November, 1909 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



169 



and see if it is not more than one-quarter 

 of the entire bearing period of your garden! 

 Save all the burlap, cheesecloth and other 

 wrapping material that comes to you, sew 

 the pieces in long strips and, after folding 

 up, place where you can lay your hands 

 on them at any time so as to be ready 

 for any emergency. Barrels and boxes of 

 a desirable size are also useful and should 

 be stored away. I am inclined to think 

 it would pay the progressive amateur 

 gardener to buy some frost-proof mats 

 for covering his vegetables; I use them 

 for this purpose but I also need them 

 later on to cover coldframes, so that they 

 serve a double purpose. 



For the last five years I have had sweet 

 corn fit for anyone's table, and I have shown 

 it at the fall exhibitions which are usually 

 held early in November. You too can have 

 it, and also other vegetables that succumb 

 to the first frost, such as egg plant, peppers, 

 lima and string beans. I usually sow three 







Lettuce on November first, showing what early 

 protection has accomplished 



rows of string beans about August ist and 

 again August 15th, sowing the rows close 

 together, and when frost threatens, pick out 

 the best sowing and run a few wires along 

 the top of the row, covering with burlap or 

 mats on cold nights. Beans should always 

 be protected when the temperature falls 

 below 40 degrees. 



The last plantings of lettuce are made close 

 together in bed form rather than in rows; 

 but, if you have not done this, it is an easy 

 matter to lift the plants, care being taken to 

 get a good proportion of the roots. Plant 

 them close together where they can be 

 easily covered on cold nights. Salt hay 

 is the best covering for lettuce, but mats, 

 burlap or paper will do. Lettuce can 

 be kept this way until the holiday season, 

 removing the covering occasionally after 

 a rain, because lettuce will rot from lack 

 of air if damp. 



Salt hay is also an excellent protection for 

 Brussels sprouts; this vegetable can stand a 

 great deal of frost, in fact the flavor of the 

 sprouts is much improved by frosting, but 

 when heavy freezing weather sets in they 

 must be protected. Some folks lift them, 



Store celery by lifting the heads, stacking them 

 close together and filling in with earth 



and store in trenches. I don't; I keep 

 them where they have been growing and 

 cover them thoroughly with salt hay. Win- 

 tered in this manner the sprouts have a 

 much better flavor, and are more crisp than 

 sprouts wintered in a dry cellar or pit. Kale 

 and leek may also be protected in the same 

 manner. 



Pick out a few of the best plants of peppers 

 and egg plant, covering them with a barrel 

 or an old packing box. Or if you have a few 

 old horse blankets or anything of a like nature 

 they will serve as well. On cold nights 

 completely cover the entire plant and you 

 will find it rather an easy matter to have 

 either one of these two vegetables fresh from 

 your garden for Thanskgiving. 



What would you not give for a nice, fresh, 

 milky ear of corn around Election Day? 

 Yet it is a rather easy proposition, all that 

 is needed being to protect the plants from 

 that early frost. A few mats will do, or an 

 old sail from your boat will cover quite a few 

 hills; it makes no difference if the stalks 

 crack a little. If you wish to save the corn 

 for a week or two and a very heavy frost is 

 coming, cut the stalks below the ears and 

 place them in vases of water in a warm 

 place. Corn needs protection when the 

 temperature falls below 40 degrees. 



Another November delicacy is the lima 

 bean. If you grow pole beans pull up the 



poles and lay the vines on the ground, 

 throwing some salt hay over them. If you 

 grow the bush kinds protect them in the 

 row the same as string beans. 



Tomatoes are very easily covered, espec- 

 ially if they have been trained to trestle. 

 Burlap or heavy wrapping paper is an excel- 

 lent covering for tomatoes, but when heavy 

 freezing weather comes other methods must 

 be used. Pick all the green ones and put 

 them in a sunny place where they will 

 ripen; plants well laden with fruit can 

 be cut off entirely. The fruits will finish 

 ripening very nicely. 



Cauliflower can stand a great deal of frost, 

 but care should always be taken to break 

 the leaves over the white heads during frosty 

 weather, as the frost will discolor them. If 

 the leaves are tied above the flower it will 

 serve as well. 



I would like someone to explain to me the 

 logic of working all the season on dahlias 

 and cosmos and then letting them freeze 



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Lettuce in late October; covering material ready 

 for use on the approach of frost 



Place sticks and rods to keep the covering material 

 from crushing the tender leaves of the lettuce 



just as they are beginning to repay you for 

 your trouble. I would not think of growing 

 dahlias or cosmos unless I intended to> 

 protect them. These two gems of the 

 fall garden can be had to brighten the 

 home during the shortening days of fall,, 

 until well into November in most sec- 

 tions; and the effort is worth while, for- 

 the later they are the better their quality.. 

 Merely lay cheesecloth or burlap right 

 over the plants as they stand. 



The little pompon chrysanthemums are' 

 also worth a little protection; they can stand 

 a little frost on the flower, but are better if 

 protected, as the flowers then do not show 

 any of the "damping" and the turning 

 brown of the petals which is sure to come 

 if the frost strikes them. 



All the tender annuals can be kept with us 

 much longer than usual if they are helped 

 through that trying early frost; heliotrope, 

 salvia, petunia and all tender annuals are 

 very easily protected, a few yards of cheese- 

 cloth lightly laid down will protect quite a. 

 fair-sized bed. 



The tender varieties of hydrangeas can 

 also be had in very presentable form until 



