96 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



October, 1917 



will furnish both green "scallions" as well as 

 large onions, long before either may be grown 

 from seeds or common sets. 



Asparagus, rhubarb, and horse radish may 

 still be planted and a year's time be gained in 

 having them large enough for use. Remember 

 that asparagus should not be cut for at least 

 one year after two-year-old roots are planted, 

 and for two years if one-year-old roots are 

 used. The same may be suggested for 



rhubarb. Horse radish planted now will be 

 ready for digging next fall. 



Enjoy these Delicacies at Christmas 



•"TOWARD the end of the month (after the 

 *■ frost has killed the tops) go into your gar- 

 den and dig up one of the largest clumps of 

 rhubarb. Bring it into the cellar, place in 

 bottom of a barrel and move within 10 feet of 

 furnace. Within a few weeks you will be able 

 to cut long, pink sprouts that will make the 

 most delicious sauce. Of course, doing this 

 means the complete sacrifice of the clump 

 which will have all the life "forced" out of it 

 before spring. 



Witloof chicory roots should be dug this 

 month, tops cut back to within an inch of 

 crown of plant and set out again in boxes in the 



cellar. The boxes in which to grow this de- 

 licious vegetable must be deep enough to hold 

 the roots in an upright position (8 to io inches) 

 besides allowing a covering of six or eight ad- 

 ditional inches of sand or light soil, through 

 which the sprout should push, to be of choicest 

 quality. 



Dig up a couple of roots of parsley, trim 

 slightly, cut back top to within an inch of 

 crown, saving the delicate centre sprouts, how- 

 ever. Plant two or three of these roots in a 

 six inch pot and keep in a sunny window in the 

 living room. It will supply garnishing. 



Taking Care of the Root Crops 



tTARDINESS (or lack of it) is the de- 

 * ■*■ termining factor in handling the root crops 

 this month. Beets, carrots-, celeriac, kohl- 

 rabi, winter radishes, turnips and rutabagas 

 must be harvested before heavy frosts become 

 the rule, as should also onions and leeks, 

 though these two really do not belong among 

 the root crops, proper. 



On the other hand, parsnips and salsify 

 may remain in the open ground all winter, pro- 

 tected just sufficiently to make easy access to 

 the rows possible whenever a supply of roots 

 is wanted. 



Beets, carrots, etc., may either be stored in 

 pits in the garden, or in boxes with dry sand or 

 soil in a frost proof cellar. In any case, see 

 that the roots are in first-class condition, free 

 from blemishes, bruises or defects caused by 

 chewing insects — roots of that kind are apt to 

 rot and will infect the others. 



Root crops stored outdoors must have well- 

 drained pits, so that any seepage of water 

 during the winter does not spoil the bottom 

 layers. Several inches of coal ashes or cinders 

 spread all over bottom of pit, will serve the 

 purpose well. Spread the sound roots over 

 this in layers and cover with from 2 to 4 inches 

 of soil at first. As the weather gets colder, 

 add more soil and, eventually, some straw or 

 mats, kept in place by boards. 



Cellar-stored roots may be packed in barrels 

 or boxes, like potatoes, for instance. When 

 small individual boxes are resorted to for the 

 different kinds of roots, put an inch layer of 

 dry soil or sand in bottom of each; then place 

 roots on top of that, filling space between with 

 more soil. Then follow with alternating lay- 

 ers of roots and soil until box is nearly full, 

 when it should be topped with soil. All root- 

 crops will keep well if handled in this fashion 

 and if kept away from heat and light. 



