ABOVE all things plant peonies now! 

 This beautiful hardy perennial is 

 becoming justly more popular 

 every year; there is a wide range of 

 colors, a good variety of forms; it is not 

 in the least exacting and increases rapidly. 

 Present And °f course you can con- 

 _. ,. tinue planting irises. These 



Planting have a tota n y different range of 

 colors, and are even of greater variety of 

 type and season, etc. Other perennials will 

 soon be available for planting and with 

 very few exceptions they can all be handled 

 safely in fall. Prepare to replenish borders 



where plants are lacking; and if you do not now have a perennial border start 

 preparations at once. 



And now the early bulb arrivals are due! Being a Garden Magazine reader 

 your order is in long ago. Don't let the bulbs lay around after you receive 

 them, but get them into the ground just as soon as possible, as they will make 

 considerable root growth between now and the time of cold weather. The 

 quality of the flower depends in a large measure on the development of the roots. 



SEPTEMBER is the best month (excepting June) in the rose garden with 

 the hybrid teas producing plenty of bloom and the flowers should be of a 

 good quality with colors richer than in "the month of roses." Unless the beds have 

 been well fed earlier give now manure water or some other form of "quick food." 

 Flowers in All ta U flowers (cosmos, dahlias, etc.,) must be kept staked and 

 „ don't be afraid to cut flowers freely as they develop. Anemones 



Season ^^ ^ e ; m p rovec i considerably by the application of a little plant 



food just as soon as the buds show. 



If you haven't already taken the cuttings of the various bedding plants give 

 attention at once. Taking the cuttings need not in any way destroy the effect 

 of any bed, because the necessary pieces can be taken at various intervals and 

 should leave no holes or bad spots behind. Geranium, coleus, alyssum, ageratum, 

 verbena, heliotrope and other tender bedding plants are all best if raised from 

 cuttings. Remove at once all the dead plants and don't get careless because 

 the season's end is near. Neglect now you pay for in extra work in spring. 



THIS is positively the last call for clipping hedges this season. Late growth 

 from late clipping makes the whole plant tender and susceptible to injury 

 from winter cold. Now, to-day, make plans for fall planting. Don't wait until 

 the season is "right on top of you," and it is not necessary to wait until all the 

 Getting ready leaves have dropped; when the leaves turn color the wood is 

 . ripe, and the plants may be moved. Get ready a storage place 



tor .flail £ or sucn tender plants as the hydrangea, bay tree, etc.; you 



can't tell how soon it will be necessary. 



Burning up the fallen leaves is wilful waste, as when rotted they make one of 

 the finest of fertilizers, and for lightening up heavy soils have no superior. Why 

 not start right by preparing a place for their storage? 



IT IS still not too late to sow lawns with the assurance of success, if done 

 early in the month to get a good root development before winter. Watering 

 newly sown lawns is not a wise act; far better to leave them alone until a good 

 iw t rain occurs, because in order to start properly the new lawn must 



have all the conditions that accompany rain, such as darkness 

 and a dull, moisture-laden atmosphere. 



HAVE you studied the mulching question? People who complain about 

 their trees, shrubs and vines not doing well should devote a little attention 

 to this subject. Shrubs and shrubbery borders of all kinds can be prevented 

 from running down by winter mulching; tender plants that are killed or par- 

 Why many tially killed during severe winters can be saved by winter mulching; 

 trees or shrubs standing as individual specimens should always 

 Trees Die h ave a mu lch applied in fall; bulbs of all kinds should have a 

 winter mulch. It is too early yet to apply any mulch but it is not too early to 

 get the manure on hand ready for use when required. 



REALLY you don't need a forty acre lot to grow fruits; a few trees can be 

 grown on a very small area and in extreme cases dwarf trees can be re- 

 sorted to. But whatever your conditions, make preparations now to plant a 

 few trees this fall; and fall is a good season for planting, although it is generally 

 Plant some conceded that the stone fruits are better planted in spring. 

 . With a good mulch the first winter there is no danger whatever 



Fruit 1 rees j n se tting them out at this time. Order now, prepare the ground 

 now, and plant just as soon as you can get delivery. Read the recent articles 

 by Mr. Mattern and select your varieties according to your needs and region. 



KEEP after the cabbage worm on late cabbage and cauliflower; it might be 

 dangerous to use a poison spray at this time so do the next best thing — . 

 pick off the caterpillar. This is not such a hard task as it may seem. If you are 

 intending to leave the cabbage to the mercy of the bugs you would do better to 

 Crops now P u ^ li out anc ^ ^ ee( i to tne chickens. Potatoes can be dug any 

 . time now; do this during good clear weather, as a potato should 



Growing g ^ s t rage perfectly dry. Just as soon as you get out the po- 

 tatoes sow down with some good cover crop such as crimson clover. If you 

 want parsley in your frames this winter you can lif t some roots from the garden. 

 This will do very well in a frame with a little protection. 



Celery will need some attention; the early crop should now be ready for the 

 table and can be blanched. A special paper for blanching is on the market, or 

 ordinary planed boards may be used. Pick off and destroy any diseased leaves 

 and spray with bordeaux mixture at the first indication of blight. Remember 

 always that celery wants lots of water. Just as soon as the tops of the asparagus 

 "ripen up " they can be cut off and burned ; then give the bed a thorough cleaning 

 leaving not one single weed behind, and keep in this condition until you apply 

 the mulch later on. 



