THE MONTH'S REMINDER 



PREPARE FOR THE HARVEST— GARDENING FOR THE WINTER— LATE WORK OUTDOORS 



NO OTHER month in the garden 

 calendar is so likely not to be used to 

 full advantage by the average 

 gardener as this fine month of 

 September. With weather favorable for good 

 growth; with cool late afternoons which still 

 give opportunity for a little garden work 

 '"after hours"; with any number of things 

 that can be done now instead of being put off 

 until the crowded weeks of next spring — with 

 all these there is little excuse for the gardener 

 who cannot find plenty of opportunities for 

 all his energies and his skill. 



A Chance on Late Plantings 



~\ X7TULE too late for many of the things 

 ' * which could be planted last month, 

 there are nevertheless a number which can 

 still be put in with a fair chance that they will 

 "come through" in time. Even fairly well 

 north, there are still some sixty days of grow- 

 ing weather probable. This means that 

 radishes, lettuce, spinach, and turnips may 

 still be planted; while even with early beans 

 and beets one can well afford to take a 

 "sporting chance." Beans that are pro- 



tected from the first frost by leaves, hay, or 

 irrigation are likely to bear a good crop after- 

 ward. Beets will of course not mature, but 

 they will have time, with fair luck, to reach 

 the size when they are most delicious for eat- 

 ing, and the tender roots may be canned. 



Get Ready — And Then Get Busy! 



"\ X 7TTILE a last pot shot at vegetable 

 * ' planting may be taken, still that is only 

 a minor part of the month's work, and no 

 good gardener will feel that he has "done his 

 bit" of fall planting if he stops there. The 

 plantings of perennials, shrubs, evergreens, 

 and hardy bulbs that should be made during 

 the next six weeks are among the most im- 

 portant things in the year's programme. 



If your orders for all these things have not 

 yet been sent in, send them in at once. No 

 need of waiting to get catalogues. Better still, 

 however, look through the advertising pages 

 of this month's and last month's Garden 

 Magazine, and order direct from the items 

 described and offered there. Don't be among 

 those who feel that this year may not be the 

 one to plant. Every tree and shrub you set 

 out will within a very few years have added 

 many times its own cost to the value of the 

 place as a whole. Put your place in shape to 

 command its share of the rising real estate 

 values which the next few years will see. 



" Plenty to Eat and Dry Feet " 



HpHERE is no black art about fall planting; 

 •*- commonsense and care tellj in good re- 

 sults. There are a few general principles which 

 should be kept in mind for all fall plant- 

 ing. Be sure the drainage is good! This is 

 even more important now than in spring 

 planting, as the results of poor drainage are 

 likely to be fat,al, due to rotting or to freezing. 

 To improve drainage prepare new beds or 

 borders, or the holes where trees or shrubs are 

 to go, by digging out and putting in a layer of 

 cinders or some similar coarse porous material. 

 If any of the spots to be planted are so low 

 that the use of drain tile is necessary to carry 

 off surplus water, by all means do the required 

 draining before planting is begun. 



Most of the plants set out in the fall will re- 

 main in the same places for a number of years, 

 if not for life; and they need something that 



will stay by them. They can get it in well 

 rotted manure and coarse ground bone. For 

 bulbs, hardy Lilies especially, the manure may 

 better be omitted, and fibrous compost used 

 in its place. A generous amount of ground 

 limestone (not burned or caustic lime) will also 

 be a good precautionary investment, except in 

 the case of those few plants which prefer an 

 acid soil, like Rhododendrons and their kin. 



Getting the New Plants Transplanted 



T^HE plants of various kinds, started 

 ■*• in July or August for new beds or for 

 wintering over, will require attention again 

 this month. Unlike dormant plants set out in 

 the fall, these things should make as much 

 growth as possible after transplanting. There- 

 fore set into permanent positions as soon as 

 possible — that is, as soon as they are large 

 enough to transplant well, and conditions for 

 transplanting are favorable. Pansies, English 

 Daisies, and other similar things which make a 

 compact bushy growth will require no pruning 

 back, but those with very large leaves, or tend- 

 ing to make a tall, single-stalk early growth, 

 may profitably be cut back a third or so when 

 being moved. A little tankage, chicken or 

 sheep manure used when transplanting will 

 help to keep these young plants growing vigor- 

 ously until their natural time to cease growth 

 for the winter; but be careful not to overstimu- 

 late them, especially if they have not been 

 making very rapid growth in the seedbed, be- 

 cause of poor soil, dry weather, etc. 



