La^wn and Garden Notes for A.ugust 



IN the home garden and on the lawn 

 during August many bad weeds will 

 be trying to go to seed. When a 

 weed matures seed, it produces a lot 

 of them. Many thousand seeds may 

 come into existence from one plant. 

 Weeds are constantly trying, not to out- 

 wit, but to outwork the amateur gar- 

 dener. They are determined workers, 

 persistent and indefatigable. They are, 

 however, not invincible. Constant clip- 

 ping or spudding on the lawn, and hoe- 

 ing in the garden, will keep them within 

 bounds. 



TESTS FOR MELONS 



Melon time is coming.' The person 

 who buys a muskmelon or a watermelon 

 should know how to choose a good one. 

 The first point in judging a muskmelon 

 is the weight. A heavy melon is a good 

 melon, but it also must be ripe. One 

 of the best tests for ripeness is the odor. 

 A ripe melon is tempting, fragrant and 

 spicy. A sound, sweet melon usually 

 has a rough surface and deep furrows. 

 The color between the furrows should 

 not be too green, or it will be under- 

 ripe, nor too yellow, as it will be soft and 

 mushy. 



A watermelon also should be heavy. 

 A ripe watermelon will sound hollow- 

 when thumped with the knuckle, but 

 this is only practicable in the early 

 morning, for the same resonance is 

 noticeable in a large, unripe melon dur- 

 ing the heat of mid-day sun. If the 

 "belly, "_ or lower surface, is yellow and 

 blistered the melon is ripe. Pressure 

 on the melon to hear it crack within is 

 objectionable, as it injures those that 

 are ripe as well as those that are green. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN 



Nearly all seedsmen issue special sum- 



1 mer catalogs. Why not send for one 



I and see what can be sown in the garden 



in August, so as to have fresh vegetables 



for the table as late as October and 



November? 



String beans, early maturing peas, 

 flat early turnips, radishes and other 

 quick growing vegetables may yet be 

 I sown. If sown at once, in southern 

 Ontario, there is still time to grow small 

 cucumbers for pickles. These are al- 

 ways a delight to the thrifty house-wife, 

 and are more than relished during the 

 cold winter. Try some this year. 



As the seasons for greens is about 

 over, why not force the season and plant 

 beets for autimin greens? Select some 

 good variety of quick maturing qualities. 

 Young beet leaves will be relished late 

 injthe season. 



Blanch the early crop of celery, which 

 now should be well matured. 



Corn Salad is something everyone 



, should grow for salad next March and 



! April. Sow about the first of September 



j in drills half an inch deep, and six 



inches apart, in rich ground. As the 



plants are for cutting when young, the 

 seed may be sown pretty thin, liefore 

 the cold weather sets in, protect with 

 ciean straw. It is cut during early 

 spring for salads, and as such is most 

 excellent. 



If sown in August and left undisturbed 

 till spring, salsify will be twice its ordin- 

 ary size. The culture and care given 

 it should be about the same as that 

 given carrots. Before sowing, soak the 

 seed for 12 hours in warm water. 



Lettuce may be sown for growing in 

 hotbeds or cold frames for Thanksgiving. 

 If the weather is fine it may be grown 

 in the open, but late lettuce is safer in 

 the cold frame. Sow seed in the open 

 and transplant later. 



Make a cold frame if you haven't one. 

 Experiment with it, and get nearer to 

 Nature. It is an easy method of secur- 

 ing home-grown vegetables in late fall 

 when they are too expensive to buy 

 in the markets, and unobtainable in any 

 other way. Lettuce, spinach, radishes, 

 and many things may be grown. Give 

 The Horticulturist the benefit of 

 your experience later, and also send 

 along a few photographs. 



