370 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



September, 1910 



sections of the garden. Plowing or digging the vegetable 

 and flower gardens at this time of the year tends to destroy 

 an incalculable amount of insects and to render life far 

 more equable for the gardener another season. 



The shrubs, hardy perennials and conifers should all be 

 heavily mulched with old, well rotted manure at this time 

 of the year, both for their protection and nourishment. 

 The snows and rains of winter will carry the nourishment 

 down into the roots of the plants and the decaying matter 

 will add humus to the soil. 



Of course well-kept lawns will be cleared of all fallen 

 leaves and rubbish and the grass cut rather closely as late 

 in the fall as possible, leaving the clippings on the ground. 

 This does away with the long grass which adds so much to 

 the labor of clearing the lawn in the spring. A top dress- 

 ing of very fine old manure the last thing in the fall or early 

 winter will add materially to the quality and abundance 

 of the grass the coming season or, if there are objections 

 to the presence of barnyard manure in the vicinity of the 

 house, a rather coarse bone meal may be substituted. 



All summer tools should be looked over and put in work- 

 ing order before being put away for the winter. Especially 

 is this desirable in the case of lawn mowers, which should 

 have all metal parts oiled or given a coat of vaseline to pre- 

 vent rust, before being stored in a dry place. Lawn rakes 

 should be hung up where the teeth will be safe from dam- 

 age, as bent teeth in a lawn rake are a nuisance and are in- 

 efficient. 



Set the mole trap at this season; one mole caught now is 

 worth half a dozen caught in the spring after they have 

 begun to breed. If left undisturbed, expect disaster to 

 the lily and bulb beds by spring. 



Seeds of many varieties of flowers may be sown at this 

 season advantageously and will do better than if the sowing 

 is delayed until spring. Poppies, foxgloves, canterbury bells, 

 English daisies, candytufts, sweet alyssum, nicotianas, 

 petunias and the like may be scattered broadcast over 



soil which has been made fine and soft, and if the ground is 

 then given a light rolling with a lawn roller or pressed with 

 a piece of board, that Is all which will be required — except 

 to strew some light litter over them for winter protection, 

 evergreen boughs being about the best litter which can be 

 used. Care should be taken in sowing the seed to scatter 

 them as thinly as possible. 



The manure barrel which has done duty all summer 

 should now be emptied and the contents spread on the rose 

 beds or shrubbery borders where it will be of use, and 

 the barrel stored in a dry place over winter; It will form 

 a safe and convenient receptacle for wood ashes which in 

 February will be spread beneath the evergreens or about 

 the roots of the fruit trees. 



Beds which have been Infested with moles should have 

 the earth forked over to break up the runs or they may be 

 tramped down and raked over; left unbroken they offer run- 

 ways for field mice and other vermin which feed on the 

 bulbs and the roots of the plants. The condition of all 

 water pipes, stand pipes and hydrants should be looked 

 after and the water left out of all surface pipes and tanks. 

 Hose should be drained of all moisture and stored in a 

 frost-proof place for the winter, and if the watering pots 

 are given a coat of paint inside and out their usefulness will 

 be much prolonged, especially If the precaution is taken 

 of hanging them up In a dry place for the winter. All these 

 little things make for economy and leave a wider margin to 

 devote to the purchase of seeds and plants for the garden 

 the coming spring. 



If beddmg plants have been lifted from the beds, leav- 

 ing unsightly holes, these should be filled up and the beds 

 leveled oft and not left to fill with water and to present an 

 unkempt appearance throughout the winter. The neat ap- 

 pearance of the lawn and garden throughout the winter will 

 do much to rob the season of its dreariness and gloom and 

 nothing is more discouraging than dismanteled flower beds 

 left torn up and covered with debris. 



Fences, Walls and Hedges 



(Continued from page 337) 



cobblestones, the best results can be obtained by selecting 

 odd sizes and colors — the larger the stones the better — 

 and putting them together "hit and miss." In building 

 stone walls, too many people pick the stones with careful 

 precision, choosing those of uniform size, then cementing 

 them together "just so." In such a wall there is neither 

 character nor expression. It Is like an insipid face with a 

 "set" smile. 



With houses of shakes, shingles, rustic clapboards, field 

 stones or logs, the fence motif may be of great variation. 

 The wire fence, five or six feet high, with mesh close-woven 

 enough to keep out the neighborly chickens, as well as 

 friendly pigs and cows, is Immensely popular. Supported 

 by green-painted posts, and covered with vines, it forms a 

 luxurious green wall that will blend with any landscape, and 

 almost any home site. It is Inexpensive and durable. For 

 preserving wood fence posts the best plan Is to scorch the 

 portion that is to go In the ground. While still hot, throw 

 a wet sack over it, for the double purpose of steaming it 

 and putting out any possible sparks. After that, dip It into 

 asphaltum, and you will have a fence post that will last al- 

 most forever, one that will be Impervious to worms, bugs, 

 or decay. Field stones or cobblestones, loosely piled with- 

 out using cement, make interesting country fences. While 

 they are a bit crude, their naturalness and lack of artifice 

 always appeal to the passer-by. A low brick wall, hedged 



at the back Is often seen, as is the evergreen or shrub hedge. 

 In localities where timber abounds, the rustic fence of bark- 

 covered logs or branches, has great possibilities. A huge 

 stump here and there along the fence line, as if carelessly 

 dropped. Increases the Interest of the scheme, while wild 

 ferns and other woodsy growths planted at the base, make it: 

 seem comfortable and "at home." An old-fashioned rail 

 fence harmonizes with the rustic house, but to be wholly 

 pleasing, it should be partly overgrown with vines. In fact, 

 after man has finished his work. Nature Is usually called In 

 to add the finishing touches, graces and perfumes. 



When an estate, or a city lot for that matter. Is sur- 

 rounded by a fence, wall or hedge, the whole should climax 

 In street and walk entrances. These should be designated 

 by monuments of timber, brick, stone, cement, or iron. 

 Wood, copper, or Iron lamps or lanterns set on top the en- 

 trance monuments, are attractive in the daytime, and cheer- 

 ing at night. 



There Is an immense amount of sentiment or un-senti- 

 ment expressed in fences, hedges and walls, far more than 

 the casual observer would imagine. The Imposing, formal 

 wall affects one as does the dignified, reserved person, who 

 keeps his best within himself, and while he may not intend 

 to do so, makes you feel unrested and ill at ease. After all, 

 it is the wall of simple, frank construction, with openings 

 for light and bloom that reaches farthest into your heart, 



