246 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENING 



Flowers. — If the bulbs for spring flower beds have not 

 been set they should be attended to the first thing this month. 

 Later cover the beds with a mulch of straw or leaves. 



Sweet peas may be planted in November. They will blos- 

 som much earlier in the spring. Fill the trench with very 

 rich compost and let the seeds be planted six inches deep. 

 They will not start until spring. 



Cinerarias, dwarf French marigold and perhaps other 

 annual flowers planted in July or August may be protected till 

 November, and then transplanted into pots for the window 

 garden. They will give a fine show of blossoms through the 

 winter. Lilies-of-the-valley, Eoman and Dutch hyacinths and 

 Chinese lilies should be placed in pots of soil in a cool cellar 

 during this month. Let the gi^owth be controlled by the 

 temperature so that they will be ready for blossoming about 

 Christmas time, or whenever desired. When the bulbs begin 

 to swell bring them out to 'the light. 



This is the best month of the year for chrysanthemums. 

 Plants should be potted in time for use for a show in windows. 



DECEMBER 



Vegetables. — Mushrooms may be started in half-rotted 

 manure in a dark cellar or pit. Plenty of water and occasional 

 ventilation may be recommended. The heat required for the 

 growth comes from the rotting of manure. 



Transplant some of the garden crops to boxes and keep 

 them fresh in the cellar. This is possible with such crops 

 as cabbage, carrots, kale, salsify, parsnips and green onions. 

 Keep &e roots covered with sand, sod or soil to prevent wilt- 

 ing. This plan of storage is not permanent, but will keep a 

 few such vegetables fresh in the cellar for a month or two. 



The out-door garden crops, which are to stand the winter, 

 should now be well protected with litter of some kind. The 

 amount of cover will depend somewhat on the location or lati- 

 tude, and the kind of crop. Kale, winter onions and spinach 

 may be kept in this way. 



