1 888. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



43 



Gnard trees In streets and lawns from animals; this 

 may be done with stakes and barbed or other wire. 

 The number of trees that are needlessly Injured and 

 oftentimes killed by the gnawing of animals is almost 

 beyond belief. 



Improvements. There Is no better time than now 

 for grading, laying drains, making walks, drives, eto.^ 

 allowing the ground to settle during the winter. 



Lawns. Continual mowing weakens the grass 

 plants, and on poor soil these are liable to be crowded 

 out by Moss. Veronicas, and other minute weeds. We 

 apply fertilizers at this season.preferrlng bone manures 

 and guano to stable manures.on account of the unsight- 

 llness of the latter. 



Leaves are Nature's fertUlzer; the richness of wood's 

 earth being due chiefly to these decaying on the ground. 

 The gardener, gathering these annually onto a spot 

 where they would be constantly mnlst.for rotting them, 

 need never want for msinure. Several year's time are 

 needed for becoming avaUabte. Those from Oak trees 

 are considered the best, but none need be rejected. 

 After b'lng for one year, compost with slacked lime, 

 at the rate of 30 bushels to one. as it hastens decay. 



Rhododendrons will be the better for a mulch of 

 coarse litter or partly rotted leaves. See Evergreens. 



Bockeries. Delicate Alpine plants on these suffer 

 more from wet than from frost; such had l>est be 

 potted and put In frames until spring. 



Shrubbery Beds. Good treatment at this season Is 

 to mulch with a thick layer of leaves, both to protect 

 the roots and to supply needed fertility to the soil; the 

 leaves should not be removed in the spring, but are 

 to be bghtly turned under to decay. 



Stakes and other plant supports to be gathered and 

 stored for next season's use. 



PLANT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



Achimenes, being at rest, should have a dry place, 

 with temi>erature of 50°. 



Amaryllis, of the evergreen sorts, need only enough 

 water to prevent the leaves drying; the deciduous ones 

 are to be kept quite dry. 



Astilbe Japonica for early bloom to be started any 

 time from now on. 



Azalias, if young, early.bloomlng plants, need good 

 heat. Those at rest keep moderately drj- and cool. 



Cinerarias sown In June to have final shift, for 

 blooming In January. Guard against fly; above 45° 

 of heat weakens the growth. For early, shift into 

 larger j)ots. A light place is best for them, air 

 when possible. 



Grassnla Lactea to be rather dr>- for fail flowering. 



Cyclamen seedlings to be potted In same soil as were 

 grown in. Growing plants generally to be kept near 

 the glass In temperature of 50^. Those in bloom can 

 be given manure water. 



Dentzias are easily forced into early spring bloom, 

 and the plants should now be potted. Two months are 

 required for flowers after bringing Into heat. 



Enphorbias should now make good growth, being 

 in brisk heat with heads near the glass. 



&eraninms In all cases to be kept rather dry, and 

 the plants near the glass. The disease known as 

 " spot," Is caused by excessive moisture. 



Green-flies or aphis Increase rapidly If not checked. 

 The standard remedy Is burning one half pound of 

 refuse Tobacco stems to each 500 feet of glass weekly. 

 Keeping moist Tobacco stems under plants bedded out 

 or between pots, is also approved of. 



Heliotrope in bloom requires liquid manure. 



Heaths must have careful attention as to watering, 

 with air. and not too high a temperature. 



Hyacinths that were started early, having fllled their 

 pots with roots, may be brought to heat, and are not to 

 be allowed to suffer from dryness. 



Light naturally fails now; so don't have the glass 

 clouded with fllth or whitewash, the former inside. 



Liiy of the Valley wanted early, to come Into heat 

 along the end of the month. 



Orchids. Most kinds including Cyprlpediuma and 

 Dendroblums will be ready foi rest, so the Orchid 

 house may be cooled down and kept rather dry to suit 

 the larger number. Those like Oncidium and Zygo- 

 petalum which flower this month,or have not completed 

 their growth, will be better by themselves, in a shady, 

 somewhat dry situation with not too much heat. For 

 Orchids at rest a temperature of 5(W by night and 10° 

 higher by day will be sufficient. 



Pelargoniunis (Lady Washlngtont that were cut 

 down to be repotted when new growth Is an inch long. 

 Reduce the ball to go into pots that were used before 

 or In smaller ones. Shift such early ones as are ready. 



Poizisettia. Treat as directed for Euphorbias. 



Remove dead leaves and mildewed twigs at sight: 

 these Ux)k bad and impede light and air. 



Sowing of Candytuft, Mignonette, Sweet Pea, and 

 so on, outside for early spring bloom should be done. 



Tubers of the Dahlia and Tuberose class that are 

 now cured to be stored in dry places under the benches. 



Verbenas from fall cuttings to be kept cool and near 

 the glass, with plenty of air in all suitable weather; 

 fumigate with Tobacco once a week. 



Water sparingly now as a rule; with all plants hav- 

 ing ample drainage. Should the water stand In the 

 pots for some time after watering, the drainage needs 

 to be looked after. -Better shift into new soil and pots. 