ORDERS OF THE DAY 



grow as long as they wish, but to reduce this 

 length somewhat bend them over without 



-jfc- When a compost pile is not desired 

 much of the garden debris may be used 

 for mulching the perennial crops such as 

 asparagus, strawberries, blackberries, 

 rhubarb, and fruit trees provided that the 

 material is not infested with insect or fungous 

 enemies. In that case better place it on a 

 pile of dry rubbish — pea sticks, for instance 

 — and burn it without delay. Weeds that 

 are so nearly mature that their seeds would 

 prove a menace to future crops may be burned 

 — but there should be no such weeds, only 

 younger ones. 



ic Be sure to save all ashes from bonfires 

 because they are rich in potash which in these 

 days is almost beyond price so far as garden- 

 ing is concerned. They may be scattered on 

 the garden soon as made without danger of 

 loss because potash is "fixed" in the soil. 

 Hence potash in any form may be applied 

 in the fall, so may phosphoric acid. Not so 

 nitrogen, especially in the form of nitrateof soda 

 and sulphate of ammonia, because being highly 

 soluble it will be washed out of reach of the 

 plant roots unless the ground is well hidden by 

 a cover crop at the time. Use such soluble 

 fertilizers in the spring as a rule and their 

 effects will be more noticeable and satisfac- 

 tory. 



-k To PREVENT NEWLY SET AND SMALL FRUIT 



and ornamental trees from being whipped 

 about and loosened by the wind tramp the soil 

 firmly about their bases, piling it up several 

 inches and tramping again. Then drive a 

 stout stake on the side opposite the prevailing 

 wind and tie the tree to it, first passing the 

 tying material, preferably a broad band of 

 burlap, around the tree at least once so tree and 

 stake won't rub at the point tied. The ad- 

 vantage of having the stake on the leeward 

 side is that the sawing of the bandage will be 

 prevented and the stake will support the tree 

 at more ' than one point. Stakes should be 

 driven in the ground at least two feet and ex- 

 tend above four to six. 



■^r It's an easy matter to get new plants of „ •. ., . . . . , . ,. ., , . , ... 



J Tii Save the last green tomatoes by picking after the frost kills 



BLACKCAP RASPBERRIES. J USt let the Stems the vines. Wrap in paper and put in cellar to ripen 



damaging them and let the tips touch 

 the ground. When they do touch, fasten 

 them so the wind will not whip them 

 about. In a couple of weeks these tips 

 may have formed roots and the buds near 

 the ends may have begun to develop shoots 

 which in due time and with similar pegging 

 will take root. Leave them alone until next 

 spring unless you put a little mulch on them 

 for the winter. But don't attempt to trans- 

 plant them in the fall; they don't do as well 

 as when spring planted — too many die. When 

 severing them avoid cutting off too much of 

 the parent stem. 



ic Those big, old stems in the currant and 

 gooseberry bushes had better be cutout. They 

 have borne now for four years and the fruit 

 is becoming inferior. They choke the younger 

 proportionately more productive stems. 

 Moreover, they are a menace to the balance of 

 the plant because being on the wane they at- 

 tract insects and diseases. As soon as the fruit 

 has been gathered they may be cut out piece- 

 meal if necessary to avoid damage to the bal- 

 ance of the bush. As to the spindly little stems 

 that are beginning to form a thicket, better 

 wait till spring to cut them out; their foliage 

 will help strengthen the balance of the plant. 



ic Rose chafers or beetles are pretty 

 nearly the recognized "limit" of bug pests. Un- 

 til ayearor two ago they were believed to thrive 

 upon kerosene and arsenates and to have 

 such resilience that a two hundred pound man 

 as an upper millstone and a concrete pavement 

 as the nether were necessary to put them out 

 of effective business. These are the inch-long 

 bronzy olive awkward leggy beetles so common 

 on grapes, roses, cherries, apples, raspberries, 

 etc., ad. libitum. Much can be done to re- 

 duce the number of beetles, which prefer sandy 

 soil in which to lay their eggs, by destroying 

 grasses on which the larvae feed from mid- 

 summer till fall and again during the latter 

 part of May — three times a week apart. From 

 November till midspring the creatures are too 

 far below the surface to be reached by tillage 

 tools. 



