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Garden Notes for October, 



By W. J. Bell, Florist and Seedsman. 



SOW for succession dwarf beans, beet, 

 cabbage, carrot, lettuce, mustard and 

 cress, onion, radish, tomato, vegetable and 

 custard marrow. ( apsicum and egg- 

 plants may still be sown except in the 

 colder districts. Plant out cucumbers, 

 marrows, tomatoes, luffa and egg gourds. 

 Cucumbers should be planted only in 

 sheltered situations : the south bide of a 

 wall or fence, where they will be well 

 protected from hot dry winds and mid- 

 day sun. Marrows will bear a more sunny 

 aspect, though shelter from hot winds is 

 preferable. 



Tomatoes prefer -a sunny aspect, but 

 should be staked and trained so that the 

 fruit will be protected to a certain extent 

 by the foliage to prevent the sun blister- 

 ing. Plant out in rows three feet apart 

 and two feet between the plants in rich 

 soil. When the fruit begins to set give 

 occasional applications of liquid manure 

 and plenty of water in dry weather. 



The luffa and egg gourds should be 

 trained over a trellis so as to allow the 

 fruit to hang quite free and without 

 touching the ground, as a bruise or con- 

 tinual chafing will cause decay. The 

 luffa or sponge gourd is ripe when the 

 outside skin is quite brown and brittle, 

 and will easily part from the fibrous mass 

 inside, which is in great demand as a 

 substitute for a sponge or dish rag. The 

 egg gourd, so called on account of its 

 similarity to a hen egg both in colour and 

 shape, makes a fine substitute for a nest 

 egg. 



Plants of the susu or Indian marrow 

 should now be planted out where they 

 will have plenty of room, as they make 

 enormous growth in a season, and will 

 produce great quantities of fruits similar 

 in taste when boiled to a marrow. One 

 of these plants if allowed to run into an 

 old tree will keep a family supplied all 

 through the season till frost sets in. If 

 tree tomatoes are required these should 

 be planted out now for .bearing next 

 season. A situation sheltered from high 

 Winds is the most suitable as the stems 

 are rather brittle. 



The main crop of celery should be sown 

 this month for planting out in February. 



The sowing and raising of the young 

 plants require great care and attention. 

 The best position for the celery bed is on 

 the south side of a building or high wall, 

 or a belt of trees if not to near, as shade 

 during the greater part of the day is abso- 

 lutely necessary. The soil should be well 

 worked with a layer of old decayed 

 manure or leaf mould forked in near the 

 surfacp ; this will prevent cracking and 

 backing of the soil, which is so fatal to 

 the young seedlings. Sow the seed on 

 the surface and slightly rake it in, then 

 cover evenly with straw or litter of some 

 kind and give a good watering. The bed 

 after this must never be allowed to get 

 dry, especially after germination has com- 

 menced. 



If a suitable place cannot be found for 

 a celery bed sow in shallow boxes in some 

 sheltered spot, taking care not to have 

 them directly under trees where the drip 

 would be fatal. When the seedling plants 

 begin to show through, a little of the 

 litter may be removed on dull or wet 

 da.YS only, and it will not be safe to remove 

 it entirely until the plants are strong. 

 The seed takes several weeks to germinate. 



Flower Garden. 

 During wet weather all kinds of ever- 

 green fiowering shrubs may be planted, 

 such as abelias, abutilons, azaleas, brun- 

 felsias, camellias, duranta, eurya japonica, 

 Eranthemum, euonymus, galphimia, gar- 

 denia, hibiscus sinensis, holmskoldia, 

 hydrangea, hypericum, justicea, lasiandra, 

 laurestinus, mussaenda, myrtle, oleander, 

 photinia, plumbago, streptosolen, swain- 

 sonia, Turroea, weigelia, &c. All kinds of 

 evergreen creepers should also be planted 

 now, such as aristolochia or Dutchman's 

 pipe, Bignonia speciosa, and tweediana, 

 clerodendron, coboea scanc^ens, ficus 

 repens or creeping fig, grenadilla, wood- 

 bine, red honeysuckle, Japanese Honey- 

 suckle, maurandya, petrea, scarlet, purple, 

 and blue passion-flower, rhyncospermum, 

 solanum jasminoides or potato creeper, 

 solanum wendlandi, tecoma australis, and 

 jasminoides. All varieties of citrus trees 

 may now be planted, taking advantage 

 of wet weather, such as oranges, naartjes, 