FRUIT GARDEN AND ORCHARD. 



Drainage. The orchard must be free from standing 

 water; where needed, now is the time to drain, putting 

 In enough tile to keep the soil dry and mellow. 



Fences and gates to be kept In order, as at this 

 season of scant outside feed, animals that get out are 

 likely to Injure trees. 



Fruit. Keep the ventilators of the storage place 

 open day and night; as much as weather allows, have 

 the temperature of the place uniform at *4.** 



Grape Vines. For pruning, see article " Complete 

 Garden," in September Issue. From the vines cut off 

 In pruning, select the best for cuttings; cut Into lengths 

 of eight or nine inches, tie In bundles and bury In the 

 open ground, or pack In moist sand, over winter. 



Grafting. Scions should be cut soon now If required. 

 Packing them In soil or sawdust and storing in a cool 

 cellar until wanted: sort when burying them. Care- 

 fully label each bunch: never trust to memory. 



Labels, on newly set or other trees, should be looked 

 after before winter sets In. Those that come from the 

 nurserj- are not to be trusted, as the wire, for one 

 thing, is usually too light to be durable. A zinc or 

 white-painted Pine label, secured with a large loop, 

 using Xo. IS wire. Is what Is wanted. 



Manuring Orchards. The amount of manure needed 

 varies; some land may already be rich enough, but 

 this is not often the case. Let the growth be the guage; 

 If much less than one foot of new growth appears 

 throughout the tree per season, the soil is not rich 

 enough; If above this, it is richer than It should be, 

 winter killing being liable. Heavy manuring must 

 never take the place of good tillage. 



Mulching. For this purpose strawy manure or 

 swamp grass is probably the best. Evergreen boughs, 

 with some leaves are also good. 



Raspberries of tender kinds should be covered be- 

 fore the month is out, by bending the canes along the 

 line of the row and covering with soil. 



Records. See to correcting the orchard records now 

 that each tree has shown what its kind is. 



Seeds, pits, and nuts saved for spring planting to be 

 mixed with sand and subjected to freezing. 



Stocks for root grafting to be lifted this month, and 

 stored In the cellar ready for use later. 



Strawberry beds to be lightly covered, between the 

 plants, rather than over them, with leaves or straw 

 before winter sets in. 



Trees for spring planting should be gotten at this 

 time and heeled-in, to be ready for the earliest suitable 

 planting time. 



Vineyard. Flowing later in the fall is suitable for 

 the South; North, however, winter-killing if often the 

 result, as In plowed ground, the frost goes deeper. A 

 plan followed by some Grapemen, is to sow Oats at the 

 time of the last cultivating, doing nothing more until 

 the following spring. 



Washes for the bark of trees are applied for killing 

 eggs and insects. Some believe that they prevent a 

 •'hidebound" condition, in protecting the trunks from 

 exposure to the hot sun and drying winds. Whitewash 

 Is unobjectionable excepting the color. Prof. Cook 

 recommends one quart of soft soap in a gallon of 

 water, when boiling, a pint of kerosene, thoroughly 

 stirred In. Weak lye is also useful and safe. 



Toung trees to be banked up to steady them. To 

 prevent girdling by mice after the snow falls, use 

 an old tin can, take off the bottom, open the side seam 

 and put It around the tree above the soil, fastening 

 with wire: if one is not enough, fasten two or more 

 together sideways. 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



Cabbage. No better way for storing can Iw devised 

 than to lay down two scantlings or rails, two or three 

 feet apart, and between these place the heads closely 

 together, roots up, afterwards covering them over with 

 soil about four inches deep, but not more. The cover- 

 ing is better deferred until cold weather is at hand. 



Carrots. Store like Potatoes. 



Celery should be stored this month; a small amount 

 for early use in the cellar, the main crop in trenches 

 outside. These should be made about one foot wide, 

 and of a depth to accommodate the length of the 

 stalks, which are to be kept even with the regular sur- 

 face. Set the plants, the tops of which should be dry, 

 closely together in these, with nothing between them, 

 cover with straw, and on this a few boards. Later, as 

 the cold increases, the cover over the trenches should 

 also be Increased. 



Clear the land as fast as crops mature, both for 

 appearance and economy. Such others as are vacant 

 may be manured and worked over roughly, pre para tor}' 

 to next spring's use. 



Leeks. Take up and store in sand in a cold cellar. 



Onions. Store In a loft, even where It freezes, rather 

 than in the cellar. In the latter they will sprout, to 

 their Injury; kept frozen, this Is prevented. 



Parsnips for winter may be lifted, and stored In 

 sand in the cellar 



Rhubarb should have a heavy coat ot good manure. 



Potatoes. Store In bins one foot oris Inches deep, 

 raised somewhat from the floor. Do not bruise or they 

 will be likely to rot. 



Roots in the nature of Salsify. Soorzonera. Horse- 

 radish and Parsnips, freezing does not hurt, so the 



main lot may stay out where grown; but some to be 

 dug and put in earth in the cellar for v^inter use. 



Spinach. Cover lightly with litter before winter. 