THE MONTHS 

 REMINDER 



COMPILED WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE HOME GARDEN, FROM 

 THE TEN YEARS' DIARIES OF A PRACTICAL EXPERT GARDENER 



For reckoning dates, the latitude of New York City is generally taken as a 



standard. In applying the directions to other localities, allow six 



days' difference for every hundred miles of latitude 



THERE are several very sound reasons 

 for the use of a cover crop in the 

 orchard. In the first place, it acts as a 

 mulch on the ground during winter and 

 Cover Crops prevents root killing 



c «. r\ u a on the more tender 

 for the Orchard . • 



varieties during very 



severe weather; secondly it keeps down 

 weed growth the following spring; thirdly, 

 it adds fertility to the soil to no small 

 degree; and fourthly, it improves the 

 character of the soil by the addition of 

 humus which, by the way, is seriously de- 

 ficient in practically all soils. Select the 

 cover crop to meet the demands of your soil conditions. Heavy clayey 

 soils require cover crops of an unnitrogenous character such as rye, buck- 

 wheat, oats, millet or rape; light porous soils need nitrogen therefore use 

 cover crops that gather and store this element, such as crimson clover, red 



clover, cowpeas, soy beans, or vetch; soils that are fairly evenly balanced 



heavy but not stiff — should have a mixture of rye and crimson clover, or buck- 

 wheat and vetch. 



SOW lettuce in plenty early this month to mature before the real bad weather 

 sets in, and this batch will, with a little protection, last until well in the 

 cool weather. Use the large heading types for fall sowing such as Maximum, 

 New York, Big Boston, and May King. Sow spinach to be covered during win- 

 Seeds Yet ter for a very early crop next spring. Make a couple of sowings 

 , , o of peas during themonth; this is a gamble, pure and simple. The 



sown g rs (. sowm g w ;vj probably mature and the frost may destroy the 

 other but seed is cheap, and if by any chance the weather be favorable your 

 effort will have been well worth while. Radishes can be sown, of course, as they 

 need cool weather to become both crisp and sweet. Endive (or "escarolle") 

 is a good fall crop, with slight protection. Having an ordinary coldframe make 

 a sowing now for a delicious salad in late fall and early winter. 



KEEP the ground well cultivated, never allowing a crop of weeds to run to 

 seed at this late day; because they will surely cause trouble next spring. 

 Remove all crops that have finished, and sow a cover crop to suit your soil (see 

 a preceding paragraph). Now is the appointed time to really improve the soil! 

 Soil Improve- ^ a & ^iS soil that does not "work" well, plow or dig in 



_ . fall after the crops are gone, getting down as deeply as 



ment. .Dynamite poss ible using a subsoil plow; if the lower stratum is stiff 

 and clayey let the ground lay just as rough as possible and give the soil a good 

 thorough liming; use plenty of lime and let it lay all winter. Where there is a 

 very marked hardpan bottom dynamite may be used to break it. This is work 

 for skilled intelligence and should be well studied. September and October are 

 the months for this as the method is not applicable on wet soils. The Garden 

 Magazine Readers ' Service will give you specific advice on this if desired — as 

 also on other things. 



IF YOU haven't already sown tomatoes for forcing see to it at once. I always 

 had a couple of plants each of the Red Currant and of the Red and the 

 Yellow Cherry; these force well, and are very effective in winter for garnishing 

 and making salads. Last month was the proper time to sow sweet peas but it is 

 Seeds for the still not too late to have the best results if done at once. 

 _ , Sow beans inside the latter part of the month, and success- 



(jreennouse ional sowings can be made about every three weeks. To- 



matoes and cucumbers should be sown at once, both can be grown in the same 

 house; select a place in the warm end of the house and box in under the bench 

 to give the cucumbers bottom heat. 



Annuals which can be sown at this time for growing in pots or solid beds are 

 plenty. Mignonette, stocks, nicotiana, schizanthus, and gypsophila all force 

 well, and excepting mignonette which is not a cropper, can be sown at various 

 periods to keep up a supply. 



RUST is apt to start in carnations at this season of the year; but if you keep 

 the house well ventilated and don't over water (remember the benches 

 are by no means filled with roots yet) there should be no trouble; but, if there is 

 the least indication of rust spray the plants regularly with copper carbonate 

 Roses and solution. Keep the soil well stirred on the rose benches and 

 _ . keep diseased leaves picked off, ventilate freely, and during 



carnations continued dull weather keep plenty of air on with enough heat 

 in the pipes to keep the atmosphere wholesome. After roses and carnations are 

 established in the benches a very pretty effect can be created by sowing some 

 trailers along the outside edge of the benches; these will also furnish some 

 flowers for cutting. Sweet alyssum and candytuft can be used in the carnation 

 house, while nasturtiums are very good for the rose house. 



ALL summer flowering bulbs should now be gradually ripened up, by 

 watering rather infrequently until the foliage turns color. The pots can 

 then be placed on their sides to finish the ripening process. 



Sow pansies for forcing in frames; buy good seed (the best is poor enough) 

 Bulbs and Plants an( i use g°°d rich soil when planting. This is the time 



. « _ when trouble usually develops with the violets. Keep 



in the Greenhouse t]ie pi ants we u cultivated and all runners removed. I 

 do not recommend planting inside before next month. 



Perennials and biennials sown last month should now be transplanted in a 

 coldframe. There is no special care required with this class of plants only to 

 get them properly established in their new quarters before very severe weather 

 sets in. 



Keep feeding chrysanthemums until they show color. Use sprays frequently 

 to keep the black fly in check, and keep the house as cool as possible. Shading 

 the house slightly when the blooms show color will give longer petals. 



49 