Chevril is a vegetable unknown to 

 many of our readers. It is a very rich 

 herb, similar in growth and flavor to 

 parsley, and should be found in every 

 kitchen garden. It is sown and treated 

 like parsley. Sown in late August, the 

 seeds lie dormant till the following 

 spring. The roots are boiled or eaten 

 in stews, much like carrots, but of a 

 vastly different flavor. Plant now; do 

 not delay until next spring. The seeds, 

 when kept dry over the winter, sprout 

 very poorly, or not at all. 



If you have too many onions In Aug- 

 ust from spring sowing, the small bulbs 

 may be harvested and kept until next 

 spring as sets for early planting. Welsh 

 onions being grown for their leaves only, 

 should be sown in August or September 

 for salad or seasoning in early spring. 



If the weather is hot during August 

 keep the soil in the vegetable garden 

 well stirred to prevent evaporation of 

 moisture. Add water frequently and 

 cultivate as soon afterwards as the soil 

 can be worked. 



.\UGUST work with INDOOR PLANTS 



What would be nicer than to have 

 Bermuda lily blooms at Christmas time? 

 Long look ahead. Better start them 

 now and you will not regret it. Roman 

 hyacinths and paper-white narcissi also 

 are grown easily for Christmas. Pot 

 the bulbs in August, water once, and 

 plunge them in a frame or in the cellar. 

 Cover with coal ashes and see that 

 frost does not reach them. In about 

 six weeks they may be brought into 

 the light. The season of bloom may 

 be lengthened by bringing only a few 

 pots into the light at one time. 



If early flowering freesias are wanted, 

 plant a few bulbs about the last of Aug- 

 ust. Put four or five bulbs in a four 

 inch pot. Use ordinary good potting 

 soil. Water thoroughly the first time 

 and repeat only when the soil requires 

 it. Keep the pots outside in semi-shade 

 until the middle of September, then re- 

 move them to the house. 



Sow primroses, cinerarias and calce- 

 olarias now. These will repay your 

 trouble and expense by giving a pro- 

 fusion of bright-tinted flowers. 



If young plants of coleus, heliotrope 

 and geraniums are wanted for the winter 

 now is a good time to strike the cuttings. 



Petunias for winter bloom may be 

 had from those outside by cutting them 

 back to within a few inches of the roots. 

 Two weeks later pqt them into small 

 sized pots. 



ASTERS 



Early asters bloom in August. Seeds 

 that were planted in Toronto this year 

 in March produced bloom on July 10, 

 These were given a rich mellow soil 

 which produces large flowers on long 

 slender stems. Asters will grow fairly 

 "well on rather light soil, even if not 

 very rich. Should rust attack the plants 

 spray with ammoniacal carbonate of 

 copper. If the weather is very dry 

 during August, flowering asters should 

 be well watered. 



Why not transplant some of the wild 

 species of asters to the perennial bor- 

 ders in your garden? These conspicu- 

 ous blossoms in the woodlands and 

 fields are boon companions to golden 

 rods in form and color, but surpass 

 them in brilliancy. When transferred 

 to the garden border they become par- 

 ticularly attractive and the flowers grow 

 much larger and more profusely. They 

 can be transplanted with safety either 

 in fall or early spring, and will establish 

 themselves to their new surroundings 

 with little care. 



PARASOLS FOR PEONIES 



To protect peonies from the scorching 

 sun of August, an amateur we know gives 

 each a small Japanese parasol, the handle 

 of which is pushed into the ground near 

 the root of the plant. This shades the 

 plant during the middle of the day, and 

 can be taken away at night ; in the early 

 morning it can be replaced over the 

 plant. 



TO REVIVE CUT FLOWERS 



Cut flowers are constantly sent by 

 express and through the mails, but sel- 

 dom in such a fashion as to preserve 

 their bloom and freshness. To revive 

 them, put them into warm salt water, 

 to which has been added a fow drops of 

 sulphate of ammonia. 



RENEW PANSY PLANTS IN AUGUST 



An excellent way to keep up the stock 

 of any good varieties of pansies is by 