Sweet Potatoes. Pack in boxes of dry earth, not 

 having the roots touch each other; then store ihe boxes 

 where no frost can come to them. 



Sea Kale. Late in the month cover with a good layer 

 of coarse manure. 



Squash. Keep dry and cool, but protect from frost. 



Turnips to have earth or sand worked between 

 for keeping them crisp and solid. 



FRUITS AND VEGETABLES UNDER 

 GLASS. 



Asparagus and similar vegetables may be forced 

 under the greenhouse stages, or In pits, or hot-beds, in 

 the spring, with the greatest ease. For this purpose, 

 lift old roots and store in any place, so as to be easily 

 reached by Februar>-, or later, for starting up. 



Lettuce. Air the plants freely, even leaving off the 

 sash In all but the roughest weather, and when It Is 

 freezing. Scatter Tobacco stems around the plants to 

 protect from gieen fly. 



Mushrooms. Beds made now under the stages or 

 in warm sheds will soon begin to produce. Let the 

 stuff be beaten firmly In making up the bed; a large 

 bed Is better than a small one; mix turfy loam with 

 the dung, to secure moderate heat and longer bearing; 

 do not spawn the bed until the heat has declined to a 

 moderate point. The beds ought not to be too wet or 

 too dry for good returns. 



Parsley. For winter use take some of the earliest, 

 outside sown, and plant in a cool house or frame. 



Pine-apples. Young plants require a moderately 

 dry atmosphere, good ventilation, with 35* to 60* of 

 heat. Those In fruit need plenty of moisture, both 

 at the tops and roots. 



Rhubarb. See directions above for Asparagus. 



Strawberries brought along in pots should now go 

 into cold frames, plunging the pots to their rims In 

 earth or coal ashes, in order that the roots shall not 

 freeze; water sparingly. About one month later 

 they may come in to be forced. 



THE POULTRY YARD. 



Weak Legrs. Sometimes the rapidly growing 

 Brahmas "give way" on their leg?; when they are 

 four or five months old. Bone meal and Barley 

 would be suitable for such.— National Monitor. 



Fresh water is what fowls need. Anything 

 not fresh is bad. But the worst of all, in its ev3 

 effects, is the stagnant [mioIs that are filtered 

 through manure heaps.— Col man's Rural World. 



Eggs or Butter. Wuen a dozen eggs bring as 

 much in the market as a pound of butter, the 

 farmer who keeps hens and manages them well, 

 is a little ahead of the dairyman whose cows 

 hardly return enough for the keeping. 



Feeding Turkeys. Turkeys are readily fat- 

 tened on thick boiled corn meal and oatmeal, 

 mixed with chopj>ed suet, and then should be 

 kept in closed coops, away from other birds. A 

 shed which is only partly lighted is a suitable 

 place, and the food being given every three 

 hours. 7\0 water being required with this fcHxl. 

 The birds will be fit fnr market in twenty days. 



A Kat Proof House. It is an easy matter 

 to keep them out of the poultry house, by the 

 use of half-inch wire mesh laid under the floor 

 of the house. *;>n a ground floor, dig out to a 

 depth of six inches, lay down the wire, and re- 

 place the dirt. The edges of the wire may be 

 turned up and tacked to the sills. Rats cannot 

 cut through wire, and so they will soon leave the 

 place.— Mirror and Farmer. 



Turnips as Food. As winter food for poultry, 

 the Turnip gives good result*; fed in the cooked 

 state. If a mess of Turnips and grain be fed, 

 the hens will keep in better condition, and hiy a 

 greater number of eggs than when grain ahme 

 is fed. The poultrjTiian will some daj' know, that 

 when he feeds a mixed diet of Turnips, chopj>ed 

 Clover, and other bulky f'ootl. with only enough 

 grain to balance the rations, as is done for the 

 cow, he will get better results and at a lower 

 cost.— Mirror and Farmer. 



Look Out for Cholera. The latter part of Au- 

 gust and fore part of September is the time 

 whf n cholera " oreaks out " in places where it 

 can obtain a foothold ; but it won't break out if 

 it can't get in, and it can't get in if you keep it 

 out ; you can keep it out by taking proper 

 sanitarj' precautions. 1 know poultry raisers, 

 who have kept fowls for yeiu*s without even hav- 

 ing a single case of cholera on their premises, 

 while their neighbors' fowls died off to the num- 

 Ix'r of 60 or 70. And the lucky ttnesdid not "keep 

 their fowls well" by dosing with "cholera pills'* 

 and "powders;" they saved them by simply tak- 

 ing care of them. Mrict cleanliness ab<»ut the 

 houses, yards, and coops will do m^ire towards 

 keeping the cholera away, than all the cholera 

 medicine ever inventtNl. Nine tenths of the 

 "sure cures" advertised to cure and prevent 

 cholera are worthless, »>r nearlv so; and yet some 

 of them do gomi, l>erause in the accompanying 

 "directions " there is gumi advice abiiut cleaning 

 and disinfecting, and the t>eople who buy the 

 remedies follow the directions, Ix-cause they have 

 paid for them.— Prairie Farmer. 



