For reckoning dates, the latitude of New York City is genera 

 standard. In applying the directions to other localities 



Soil Improve- 

 ment 



THIS is the big fall planting month, 

 practically all the hardy shrubs, 

 trees and herbaceous plants can 

 be moved at this time. There are 

 a few exceptions, such as the oak, tulip and 

 birch, magnolia, peach, cherry, (i. e., trees 

 Proper Time having thin bark or spongy 

 _. roots.) Indeed, if there is 



to .Plant much planting to be done ' 



this is the very best season of the year, as 

 very nearly all attention can be directed to 

 this one item, whereas in spring there are 

 many other things that demand attention 

 and the time is then so very short. Hot 



weather comes apace. Fall is, of course, the only time to plant Dutch bulbs. 

 Fall is also an excellent time to do any sodding that is necessary. It is like- 

 wise opportune for the installation of any underground electric wiring, water 

 piping, etc., as the winter usually settles the newly laid sod so that it can hardly 

 be detected where the trenches were cut. 



FALL is the proper time to apply lime, an element very essential to some 

 soils and at least beneficial to all soils. A few plants, such as rhododen- 

 drons and others native to sour soils resent lime, but for general garden crops, 

 lime is excellent. A good coating of lime in the fall neutralizes acidity in the 

 soil, is a mild germicide, and has considerable value in liberating 

 plant food in the soil. Order the lime now and when it arrives 

 apply it broadcast, using about one and one half to two tons 

 to the acre, or one fourth to one half pound to ten square feet. It should not be ap- 

 plied oftener than once every two years, as it remains in the soil for a very long 

 period. Get manure for mulching strawberries, etc., carted into the garden and 

 placed where it will be handy when required. It is still too early to apply any 

 mulch. Wait till the ground is frozen. 



SQUASH and pumpkins should be gathered and stored before they are touched 

 by a hea\ r y frost. I have found they keep much better than when al- 

 lowed to get frost bitten, as they "spot" when frozen and soon decay. 



Jerusalem artichokes can be used now. They are ready any time after 

 Crops in ^ey fl° wer - After the tops die they can be lifted and stored the 

 _ . same as potatoes. Late celery must be hilled, being careful not 



.Bearing t0 mu t;i a t e th e s tems as that causes rusty stalks. 



All tomatoes should be picked before the frost destroys them. The ripe 

 ones can be used for canning, and the green ones for preserving. A reasonable 

 number of the best ones can be selected and placed indoors where they will 

 gradually ripen and can be used on the table. 



Before frost the various herbs, such as thyme, sage, sweet marjoram, etc., 

 should be gathered, tied in bundles and suspended from the ceiling of a cellar 

 or dry room. Be sure the plants are perfectly dry when gathered. 



After the frost kills the vines on the sweet potatoes they can be gathered and 

 stored exactly the s^rne as you would handle other potatoes. 



IT IS time enough to plant bulbs. I always advise earlier planting, but 

 you can still get the best of results by planting now. All the hardy bulbs 

 are available: crocus, fritillaria, grape hyacinth, lily, narcissus, scilla, trillium. 

 Bulbs to be hyacinth, tulips of all types, jonquils, chionodoxa, crown im- 

 _. , perials, lily-of-the-valley and snowdrops. Remember — this is 



the last opportunity to get bulbs in now for next summer flower- 

 ing, so don't procrastinate. 



ANY changes contemplated in the perennial border should be attended to 

 at once, particularly if you are not familiar with the various plants when 

 dormant. Another very good reason for doing this work now is that one usually 

 Perennial ^ as more tmi e to spare now than in the spring. All dead tops 

 should be removed from the flowers; the dead annuals can be 



THE MONTHS 

 REMINDER 



COMPILED WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE HOME GARDEN, FROM 

 THE TEN YEARS' DIARIES OF A PRACTICAL EXPERT GARDENER 



days' difference for every hundred miles of latitude 



taken 

 low six 



Borders 



pulled up at the same time. Give all the beds a good, thorough 



cleaning. The best method to dispose of the debris is to burn it. 



MANY folks complain that their perennials, peonies, phlox, etc., do not 

 flower well. The probable reason is that the plants have become over 

 dense and need dividing and resetting. This should be done every four or five 

 Old Established vears f° r very best results. If you can't use the extra 

 _ plants give them to someone else or destroy them even to 



give ample room to the rest. The usual method of division 

 is to chop each clump into four pieces, using a sharp spade or edging knife. 



THIS is also the proper time of the year to prune maple trees. Just before 

 the foliage falls you can see exactly what you are doing and the plants 

 won't bleed. Be sure all climbing vines are properly tied up before winter 

 sets in. The snow and heavy winds are very trying on this class of plants 

 Shade Trees anc * they should be properly supported. 



v . ' Cut the grass just as long as it shows any growth. It is a 



Vines, etc. mistake to let the grass stay long over the winter with the idea 

 of its protecting the roots during severe freezing, because this long straggling grass 

 dies during winter and is no end of trouble to get out of the lawn in the spring. 



AFTER the tops freeze, the tubs of water lilies of the tender varieties should 

 be brought indoors, and gradually dried off to ripen the bulbs. Ever- 

 greens of the juniper type — in fact all symmetrical plants such as boxwood, 

 biotas, etc. — are best protected from being damaged by snow if they are tied 

 Winter Prep- U P over the winter. A straw rope wrapped around the tree 

 and tied is best. Make preparations to gather leaves. If 

 aration y 0U ^g U p a \ oi f i eaves when dry and store'them in a dry 



place they make an ideal scratching litter for the chickens during winter. Orna- 

 mental gourds should be gathered and stored in a dry room before the frost 



strikes them. The frost spots then and 

 they soon decay. 



