6o8 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



Protect late Cherries, also Currants and Gooseberries, 

 from birds. The early kinds of Apples, such as Duchess 

 of Oldenburg, Irish Peach, and Mr. Gladstone, are 

 of better quality if the fruits are gathered from the 

 trees a few days in advance of eating. Culinary 

 kinds, such as the Keswick Codlin, Mank's, and Lord 

 Grosvenor, are best gathered and placed in a cool store, as 

 if left too long many fall. The fruits of early Peaches, such 

 as Hale's Early and Alexandra, should be gathered early in 

 the day. Rivers' Early Nectarine is invaluable this month 

 for first crop on open walls. Strawberry plants layered 

 last month will now be ready to plant. The ground for 

 these should be double dug or trenched and a liberal supply 

 of food be given. Raspberries will crop longer if given a 

 mulch and moisture in dry weather, and as soon as the crop 

 is cleared cut out the old fruiting canes. The growth of 

 autumn fruiters should be regulated, weakly shoots removed, 

 and strong ones supported on wires or stakes. Alpine 

 Strawberry plants should be fed freely in dry seasons, and 

 the fruit thinned for latest supplies. 



SEPTEMBER. 

 The Flower and Indoor Garden.— This is an 



important month, as evergreen shrubs may be planted now ; 

 indeed, no better time can be chosen for the work. Towards 

 the end of the month take up tender plants that are to be 

 preserved through the winter months. Make a sowing of 

 annual flowers. A list is given of the kinds to sow at this 

 time. Strike Roses from cuttings, plant Carnation layers 

 and bulbs, and gather seeds. It is an important month fur 

 bulb planting ; indeed, the writer puts in almost everything 

 now — Scillas, Narcissi, Daffodils, and so forth, keeping 

 back the Tulips until October. There is a wonderful 

 selection of beautiful flowers to be obtained amongst the 

 hardy bulbs. Daffodils and Tulips are hosts in themselves, 

 and bold masses create rich effects. Towards the end of 

 the month more fire heat will probably be necessary, and at 

 any time sharp frosts may be expected. 



The Vegetable Garden.— The hoe should have no 



rest in favourable weather. Digging of quarters needed for 

 winter crops is essential in many gardens where double 

 cropping is carried out ; this work is often a laborious 

 process if at all dry, and it is adviseable that it be 

 done when rain has moistened the soil. Cabbage may with 

 advantage follow Spring Onions, as the land will be in good 

 condition, and in planting Cabbage, if the weather is dry, 

 draw drills, as plants may then be watered more effectually. 

 Sow Lettuce, as advised in August, for spring crops, as at 

 times August-sown plants may be too large to winter well. 

 On the other hand, if the weather is mild there is a great 

 gain of time with August-sown plants. Corn salad 

 sown now will be useful for late autumn and early spring. 

 Endives will be large enough to plant out. A good breadth 

 of the Batavian will be useful for winter supplies if the 

 plants can be protected. Large plants of Lettuce may be 

 lifted with their roots and placed in cold frames for autumn 

 use, and some of the earlier-sown autumn seedlings may be 

 transplanted at the foot of a south wall ; they will winter 

 here better than in open beds. The same advice is 

 applicable to Endives, as often the large-leaved Batavian w ill 

 pass through a winter safe if planted now, as advised. 

 Parsley should be thinned, and some routs of the spring- 

 sown seedlings lifted carefully into frames, or a bed may be 

 covered over with frames and sashes. It is also a good plan 

 to place a few roots in pots or boxes where frame room is 

 limited. Late Potatoes should now be lifted. For late 

 tubers the best mode of protection is doubtless potting, and, 

 what is so important tc the grower, treated thus they keep 

 longer if well protected by soil. Tomatoes on walls should 

 be gathered at the end of the month and placed on shelves 

 to ripen. Frost will injure fruits not quite matured. Gather 

 Capsicums grown in frames and dry them. Vegetable 

 Marrows if cut and placed with the stalk end in water in a 

 cool place will keep for weeks. The same advice is good for 

 Beans fullv grown. Encourage late Peas to grow freely, and 

 should mildew be at all troublesome dust with sulphur, or 

 syringe with a solution of the same. Roots that need 

 ripening, such as Seakale for forcing, should have the old 



leafage removed and weed growth destroyed to admit air 

 freely. 



