AUTUMN NEEDS 61 
the plants, as it falls flake by flake and settles 
evenly. Snow is the winter blanket par excellence, 
if only it would stay put—which it will not do 
nowadays. Where there are many leaves on plants 
with soft foliage, however, the snow presses the 
dead and living so close together that there is rot- 
ting, which every thaw aggravates. 
As the final operation, cut down all herbaceous 
stalks and lay them between the plants and over 
such as will bear the weight. These stalks are a 
little added protection and they serve to hold down 
the leaves. Cut the stalks with pruning shears 
quite close to the ground and be sure that the 
peonies and hardy chrysanthemums have some of 
their own; they are entitled to them. Light brush 
and small evergreen branches may also be used. 
With every stalk laid low, the beds and borders 
will have the neat appearance that is highly desi- 
rable even if it is not necessary. 
Burn up in autumn any litter not suitable for 
either garden protection or the compost heap. 
There is always more or less lying around and there 
is no time like the preseni to rake it up and reduce 
it to ashes—which, after a bonfire, ought to be 
spread over tilled ground or shoveled up and placed 
around roses and shrubs. Do not burn any fallen 
leaves; if there are too many for the garden, use a 
portion of them for the compost heap and put the 
remainder, sprinkling with water each load when 
dumped, in a trench to form leaf mold for another 
year. 