After frost has killed the tops on the 

 cannas and dahlias they can be cut off 

 close to the ground and the roots lifted 

 and stored in a frost-proof cellar where 

 they can be kept dry. Under the bench in 

 a cool greenhouse is also a good storage 

 space. Everlasting flowers (such as Heli- 

 chrysum, Gomphrena, etc.) should be cut 

 before the frost strikes them. Let them 

 dry out somewhat in the sun before being 

 brought indoors. 



Be sure that all exposed water pipes are 

 drained and shut off before freezing weather sets in. It is also wise to discon- 

 nect any long ones, such as are customary with irrigating systems of various 

 kinds. 



THIS is the time of the year to prune grapes. A great many put off this 

 work until spring and the canes then bleed considerably. At any time 

 after the leaves fall you can go right ahead with the work. 



Give the strawberry bed a thorough cleaning. Next month a winter mulch 

 Orchard and should be applied and it is important that all weed growth 

 p .. „ , be eliminated before this is done. 



fruit uarden stocks for the grafting of various fruits should be gathered 

 just as soon as the leaves fall, and buried in sand where the frost can't reach 

 them. They can be left where buried until grafting time next spring. 



Blackberries and raspberries should be tied onto the trellis before the winter; 

 the vines break very easily from the weight of snow. It is also advisable to 

 cut back slightly any extra long shoots. 



A NUMBER of hardy vegetables, such as spinach, onions, turnips, etc., 

 can be sown now; protected over the winter with a slight covering of 

 salt hay, these will be very early next spring. 



For Next ^ vou haven't already done so, cut the tops off the asparagus 

 v with a scythe; then clean up the bed. But don't apply the mulch 



until the ground is frozen. 



FROM this time onward the greenhouse will become of more importance 

 in the current work. All the hard-wooded tender plants, such as azaleas, 

 acacia, genista, camellia, etc., should be brought in from outdoors and placed 

 in a cool greenhouse or storage pit. 



The Greenhouse Vines planted inside in borders such as allamanda, 

 T. bougainvilliea, stephanotis, etc., should now be gradually 



• dried up to give them a resting period. It is not neces- 

 All Important sar y to withhold water until they lose their foliage, but 



the growth should be checked and the new wood thoroughly ripened before they 

 are started into active growth again, which should not be for several months. 



If you haven't already started to gradually establish a drier atmosphere in 

 the palm house, do it now and not water the plants as copiously as when in 

 active growth. These plants should also have a resting period and too much 

 heat and water is the cause of palms losing their color and looking sickly. 



All summer bulbous plants, such as achimenes, caladium, gloxinia, begonias, 

 etc., should now be thoroughly ripened up. The pots can then be laid on their 

 sides under the bench in a cool greenhouse. 



Shading the chrysanthemums will improve the quality of the flowers. Keep 

 after the black fly, and have the house fairly dry at night to prevent mildew, 

 A light feeding of soot will improve the color of the flowers; otherwise discon- 

 tinue all feeding. Make arrangements now for stock plants for next year. 

 Be sure every plant is correctly named; select vigorous plants only and store 

 them in a very cool place, such as a coldframe or dormant fruit house. 



Violets should be planted indoors early this month. Select a dark day for 

 the work and don't overwater the plants. A watering of lime water occasion- 

 ally will keep the soil sweet. 



Mignonette, stocks, antirrhinum and other plants of this type that are for 

 winter forcing should be benched at once. Use a rich soil and don't overwater 

 until the plants are thoroughly rooted. 



When the cuttings of the various bedding plants are rooted they should be 

 potted up and grown along slowly in a cool compartment. 



Succession sowings of beans, cauliflower, lettuce and radishes can be made at 

 various periods as required. The beans require a fairly warm compartment, 

 but the other vegetables should be in a cool house not over 50° nights. 



Pansies for wintering over in coldframes can be sown now. These will make 

 excellent plants for setting out in spring. 



Pansy plants of any size can be set out this month and will endure the winter 

 if they are just lightly covered with salt hay or something similar. 



Ty"EEP carnations dry at night and watch out for rust. 



Pick off and burn 



any infected leaves and spray with copper solution. 



If the roses are doing at all well give them light applications of liquid food. 



Do not overdo this, however, and always follow the feeding the next time the 



Carnations phmts are dry with an application of lime water. This will pre- 



, p vent the soil souring. 



and Koses ^ ^ s season f t ne vear insect pests of all kinds become 

 troublesome in the greenhouse. Preventive measures are, of course, better 

 than cures but once started we must resort to other measures. Red spider can 

 only be controlled by good hard spraying with water; the under sides of the 

 foliage must be sprayed and every portion of the plant must be covered. In 

 doing this, however, care must be used that the soil in the benches is not kept 

 saturated. All the various types of aphides are controlled by spraying with 

 various preparations of tobacco, kerosene, aphine or some mild fumigant. In 

 extreme cases and for white fly use hydrocyanic gas which, although rather 

 dangerous to use, does the work very effectively. For fungus diseases, bor- 

 deaux mixture or copper solution is the indicated remedy. 



89 