Putting the Garden Indoors 



DON'T make the mistake of leaving plants 

 designed for winter use, whether vege- 

 tables or flowers, where they are growing until 

 actual freezing weather threatens. As soon as 



DO THIS MONTH 



1. Make the last succession plantings. 



2. Begin jail planting of perennials, shrubs, etc. 



3. Prepare beds and borders for late fall planting. 



4. Get ready for early harvesting. 



5. Build new coldframes and hotbeds, and 



6. Overhaul and repair the old ones. 



7. Put the greenhouse in shape for the winter. 



8. Begin planting under glass. 



9. Put in plants for winter bloom. 



10. Make or remake the lawn now. 



11. Keep the new strawberry bed in shape. 



12. Sow cover crops wherever possible. 



they are large enough to transplant shift to 

 frames or greenhouse, to get established under 

 conditions as nearly as possible like those in 

 which they have been growing. Be careful to 

 have the frames or benches filled with soil that 

 is both rich and clean. One danger point in 

 getting lettuce, or stocks, or pinks, or other 

 plants into winter quarters under glass is the 

 effect of the sun through the glass. Weak 

 whitewash or other temporary shading on the 

 glass (outside), or cloth sash or even newspa- 

 pers over the plants, for a few days after 

 transplanting, will help greatly in getting 

 them used to their new quarters. Water 

 should be given rather sparingly until they be- 

 come established, but frequent sprinkling or 

 syringing of the walks, benches, etc., if the 

 weather is hot and bright, will be of very 

 material benefit. A little nitrate of soda — 

 using about a tablespoonful to the 12-quart 

 watering can — will show marked results if 

 applied as soon as the plants are well rooted. 



4<2 



Begin Planting Under Glass 



^J.ET started with first fall crops from 

 ^-* seed, like radishes and beans; and also 

 sowings for later plantings of lettuce. The 

 more growth they can make with the sash off 

 entirely, or all the "air" that you can give 

 them, the better; they will be healthier, and 

 you will not have to wait so long for the first 

 good things from indoors. 



The Early Frost Gets the Slow Gardener 



Tj^VERY two or three years old General 

 •*— ' Jack Frost catches a bunch of careless 

 gardeners napping. He makes a flying trip 

 without previous warning, and gets such 

 easily injured things as beans, sweet corn, 

 cucumbers, and tomatoes. Therefore the 

 careful gardener takes pains not to get caught 

 unawares as "first frost" date for his section 

 approaches; not the average date on which the 

 first occurs, but the earliest on which it has 

 been known to occur — which is about three 

 weeks in advance of the average. A week or 

 more before that time, begin to reduce any 

 surplus there may be. The tomatoes, of 

 course, are good for any number of pickles and 

 preserves. But in addition to that, the best of 

 the full-grown but green fruits may easily 

 be kept and gradually ripened by storing 

 them in leaves or hay in a dry warm place 

 — like an empty coldframe, with sash handy 

 for cold nights and wet weather. Cucum- 

 bers gathered green and kept in a rather 

 cool, moist place, out of the light, will re- 

 main in good condition for a long time, but 

 if merely "touched" by the frost they will 

 spoil very quickly. 



Get Ready With New Frames 



TF YOU have never before had a coldframe, 

 A make up your mind to get one ready at 

 once. Even if you have to begin at the be- 

 ginning in learning to "run" it, the practice 

 you can get this fall will stand you in good 

 stead in the spring. Moreover — the frame 

 will be ready for you! Don't be in the army of 

 "wishers" again next March. At a reasonable 

 cost you can get your frame, as well as the 

 glass "sash" which goes on top of it, all cut 

 and ready to put together in a jiffy; nothing 

 for the man who receives it to do but put a few 

 bolts in place and dig a little hole. It will also 

 be wise to thoroughly overhaul the old frames 

 at this time. Every cracked glass in the 

 greenhouse, even if it is in no danger of coming 

 out now, should be relaid in fresh putty and 

 made absolutely firm, or better still replaced 

 with a whole new light, using the one removed, 

 for a sash or plant forcer. A glass once cracked 

 is almost sure to cause trouble later on — and at 

 just the worst time. 



Don't Forget the Winter Overcoat 



IN THE rush of work there will be if you 

 try to attend to everything that can be 

 done to advantage this month, don't forget 

 to put a cover crop on every square foot of the 

 garden that is cleared, just as fast as it is 

 cleared, or before. You can rake up the 

 ground and sow between the rows of late 

 crops, such as onions and carrots and late 

 potatoes, and the last planting of sweet 

 corn. The more green stuff you can have to 

 fork or plow under in the spring, the better 

 your vegetable garden will be next season. 

 Herein lies the first step in preparedness for 

 next year s food campaign! — [See page 58J 



