254 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Floral Kdltion. 



This shows another portion of Mr. Junkinson's garden. The garden throughout was planted 

 with the object of creating an informal effect. Its pleasing character is well shown In the 



Illustration. 



Tender Plants in Cold Frames 



B. C. Tillett, Hamilton, Ont. 



MANY tender plants are wintered 

 in cold frames, and on the other 

 hand, many perish. The great- 

 est enemy to contend with is damp, 

 and therefore precautions should be 

 taken to combat it as far as possible. 

 In the first place, the bottom of the 

 frame should be above the surrounding 

 ground, and the bottom covered with 

 ashes (not too fine), or some similar 

 material. Then when the plants are 

 placed in their winter quarters, thej' 

 should be kept as dry as possible, con- 

 sistent with safety. ' 



Until frosty weather comes, air 

 should be given night and day, so that 

 the plants may be kept in as dormant 

 and hardy a state as possible. The 

 lights, of course, should not be left off 

 during either rain or snow, but when 

 air is desirable, they may be tilted dur- 

 ing the night. This will keep the 

 plants in as good a condition as pos- 

 sible to withstand severe weather. 

 When the time comes when severe 

 frosts may be expected, the exposed 

 sides of the frame should be banked 

 up with some frost-resisting material, 

 such as litter, leaves or old straw. It 

 should be as dry as possible when put 

 into its place, as dry material of any 

 kind resists frost much better when it 

 is wet. 



During severe and long-continued 

 frost the occupants of the frame may 

 become frozen, despite the covering of 

 litter. In this ease nothing can be 

 done, and the. least harm will accrue if 



the plants are allowed to remain un- 

 disturbed. When the thaw comes is a 

 very critical time, but with a little 

 care the risk of injury may be greatly 

 minimized. However pronounced the 

 thaw, the frames should be allowed to 

 remain shut up for twenty-four hours 

 and the plants kept in absolute dark- 

 ness. At the expiration of that time, 

 the lights must be tilted a little at the 

 back, which is the highest part, in 

 order to allow the moisture to escape, 

 but not enough to admit daylight. 

 They may be left in this way for two 

 or three days, and after this the plant 

 inured gradually to the light. Then, 

 as soon as possible, the frame should 

 be examined to ascertain the condition 

 of its occupants, and also for the re- 

 moval of any decaying leaves. In this 

 way many tender plants may often be 

 brought safely through the winter 

 months. 



The Vegetable and Fruit Garden* 



H. L. Patmore, Brandon, Man. 



IF we want to have a garden in which 

 the soil shall be sweet and- clean 

 and free from insects and grubs, we 

 should clean up in the fall all rubbish, 

 dead vines, and other litter and bum 

 it. Have the land well dug, or if pos- 

 sible deeply ploughed and manured, 

 first spreading on it rotted manure 

 and then ploughing or digging it 



•Extract from an address before the Manitoba 

 Horticultural Society. 



under. It is best to leave the land if 

 possible a little rough in the fall, so 

 tliat the rain, snows and frost can 

 penetrate, sweetening the soil and 

 leaving it in good, moist condition in 

 1he spring. 



The ground allotted for the sowing 

 of onions, carrots, parsnips and other 

 early seeds should be made ready in 

 the fall, so that the seed can be put in 

 .iu.st as early as possible in the spring. 

 This is where so many of our garden- 

 ers in this western climate fall down. 

 A few dajTi' difference with these seeds 

 in the spring will often make a differ- 

 ence between a good crop and a fail- 

 ure, especially with onions. 



For early spring use, Egyptian Per- 

 ennial onions can be planted in the 

 fall, and the earlier the better. These 

 will be ready to use the earliest of any 

 in the spring, when they are tender. 



Rhubarb is a plant that runs out 

 very quickly in this climate. To ob- 

 tain the best yield and quality, the 

 plants should be renewed at least every 

 three or four years. To do this, the 

 best plan is to take a few strong 

 cro"\vns from the old plants each fall 

 and start a new supply. In this way 

 you will always have a good .stock of 

 young rhubarb roots gro%ving and 

 coming into their best productive 

 value. The older plants can be dug 

 and left to rest in the fall of the year, 

 even on top of the ground. Dry 

 weather or frost will not hurt them; 

 and if left available in any place they 

 can be picked up in the winter time 

 and brought into the house and placed 

 in a flower pot or tub near heat, and 

 in two or three w^eks a supply of rhu- 

 barb for use can be obtained. This is 

 so easy that if generally kno-«-n it 

 would be very useful and of value to 

 many a family living on the western 

 prairies. 



Asparagus plants are all the better 

 for manuring, and a loosening of soil 

 in the fall of the year, if possible, leav- 

 ing a little of the tops out to gather 

 the snow. 



If we have fruit trees and bushes in 

 the garden, it is well to put manure 

 around them and dig it under in the 

 fall; and if there is danger of rabbits 

 and mice being destructive, a little tar 

 paper wrapped around the fruit trees 

 will do much to prevent injury. 



Currants and goaseberries should be 

 pruned slightly in the fall, just taking 

 away the old, dry wood or anything 

 which is straggly. To obtain a crop 

 of good, large fruit of these the fol- 

 lowing season a dressing of cow ma- 

 nure would be of great assistance. 

 Cow manure is largely water, and if 

 dug into the soil around the bushes in 

 the fall of the year, it vnW keep the 

 soil cool and moist all througrh the fol- 

 lo\ving summer, enabling the bushes to 

 produce the largest sized berries. 



