Book of Garden 



lis 



Octob 



er 



THE GARDENER'S CALENDAR 



Tenth Month 



Carrots and other 



roots should have 



their tops removed 



before storing 



Changes in the per- 

 ennial flower border 

 should be made dur- 

 ing this month 



If the last clipping 

 of evergreens has 

 not been finished, 

 there is still time 



SUNDAY 



MONDAY 



TUESDAY 



This Calendar of the gardener's labors is 

 aimed as a reminder for undertaking all his 

 tasks in season. It is fitted to the latitude 

 of the Middle States, but its service should 

 be available for the whole country if it bs 

 remembered that for every one hundred 

 miles north or south there is a difference 

 of from five to seven days later or earlier 

 in performing garden operations. The dates 

 given are, of course, for an average season. 



5. The fiist 

 few days in the 

 house are the 

 rritical period 

 for indoor 

 plants. Use 

 great care in 

 watering and 

 keep the foliage 

 sprayed or 

 moistened. If 

 the plant dries 

 lip too quiclUy, 

 plunge the en- 

 tire pot in a 

 pail of water. 



12. Start 

 mulching 

 rhododendrons 

 with leaves or 

 inanure. This 

 is not only for 

 the purpose of 

 protecting the 

 roots, but it 

 will also furnish 

 the plants with 

 considerable 

 nourishment. 

 In the spring 

 the leaves may 

 be dug under. 



19. Any 

 changes in the 

 flower bordeis 

 should be 

 made now. as 

 the different 

 types of flow- 

 ers may be 

 easily deter- 

 mined at this 

 time, even by 

 the beginner. 

 Old plants that 

 are not yield- 

 ing should be 

 divided. 



2G. Potatoes 

 and other root 

 crops stored in 

 the cellar 

 should be 

 looked over oc- 

 casionally to 

 prevent dam- 

 age by decay. 

 Remove all 

 docaj-ed or 

 soft, spongy 

 tubers, because 

 they are sure 

 to infect other 

 sound ones. 



0. In case of 

 a severe frost 

 being threaten- 

 ed, it is wise to 

 cover the flow- 

 ers of outdoor 

 chrysanthe- 

 mums with 

 paper or other 

 material at 

 night. This 

 will prevent 

 their being 

 damaged and 

 add to their 

 life. 



13. AH shal- 

 low rooting 

 crops should be 

 afTorded the 

 protection of 

 a winter mulch 

 of manure. 

 This applies to 

 strawberries, 

 raspberries, 

 blackberries, 

 etc. With 

 strawberries, 

 manure should 

 not touch the 

 crown. 



20. Carrots, 

 beets and other 

 root crops 

 should begatL- 

 eied and after 

 the tops are re- 

 moved the>' 

 can be stored 

 intrenchesout- 

 of-dooi.«, or in 

 a cool cellar. 

 If stored out- 

 doors, thci' 

 should be pro- 

 tected from the 

 frost. 



27. Hydran- 

 geas, bay trees 

 andothei deco- 

 rative plants in 

 tubs and boxes 

 should be 

 stored away for 

 the winter. A 

 good cellar 

 which is not 

 too warm and 

 is fairly li^ht 

 makes a good 

 storage place 

 for this class of 

 mateiial. 



7. Dig up 

 and store all 

 tender bulbous 

 plants such as 

 gladioli, dat- 

 lias, etc. These 

 must be stored 

 in sand or saw- 

 dust in boxes 

 and kept m a 

 cool cellar. 

 Drs ness of 

 packing ma- 

 terial and sur- 

 rounding air is 

 essential. 



14. This is 

 an excellent 

 time to put 

 into execution 

 any changes in 

 your garden, 

 such as sod 

 borders, dwarf 

 hedges,trellises 

 for fruit plants, 

 changes in wa- 

 tering systems, 

 etc. A good 

 map of the 

 grounds will 

 help. 



21. A few 

 roots of pars- 

 ley, planted in 

 pots and placed 

 on the kitchen 

 window-sill , 

 will keep any 

 ordinary' 

 family supplied 

 with an abund- 

 ance of this 

 valuable green 

 for garnishing 

 and other kit- 

 chen uses 

 all winter. 



