340 WORK BY SEASONS 



August. — Watch the lawns closely. This may be a hot, dry 

 month and ruin the lawns. Give plenty of water. Keep the 

 growth clipped close to prevent evaporation and improve the 

 looks. If the ground is cracked badly, harrowing the surface may 

 help it. Some nitrate of soda sown over the grass just before 

 watering will stimulate the growth at this season. 



This is a good time to plant strawberries. Strong plants should 

 be secured by taking those which have been rooted in pots plunged 

 near the parent plants, or the strongest plants may be dug from 

 near the old plants. These should be set in the new bed and 

 watered well. If they are made to grow enough this fall before 

 frost comes they will bear a fairly good crop next season, saving 

 practically a year's time. 



September. — This should be one of the best months in the year 

 for a beautiful show of the home grounds. Keep everything in 

 trim, going over the shrubs, mowing the lawn and checking all 

 attacks of fall web worm or other insects. 



If it is still necessary to sow a cover crop among the bush fruits 

 or in the orchard, use rye chiefly. Vetch will also start this late. 

 It is now rather too late for crimson clover unless sown early in 

 September. 



October. — Grass seed may be sown profitably early this month. 

 As soon as fall rains begin grass seed should be started, so as to 

 give as much time for growth as possible before winter. 



Prepare fruits for the fall apple show if one is to be held in your 

 community. 



Evergreens may be transplanted this month. Put a good mulch 

 over the soil after the planting is done. The work must be done 

 carefully to avoid exposure of the roots. 



Much of the planting of shrubs and trees should be done this 

 month. Fall is a good time for much of this work in the southern 

 states. Look over the catalogs, and order trees and shrubs early. 

 Begin the transplanting as soon as the leaves have fallen. 



November. — Transplanting should be pushed in earnest. When- 

 ever trees and shrubs are moved, prune the roots to remove broken 

 or injured parts. Always prune the top to correspond to the 

 pruning of the roots caused by digging. 



You can begin the manuring and mulching of the bush fruits, 

 the hedges, and the shrubs this month. Deep litters may cause 

 damage by field mice. This can be prevented by tramping or 

 rolling the mulch down occasionally until the ground freezes, or 

 the work may be delayed until freezing time. 



