DICTIONARY OP SEASONABLE GARDEN WORK. 



755 



Fertilizers. — Most fruits need high feeding, and must 

 have it if best results are looked for. Ashes and bone- 

 dust are superior orchard and small-fruit fertilizers. Old 

 compost is also good. Be sure to use enough. There is 

 little danger of applying too much. In the garden, suc- 

 cess depends largely on your liberality in manuring. 



General Orchard Management. — Keep fences and 

 gates in repair. Cattle and other stock are more apt to 

 injure young trees now than at any other time of the 

 year. Stake newly-set trees. Purchase and heel in 

 any fruit-trees you may wish to plant next spring. 



General Garden Management. — Begin now to make 

 your plans for next season's work. Carefully study up 

 the matter of rotation, also that of feeding your crops in 

 the most effective and economical manner. Repair 

 frames, sashes and tools. Clear up the garden and 

 premises. Underdrain where needed. Beds for early veg- 

 etables should be thrown up in high, narrow ridges, with 

 deep furrows between. This will enable you to plant 

 them several days or weeks earlier than otherwise. 



Grape-Vines. — Prune now in all suitable weather. 

 The good wood cut off may be used for propagation. 

 Tie the cuttings in bundles and pack them in dry sand 

 or in moss in the cellar. Apply fertilizers as they are 

 needed. 



Grafting. — Cut all scions that will be needed during 

 winter or spring, tie them in bundles, label them care- 

 fully, and pack them in sand or damp moss. 



Labels. — Look after labels on newly-planted trees be- 

 fore winter sets in. Be sure they are substantial and 

 properly fastened. The best label we have yet seen is a 

 good-sized wooden one with a large loop of heavy copper 

 wire. The writing is put on with a soft pencil, and the 

 label then dipped in thin white paint. 



Kale. — In very exposed or northern locations cover it 

 lightly with coarse litter. 



Lettuce- Forcing. — Airtheplants freely. Scatter to- 

 bacco-stems among them as a protection against green-fly. 



ALushrooms. — Start beds under the greenhouse 

 benches. 



Onions. — For winter storage select only well-ripened, 

 perfectly dry bulbs. Store them in a dry, airy place, 

 not in the cellar. They may be spread out thinly on the 

 floor, away from the walls, allowed to freeze solid, and 

 then covered several feet deep with hay or straw. 



Parsley. — For winter use take up some of the outdoor 

 grown roots, and plant them in a coldhouse or frame. 



Parsnips. — Take up some roots for winter use and 

 store them in sand in the cellar. 



Raspberries. — Treat as advised for blackberries. 



Rhubarb. — Apply a heavy coat of good compost ; take 

 up plants wanted for winter forcing ; some of them may 

 now be set under the greenhouse benches for the earliest 

 forced crop. 



Seed-nuts and Pits saved for spring planting stratify 

 with sand, and subject to freezing. 



Stocks for root-grafting must be taken up this month, 

 and stored for use later. 



Stra-wberry-beds should be given their winter cover- 

 ing of marsh-hay, etc., as soon as the ground is frozen 

 solid. 



Strawberries in I'ots should now go into coldframes^ 

 plunging the pots to their rims in earth or coal-ashes, in 

 order that the roots may not freeze. Water sparingly ; 

 about January bring them in to be forced, 



Spinage. — Cover it lightly with litter. 



Turnips and other roots in pits will now need addi- 

 tional winter covering. 



