Lawn and Garden Notes for September 



THE early frosts of fall arc due 

 about the middle of this month. 

 If tender atid sensitive plants are 

 protected, they may yet flourish for 

 the Indian summer. When frost is ex- 

 pected, it is well to water the plants 

 and the ground thoroughly. The water 

 should be appHed just at nightfall. 

 Covering the plants with cloth or 

 paper will accomplish the same pur- 

 pose. A little work at the right time 

 will be amply repaid by a longer season 

 of bloom and beauty in the garden. 



THE HOME VEGETABLE GARDEN 



At the first sharp touch of cold, gather 

 all the remaining fruits from the tomato 

 and squash vines. Tomatoes will ripen 

 in a dry cellar. Squash should be stored 

 in a dry atmosphere and at a cool tem- 

 perature. They should be laid on 

 shelves one tier deep, and never piled, 

 if it is desired to keep them long. 



It is a good custom in the home garden 

 to dig potatoes as soon as matured, and 

 place them in cellar. Potatoes seldom 

 rot when so treated, provided that all 

 injured tubers are carefully culled out. 

 By the early harvesting you prevent the 

 scab and save your potatoes from white 

 grubs and mice. The potatoes keep ad- 

 mirably, if not piled so as to become 

 heated. Look them over for any that 

 are injured, for should there be such, 

 they will ferment, acidity set in and of 

 course rot; if in contact with others, 

 they too will become diseased and great 

 damage ensue. 



The rhubarb plant is a gross feeder, 

 and it is well to mulch the bed with a 

 heavy coat of rotted manure. 



Continue to earth up the celery, or 

 blanch with boards. For late autumn 

 use, it is probably best to bleach the 

 plants with earth, as it also protects 

 from frost and is much cheaper than 

 bleaching with boards. 



Winter varieties of radish may be 

 sown early in September, harvested be- 

 fore severe frosts, and stored in sand in 

 a cool cellar. Just before using, if 

 thrown into cold water for a short time, 

 they will regain their crispness. 



Spinach for cutting early in spring 

 should be sown this month. Protect 

 by frames or other means through the 

 severe winter. 



Why not plant a few Egyptian tree- 

 onions, or winter top sets, this fall? 

 They start so early in the spring that 

 they are ready for use long before any 

 other onion can be had. Plant before 

 the middle of September. 



The tuberous chervil is much esteemed 

 by those who know its value. It is per- 

 fectly hardy and like the parsnip, the 

 better for frosts. The seed may be 

 sown in September. Try a packet. 

 ''"'Why not try to grow a few mush- 



rooms this fall? You may not succeed 

 the first time, but what's the difference? 

 The novelty of the experiment is worth 

 the trouble. 



THE FRUIT GARDEN 



After raspberries and blackberries are 

 harvested, the old canes that bore fruit 

 may be removed. Whether or not the 

 tops should be cut back in fall depends 

 largely on the locality. It is safer to 

 leave this operation until spring. Should 

 they have been injured by winter-kill- 

 ing in the meantime, they can then be 

 cut back to sound wood. 



Currants and gooseberry bushes are 

 very hardy, and may be pruned any 

 time in fall or winter. New plants may 

 be planted in the autumn. Make cut- 

 tings as soon as the leaves fall, store 

 for a short time, and plant later in the 

 season. 



BULBS FOR HOUSE CULTURE 



Dutch bulbs for winter flowering 

 should be potted in September. If you 

 have not ordered them, do so at once. 

 Then immediately set about getting 

 ready a compost in which to plant them 

 on their arrival. Equal parts of garden 

 loam, sand, and well-rotted cow manure 

 make a good soil. Mix the compost 

 well. 



It is well to grow several bulbs in one 

 pot, instead of single specimens. In a 

 six-inch pot, may be put three tulips, 

 hyacinths or daffodils; or six crocuses 

 or snowdrops. The crowns of tulips 

 and daffodils should be about one inch 

 below the surface of the soil. Hya- 

 cinths should project slightly above the 

 surface. Provide drainage. 



As soon as potted, water the bulbs 

 well. Then set the pots in the cellar 

 or any place that is cool and dark. 

 They will then make roots without start- 

 ing to grow at the top. A bulb with 

 strong roots, before putting forth leaves, 

 is in a condition to produce good bloom. 

 Leave the bulbs in the cellar for six 

 weeks from potting. By that time 

 they will have made good root growth. 

 By bringing only a portion of them to 

 the window at a time, a succession of 

 bloom may be had. It is best to delay 

 bringing to a warm room. Do it grad- 

 ually. Place first in an intermediate 

 temperature. 



HANGING BASKETS 



Many persons fail to grow plants suc- 

 cessfully in baskets. The reason is 

 usually found in lack of moisture at the 

 roots. Basket-plants should be watered 

 often enough to keep the soil moist. 



Tradescantia is a good basket plant, 

 provided it is given a soil that is not too 

 rich. A rather poor soil will cause the 

 joints to form closer together ; therefore 

 the plant will have foliage enough to 

 produce a good effect. Pinching back 



occasionally will cause it to branch 

 freely. 



Sweet alyssum makes a good basket 

 plant for winter. If prevented from 

 ripening seed, it will bl(j<jm through the 

 entire season. 



The pink oxalis is a charming plant 

 for a winter basket, producing bloom in 

 wonderful profusion from November to 

 May. In September, pot new tubers, 

 or re-pot the old ones, in fresh compost 

 of sandy loam and a little finely ground 

 bone meal. Next spring, give it a rest 

 by withholding water until it gets dry. 

 Allow it to remain dr\- until the follow- 

 ing September. Then repeat the pro- 

 cess. 



The othonna blo<3ms freely and is ex- 

 ceedingly cheerful and attractive. Mon- 

 eywort, a strong, rapid grower, also is 

 good. 



One of the best plants for winter 

 baskets is asparagus sprengerii. A plant 

 that has been growing in the pot all 

 summer is not in good shape to give 

 good results in winter. It is best to 

 propagate new plants by division of the 

 tuberous roots. Pot in fairly rich soil 

 and give plenty of root room. 



GARDEN CALADIUM 



The bulbs of caladium, or elephant 

 ear plant, should be dug early in the 

 fall from the border as soon as frost has 

 touched the foUage. Lay the bulbs in 

 a dry room or shed for a week or two, 

 when they can be packed in dry sand 

 or dry earth, in pots or boxes and stood 

 away in a temperature of 45 to 50 de- 

 grees, and safe from mice and rats. 



TIGRIDIAS 



Tigridias are gorgeous little summer 

 flowering bulbs, natives of Brazil, and 

 are seldom seen in our gardens. Their 

 beautiful tulip-like flowers, so richlv 

 marked in such vivid colors, make them 

 very effective during the last month of 

 summer. The bulbs should be dug 

 early in the autumn before frosts, and 

 stored away, after drying them first, 

 in dry sand, in a warm room or cellar, 

 in a temperature of 50 to 55 degrees. A 

 lower temperature is dangerous. 



FALL WORK WITH BEGONIAS 



As soon as summer flowering and 

 tuberous-rooted begonias in pots stop 

 producing flowers, which is usually 

 about the month of August or early in 

 September, less water should be given 

 them. This treatment should be con- 

 tinued until the foliage is well decayed, 

 then water should be given only when 

 the soil gets moderately drv. The 

 plants can then be put in a light cellar 

 or cool room, where the temperature 

 ranges from 45 to 50 degrees, not higher. 

 About March or April, the plants can 

 be brought out into the window and 