2.S. When 

 husking corn, 

 any exception- 

 ally fiinf. ears 

 should be set 

 as.de and saved 

 for seed next 

 year. The ears 

 should be hung 

 up .n some dry 

 place wheie the 

 m.ce will not 

 be able to reach 

 them. Sus- 

 pending by 

 wire is good. 



WEDNESDAY 



1. Don't ne- 

 glect to get 

 hyacinths and 

 other early 

 flowering types 

 o 1 bulbous 

 plants boxed 

 up or planted 

 in pots pre- 

 paratory to 

 forcing them in 

 thegreenhouse. 

 They should be 

 buried out-of- 

 doors to facili- 

 tate rooting. 



S. Hay thrown 

 o\'er tender 

 garden crops 

 such as egg- 

 plant, peppers, 

 lettuce, will 

 protect them 

 from damage 

 by light frosts. 

 It must be it- 

 moved durmg 

 the day and 

 applied only at 

 night. Do not 

 use enough to 

 break them. 



15. The 

 plantings of 

 new trees may 

 be attended to 

 at this time. 

 With the diy 

 summerswhich 

 have prevailed 

 lor the past 

 few years, fall 

 plantings have 

 given better re- 

 suits than 

 where work of 

 this sort was 

 done in spring. 



22. Don't 

 neglect to 

 mulch heavily 

 with manuieor 

 any loose ma- 

 terial, all ever- 

 greens that 

 have been 

 transplanted 

 during the cur- 

 lenr year. The 

 first wmter is 

 the cri ti cal 

 period with 

 these trees, and 

 they need care. 



20. After the 

 foliage falls all 

 fruit trees and 

 other decidu- 

 ous tiees sub- 

 ject to the at- 

 tacks of scale 

 should be 

 spiayod witl. 

 any of the sol- 

 uble oil mix- 

 tures. Lilacs 

 aie especially 

 susceptible to 

 attacks of the 

 scale pest. 



THURSDAY 



2. IE you 

 have heated 

 frames of any 

 kind, why no^ 

 use them for 

 the forcing of 

 quiCk maturing 

 vegetables 

 such as rad- 

 ishes, spinach, 

 beans, etc. 

 They may be 

 sown now, to 

 yield crops 

 during the win- 

 ter months. 



9. Celei y 

 must be kept 

 hilled. Hold 

 the stalks to- 

 gether tightly 

 with the hand 

 to prevent dirt 

 from getting 

 down into the 

 heart. Keep 

 billing as they 

 glow, since it is 

 contact with 

 the earth that 

 gives celery 

 flavor. 



16. What 

 about some 

 bulbs for house 

 forc.ng to 

 bloom about 

 Christmas 

 time? Paper 

 whites, Pott- 

 baker tulips, 

 narcissus and 

 various other 

 early foi cinp 

 bulbs may be 

 grown success- 

 fully in the 

 house. 



2.3. Start now 

 to collect all 

 the old leaves, 

 bringing them 

 to one point. 

 Do not ever 

 burn them, be- 

 cause, when 

 rotted, they 

 are one of the 

 best of all fer- 

 tilizing ma- 

 terial. Store 

 them in some 

 obscure, shel- 

 tered coiner. 



30. This is 

 an excellent 

 time to desticy 

 any aphids 

 which may be 

 on the white 

 pines and other 

 evergreens. A 

 th'o rough 

 spraying with 

 a strong to- 

 bacco and soap 

 mixture wiU 

 free the trees 

 from this 

 pest. 



FRIDAY 



3. Don't fail 

 to make ar- 

 rangements to 

 pick the fru.t 

 and store it 

 properly. The 

 best method is 

 lo wrap each 

 fruit separately 

 in tissue paper, 

 storing them in 

 boxe.sinada'rk. 

 cool place. Be 

 careful that 

 they are not 

 biuised. 



10. Cauliflow- 

 er just starting 

 to head up 

 should be lifted 

 very carefull> 

 and placed in 

 frames where 

 it will mature 

 properly. The 

 plants may also 

 be planted in 

 tubs and 

 moved to a 

 barn, garage or 

 other frost- 

 uroof place. 



17. Don't 

 neglect succes- 

 sional sowing 

 of the vege- 

 tabl e crops 

 planted in the 

 gi eenhouse. 

 Lettuce, cauli- 

 flower, spinach, 

 radishes and 

 beans require 

 seeding about 

 every two oi 

 three weeks in 

 order to insure 

 a supply. 



