La"wn and Garden Notes for November 



NOVEMBER is the time to make 

 things snug and secure for winter. 

 No diseased roots or leaves of 

 plants should be left on the garden to 

 carry spores over for next year. Rub- 

 bish of all kinds serves as hiding places 

 for insects during the winter. There- 

 fore, clean up before the snow comes. 



Would it not be well to change the 

 garden location for next year? If not, 

 then change the positions of the crops 

 grown in the present location. Plan 

 this fall for a change. Some crops 

 feed deeply, others on the surface. 

 Some are exhausting, others are not. 

 There are many reasons for practising 

 a rotation even on a small plot. Think 

 about it. 



VEGETABLES OUTSIDE AND IN 



If you have not done so, plow or 

 spade the garden and turn under all 

 the manure you can. Do not leave 

 this work until spring. There is more 

 time now, and the action of winter 

 frosts and freezing will pulverize the 

 soil and kill many insects that hiber- 

 nate below ground. 



If the garden is not well drained, 

 this is the best time to make it so. 

 Trenching and subsoiling are perma- 

 nent improvements. 



Gather and burn all weeds, especially 

 those that bear seed pods. Did you 

 sow seeds of prickly or winter spinach 

 in September? If so, the plants should 

 be protected on the approach of winter 

 with a covering of coarse straw. 



Perhaps that asparagus bed has not 

 yet been attended to. Break down 

 the tops, remove and burn them, and 

 then apply a dressing of manure. 



There is plenty of time to start a 

 mushroom bed. It is interesting work. 

 Do not be discouraged if the first 

 attempt is disappointing. It won't be 

 if you do not forget the details. Mush- 

 rooms are sensitive to lack of attention. 



Rhubarb for winter use may be 

 grown in the house cellar. Take up 

 some roots, leave them two weeks in 

 a cold frame or in a corner, and then 

 place them in the cellar. Pull the 

 stalks as soon as they are ready. When 

 the crop is about done, throw the old 

 roots outside or they will decay and 

 become ill-odored. 



Celery should be dug now and stored 

 in the cellar. Pack the stalks upright 

 and close together with the roots in 

 sand. Should the tops show signs of 

 wilting, apply water to the roots. 

 Never sprinkle the leaves or stalks, 

 as it induces decay. 



FALL WORK WITH FRUIT 



Mulch the strawberry bed but not 

 until the ground is frozen to a depth 

 of four to six inches. Apply clean 

 straw or hay. Manure will do, but it 

 is apt to contain weed seeds. 



Place a few forkfuls of manure 

 around the raspberry and blackberry 

 bushes. 



Currants and gooseberries are the 

 hardiest fruits we have. They may 

 be planted in November. Buy good 

 plants of the best varieties. For the 

 home garden excellent varieties of cur- 

 rants are: Red Cherry and Fay's Pro- 



A Home-Made Hanging Basket 



lific; white. White Grape; black, Naples. 

 Two good varieties of gooseberries are 

 Pearl and Downing. The best Eng- 

 lish gooseberry is Whitesmith, but it 

 is troublesome on account of mildew. 



If you have some old bushes of these 

 fruits, would it not be interesting to 

 propagate new ones yourself? Take 

 cuttings of the past season's growth. 

 Make them about eight inches long. 

 At the bottom, cut clean and square 

 just below a joint; the top may be cut 

 off obliquely and between the joints. 



It would be better to store these for 

 a time to allow them to callous. Place 

 the cuttings in sand or sawdust, buti 

 uppermost, for a couple of week^ 

 Then plant in a row in the garden. Ii 

 a year's time, the new plants may In 

 |ransplanted to permanent quarter- 

 Gooseberry and currant bushes ma- 

 be pruned any time after the leav( 

 fall. There are different ways of d<. 

 ing this. Perhaps the best method i 

 to follow the bush form, allowing about 

 six branches to the bush. A renewal 

 system of pruning is best, whereby 

 one-third of the bush is renewed each 

 year. Cut out two of the oldest can( 

 and allow two new ones to take thtii 

 places. The ends of the new growth 

 should be shortened. 



Do not leave any grass or rubbish 

 around the base of your fruit trees for 

 mice to nest in. If the trees are young, 

 it is advisable to wrap the trunks with 

 building paper and throw a small 

 mound of earth around the bottom. 



THE OUTDOOR GARDEN 



Certain kinds of plants require pro- 

 tection in winter. While this is true, 

 do not do it too soon. Plants often are 

 injured by being covered too early. 



Protect the roses. There are various 

 ways of doing it. Read the article 

 on another page. 



Dwarf shrubs may be protected by 

 placing a barrel over them and fiUing 

 with leaves. Bore holes in the barrel 

 for ventilation. If barrels are con- 

 sidered unsightly, cover them with 

 evergreen boughs. 



Gaillardias, campanulas, peonies, and 

 many other border plants that may 

 require protection may be covered 

 with leaves and a little stable manure. 

 Do not apply a heavy cover. 



Hardy bulbs may be planted yet. 

 Do not expect as good results as from 

 those planted earlier in the season. 

 Late planted bulbs require protection; 

 early planted ones, also, but not so 

 much. Most bulb beds are benefited 

 during severe winters by having a 

 mulch of straw manure, three or four 

 inches deep, spread over them. If 

 leaves and spruce boughs are easier to 

 obtain, they will serve just as well. Do 

 not cover the beds until after the 

 ground has frozen solid. 



WINDOW BOXES INSIDE 



A serviceable way to winter tender 

 plants is in a box placed inside the 

 window and about one foot from the 

 glass. Have the box eight inches wide, 

 six inches deep and of sufficient length 

 to fit the window. Bore several holes 

 in the bottom for drainage. A tin 

 tray of similar size should be provided 

 to catch the water that soaks through. 

 Between the box and tray should be 

 small blocks of wood, so that they will 



