this October has been fine, in 

 its general comfort, there has been practically no 

 rain, and the hose has been kept going in the 

 garden much of the time. The notable Camp- 

 bell sprayer enables me to cause a gentle rain to 

 fall over or upon a fifty-foot circle, without "pack- 

 ing" the ground to any serious extent, while on 

 the grass walks the no less notable Skinner "lawn 

 mist" tool distributes a yet gentler rain with even 

 efficiency over a rectangle of eight by twelve feet. 



Off in a half -shaded spot back of the fruit espa- 

 lier I have located the bed to which were trans- 

 planted the perennials that we will need next spring 

 to renew and to extend our plantings. They were 

 sown in July and August, and coddled a little with 

 shade and water in the coldframes. Now they 

 are growing lustily in the open, to winter over com- 

 fortably, I hope. Hollyhocks, columbines, arabis, 



*After these words are written, I find there is vegetable conservation 

 proposed in Farmers' Bulletin No. 359, of the Department of Agriculture, 

 entitled "Canning Vegetables in the Home." The basis of safe preservation 

 of vegetables is, I read therein, in sterilization by heating at successive 

 times, as on three following days, rather than by one prolonged cooking. 

 I hope other garden-makers will send for that bulletin. 