24. Don't for- 

 get to plant a 

 few oi the more 

 hardy t>T)es or 

 narcissus in 

 some secluded 

 corner where 

 they may go 

 on naturalizing 

 and spreading 

 by themselves. 

 In a few years 

 e n o I m o u s 

 masses are pos- 

 s i b 1 e from 

 small plantings. 



31. Arrange- 

 ments should 

 be made to 

 protect the 

 roses, the best 

 method being 

 to do them up 

 ;n straw over- 

 coats. In ad- 

 dition to these, 

 earth should be 

 banked around 

 the plants so as 

 to throw the 

 water away 

 from them. 



SATURDAY 



4. Flower 

 beds composed 

 of tender plants 

 can be made to 

 last consider- 

 ably longer by 

 a slight cover- 

 mg to protect 

 them from 

 frost. An old 

 sheet or blan- 

 ketofany kmd, 

 with a few sup- 

 poi ts, may be 

 used for this 

 purpose. 



U. Why not 

 have some fruit 

 trees around 

 your garden, 

 preferably on 

 the north side? 

 Or perhaps you 

 have room for 

 a small o r- 

 chard. This is 

 the proper time 

 to set the trees 

 out, except the 

 plums, cherries 

 and other pit 

 fruits. 



IS. Stop 

 feeding tiie 

 chrysanthe- 

 mums just as 

 soon as the 

 buds show col- 

 or. It is a good 

 practice to 

 shade the 

 greenhouse 

 slightly. This 

 will give ron- 

 s i d e r a b I y 

 longer petals 

 and 1 a r g cr 

 flowers. 



25. Shut olT 

 and drain all 

 irrigating sys- 

 tems and other 

 exposed 

 plumbing 

 pipes, and 

 empty concrete 

 pools, etc. All 

 faucets should 

 be left open to 

 assure proper 

 drainage of the 

 piping. If 

 they freeze 

 they will burst. 



/ lore to see a 

 hough acivss 

 the moon 

 When, likf? a 

 scarlet lan- 

 iern of Ja- 

 pan, 

 Low in the east 

 it hnngs 

 Pntduii', ob~ 

 scxued, and 

 dim. 

 IViJIiain Doiiril'iK 



JT makes mc smile sometimes to hear city folks falkin' 'bout hozv they'd like to go to farmiu' — "it's 

 -* such a easy, restful life!" Diirn fctv of 'em seems to realize that a real farmer gits up at four-thirty 

 or five A. il/. the year 'round, an' ivorks till dark. Sure, I'll 'low they's breaks dnrin' the day — restln' 

 the team when ye're plozvin' , scttin' by the spring under the big maple an' zvipin' off the sweat ivhen 

 hayin' time comes, talkin' crops an' politics 'side the road zvhcn the R. F. D. feller conies with the mail. 

 If 'tzvarn't for them interruptions I don't b'lieve us farmers could git along; we got to have some change 

 from hoein' potatoes an' hollerin' "WHOA !" An' daggone it. a man needs a chanct once in a while to 

 chaw on a straw an'^ calc'latc. They's lots o' things to stop an' figgcr on — hozi- much of a cut to make in 

 the woodlot next winter, when the drought's a-goin' to break, whether them tzvo Holstein heifers o' Jake 

 Hopper's is really worth a hundred apiece, or zvho's to be the next postmaster nozv that old Bill's dead 

 an' gone. Reckon mebbe it's because they sees us a-chaivin' an' calc' latin' an' a-gossipin' round the- 

 sand box in the store at the Corners that city folks think we ain't got much work to do, or else are just 

 plumb laay. But Just let 'em try fcrmin' onct, theh selves! 



— Old Doc Lemmon. 



Dig Up ajid store all 



the tender bidbous 



plants such as can- 



nas, dahlias, etc. 



Bidb planting 



should b e started 



noiv, and continued 



until frost comes 



The root crops can 



be stored in boxes 



and covered with 



drv sand 



Label the gladioli 



bulbs before storing 



them away for the 



winter 



Greenhouse work gets binder way this 

 month, in preparation for the winter bloom- 

 ing season. The sweet peas should be 

 kept cidtivated 



The collecting and saving of autumn leaves 

 should not be overlooked. When rotted, 

 they make excellent midching and fertiliz- 

 ing material 



Dahlias, too, ought 



to be clearly labeled 



when taken from 



the ground 



