754 



Gardening for Amateurs 



Round the Year in the Garden : What to do 

 late in October 



AMONG THE FLOWERS 



BEGONIAS. Those Begonias used 

 for bedding should not be left in 

 the ground after the first frost. Lift 

 them carefully with tops intact and spread 

 out in a dry spot to ripen off. When the 

 growths have decayed remove them, together 

 with all loose soil, and store the tubers in 

 sand in a frost-proof place. If a few of 

 the best plants are lifted before being spoilt 

 by inclement weather, and potted, they 

 will flower for a considerable time in the 

 greenhouse. Fibrous-rooted Begonias may 

 be treated in this way. 



Lifting Dahlias. These popular border 

 plants must be dug up as soon as frost has 

 blackened the leaves (unless in favoured dis- 

 tricts, where the roots may be kept safely 

 through the winter by covering them with 

 heaps of ashes). Cut down the tops before 

 lifting the roots, and before storing in a dry 

 and frost-proof shed it is advisable to allow 

 the roots to become fairly dry. 



Herbaceous Borders. New borders may 

 be formed now, and in all cases it is best to 

 prepare a plan before proceeding to plant. 

 Dig the site over two spits deep, and work 

 in plenty of decayed manure. It is best to 

 leave the border to settle for some days be- 

 fore planting, and endeavour to carry out 

 this work when the soil is not very wet. 

 In dividing old clumps of herbaceous peren- 

 nials, always retain the outside pieces for 

 planting in preference to the old and worn- 

 out centre parts. 



Improving the Lawn. This work may 

 receive attention now ; turves laid at this 

 time of the year will be less liable to crack 

 open during the succeeding summer than if 

 the work is deferred until early spring. Any 

 inequalities in the lawn are easily remedied 

 by lifting the turf, and removing or adding 

 soil, as the case may be. When laying turf 

 always beat it down quite firmly. 



Transplanting. This is a good time to 

 carry out planting or transplanting work, of 

 any description, in the flower garden. Plants, 



shrubs, or trees moved now get settled before 

 winter, and invariably make more progress 

 in the succeeding summer than others planted 

 later. See that the holes are large enough 

 to contain the roots without crowding, stake 

 those trees that need it before filling in the 

 soil, and tread the soil quite firmly after 

 covering the roots. Use fine soil in contact 

 with the roots, and see that all hollows are 

 properly filled. Endeavour to lift the plants 

 with plenty of soil attached to the roots, 

 and even at this season a good watering on 

 the completion of planting is advisable, as 

 it is of assistance in settling the soil well 

 around the roots. 



IN THE GREENHOUSE 

 Vine Borders. When Vines fail to pro- 

 duce satisfactory crops of grapes, in nine 

 cases out of ten it is the roots that cause 

 the trouble. Borders that were badly made 

 in the first instance can never be satisfactory, 

 while even well-made borders need renewing 

 sooner or later. Such work may be under- 

 taken as soon as the grapes are cut. The 

 old soil should be carefully forked out, taking 

 care meanwhile that the roots do not become 

 dry. If the drainage is in order it will only 

 be necessary to shorten back any wandering 

 roots before filling up with turfy loam, to 

 which are added some ^-inch bones and 

 mortar rubbish. 



New Borders. These need not be made 

 deeper than 2J feet, and if possible always 

 have them inside the vinery. The bottom 

 should be made hard and firm preferably 

 with concrete to restrict the roots. A drain 

 with a proper outlet should run along the 

 front of the border, and over the whole 

 bottom spread 9 inches of clinkers and 

 similar material. On this place turves, grass 

 side downward, and fill up with the same 

 compost as advised above. If the loam is 

 good, do not add animal manure when con- 

 structing Vine borders. 



Sowing Cyclamen. This is a good time 

 to make a sowing of Cyclamen for green- 



