362 



Gardening for Amateurs 



shade can be applied for a week or so the 

 plants will take hold more quickly. 



Peas. Sow late varieties such as the 

 Gladstone, Latest Giant, Michaelmas, Stand- 

 well, and Late Queen. These should be 

 planted in well-prepared trenches, to enable 

 them to resist drought about the middle 

 of the month. A week or ten days later sow 

 a row of a good early sort, but do not depend 

 on these, although they do well in some 

 seasons. Supply water and liquid manure 

 to rows swelling up their pods, and towards 

 the evening damp the growths well overhead ; 

 this will do a lot towards keeping away thrips. 



Cease Gutting Asparagus. Now that 

 Peas are plentiful, the cutting of Asparagus 

 should cease for the season. From now 

 onward do everything possible to promote 

 strong growth, which means thick shoots 

 next spring. A dressing of rotten manure 

 may be put on, and where liquid manure is 

 plentiful, frequent soakings will be of the 

 utmost value. Weeds should not be allowed 

 to develop. 



Sowing Endive. Where Endive is 

 valued, make a sowing of Winter Curled 



on light, rich soil in drills about 6 inches 

 apart. Thin the seedlings early, and if 

 necessary they may be pricked out 6 

 inches apart. When large enough, plant 

 on similar soil about 1 foot apart and 

 give water regularly. 



Late Beans. If the weather permits, 

 a sowing of Runner Beans made now will 

 come into bearing when earlier rows are 

 giving out ; the weather is certainly worth 

 risking in this case, as the crop is often con- 

 tinued into November when mild autumns 

 result. If it is desired to keep Runner Beans 

 from attaining any great height, this may be 

 done by frequently pinching out the tops. 

 The bearing will be very little affected by 

 this proceeding. 



Turnips. Make a sowing in the open of 

 Little Marvel Turnip, watering the drills 

 previous to sowing, and thinning the young 

 plants early and well. 



Carrots. If young roots are required 

 constantly, make another sowing of Carrot 

 seed. Early Nantes will be suitable for 

 sowing at this late date, as it is very quick 

 in growth. 



Dried Fowl Manure for Potting. 



Potting composts are frequently enriched 

 by the addition of a small percentage of 

 guano or some other all-round manure. A 

 good " home-made " guano may easily be 

 collected from the fowl-houses, and this will 

 furnish a sufficient supply for the needs of 

 the potting bench. Fowl droppings are a 

 very rich manurial substance, and of aD 

 pigeon manure is the best. Collect the sub- 

 stance before it is allowed to cake or get 

 trampled together ; when dry store it in 

 bags or boxes in any dry position. When 

 thoroughly dry it will not smell in the slightest 

 degree, but, should the drying process not 

 be complete, a little gypsum, a very cheap 

 lime compound, will keep down the odour 

 and at the same time enrich the manure. 

 When the guano is dry it can easily be passed 

 through a riddle and rendered suitable for 

 potting purposes. Never use this manure 

 if it contains sawdust. Should the loft 

 require bedding of any kind, use fine peat 

 litter, an absorptive material which causes no 



depreciation in the manure and facilitates 

 the drying process rather than otherwise. 

 If large quantities can be obtained the 

 manure may be used for any purpose about 

 the garden ; J Ib. to Ib. per square yard 

 would be a very rich and powerful fertiliser. 

 On Pruning Apple Trees. Fifteen 

 or twenty years ago a popular method of 

 dealing with bush Apple trees was to cut 

 back the young sideshoots hard each winter, 

 the object being to secure open trees com- 

 posed of a few branches, thickly beset with 

 short spurs or growths from which the fruit 

 was produced. Now, however, many growers 

 prefer to allow the trees a great deal more 

 freedom, and very little pruning is done other 

 than what is necessary to keep the centres 

 of the trees open, so that light and air can 

 have free access to all parts. They claim 

 that finer fruits and heavier crops are pro- 

 duced by this method than by close pruning, 

 and certainly from what can be seen of 

 orchards treated in this way the growers 

 are quite correct in their practice. 