The Fruit Garden. — This is a busy month. The best 

 kinds of Peaches, Plums, and early Pears will be in season. 

 Peach trees should be gone over at least every other day, and 

 ripe fruits placed in a cool fruit store, as if left till the stalk 

 is loose the fruit will not keep long. Many of our best Pears, 

 such as Louise Bonne of Jersey, Marie Louise, and many 

 others, will be ready to place in the store this month, but 

 there should be no undue haste, as the fruit keeps better 

 when allowed to hang as long as possible. In the case of 

 late Peaches and Nectarines remove all leaves that cover 

 the fruit, and with regard to Figs cut away wood not needed 

 for next season ; this w ill admit light to the trees, and 

 mature the new wood. After the fruit has been gathered 

 from Peaches, Nectarines, and Figs cut out the old fruiting 

 shoots to save pruning next spring, and the wood will then 

 ripen better. Any shoots of Pears or bush Apples not summer 

 pruned may now be taken in hand. Cut secondary growths 

 back to within a couple of buds from their base, and weak 

 shoots may be cut away in the case of crowded trees. 



OCTOBER. 



The Flower and Indoor Garden. — Towards the 



middle of October all tender flowers must be removed from 

 beds and borders, the soil well manured and deeply dug, 

 then planted with bulbs of divers descriptions, somewhat 

 deeply, the soil being then planted with various hardy spring 

 flowers or foliage plants to make the beds green for the winter. 

 Plants thus removed may be put into boxes thickly, 

 or in any way preserved, and be placed in a greenhouse 

 or frame out of the way of frost. All descriptions of 

 deciduous trees or shrubs needing planting, and especially 

 flowering ones, should be attended to now. Then may 

 follow, where needed, lifting, dividing, and replanting, 

 after well manuring and digging the ground, all descriptions 

 of hardy perennials. Fresh ones from the nursery may 

 also be planted now, so also Foxgloves, Sweet Williams, 

 Canterbury Bells, Wallflowers, and other biennials. It is a 

 capital month for the performance of work of this description, 

 and the garden is, in consequence, very gay in the spring 

 and summer following. Leaves that now fall thickly should 

 be collected and stored in heaps, as the matter produced 

 when in a decayed condition is valuable for potting or as 

 manure. All climbers may have now a partial trimming to 

 keep them fairly neat. Early in the month put a last 

 batch of cuttings of Geraniums, Calceolarias, or similar 

 plants into 5m. pots filled with sandy soil, and stand them 

 on shelves near the glass for the winter. Plant window- 

 boxes with small hardy conifers and shrubs, bulbs, and some 

 hardy plants for carpets. Begonia tubers should be lifted 

 from the open ground where they have grown during the 

 summer, dried, then stored in boxes. Canna roots 

 and Dahlia tubers, the stems cut hard down, should also be 

 lifted and dried, then stored on shelves or in boxes, and be 

 kept in a mild but not warm store for the winter. 



The Vegetable Garden.— During this month, and 

 as early as practicable, all late Potatoes should be lifted, 

 sorted into eating, seed, and small sizes, then properly 

 stored after being well dried. In ground that has carried 

 summer crops plant Cabbages, Coleworts, and late-sown 

 Savoys to turn in small in the ensuing spring. All Onions 

 should have been cleared from the ground, well dried, then 

 cleaned, and roped or stored in a cool dry place. Towards 

 the end of the month lift for winter storing the stocks of 

 spring-sown Carrots and Beets, just rubbing the soil and 

 leaves off, then storing them in a very cool place in dry 

 sand. Tomatoes outdoors should now be cleared off ; 

 partially ripe fruits will finish off in a warm room, and 

 green ones may be converted into pickle or preserve. Any 

 seed Marrows should be cut and placed under cover out of 

 reach of frost. Seed Runner Beans should be gathered, lest 

 frosts open them and dislodge the beans. The rows may 

 be cleared away. At the end of the month any Herbs not 

 stored should be cut, dried, and put into paper bags for use 

 as needed. The latest sowing of White Turnips may be 

 moderately thinned. Where White Broccolis are strong 

 grown it is well to lay them on their sides, taking out a spit 



