310 
THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
WORK FOR SEPTEMBER IN THE GARDEN 
(Coiili)iiicd from page 307.) 
permanent storehouse. Dig potatoes this month. It is 
not advisable to await the dying down of the straws. 
When the tubers are fully developed they will be better 
in storage, out of danger of destructive elements. 
Blandi celery as needed and assist growth of the latest 
plantations by an occasional watering. Make provision 
now against early ;autumn frosts. The season of such 
tender crops as Inna bean, tomato and egg plant cannot 
be made too long^and if given the necessary covering 
to ward otY the earliest frosts, they may be kept in a 
growing and productive condition for several weeks. 
Seed vacant plots to a cover crop of rye, rape, clover 
or vetch to improve the soil texture unless trenching is 
contemplated. 
Flozccr Garden. Hardy bulbous stock may be planted 
from now on until the ground freezes hard. Narcissus, 
tuberous varieties of Iris, Snowdrop, etc., will he all 
the better for earl\' planting. 
Keep Dahlias dislnulded and well staked. Lift tuber- 
ous begonias from the open ground and give greenhouse 
protection until growth is completed. Do not hurry the 
drying ofif process in autumn, neither suffer them to 
undue forcing when starting growth next spring. 
Ornamental evergreens may still be planted. Encour- 
age root action by copious watering and overhead spray- 
ing. Clip evergreen hedges for last time this year. As 
the season draws to a close and border flowers diminish, 
keep up a neat appearance by diligent care in mowing, 
weeding, raking of paths and the removal of dead flow- 
ers. Though commonplace, indeed, the above advice, 
we must give attention to detail if we would realize the 
truth of the immortalized — "A thing of beauty is a joy 
forever." 
DELPHINIUMS 
this, because to it more failures can be attributed than 
to any other source. The remedy — a very simple one 
— is to cover each plant with a 2-inch thick layer of 
coal ashes early in the autumn and see that it is well 
worked down between the stumps of the old flower- 
stems. 
Summer treatment consists of supidying c(_ipious 
quantities of water during dry weather, supplementing 
it once or twice a week with weak liquid manure, par- 
ticularl)' a few weeks before the flowers open. This 
makes a wonderful difference in the size, and often 
the color, of the blossoms. A 2-inch thick mulching 
of short stable or farmyard manure over the roots of 
the plants will also go a long way towards success, and 
is essential where the soil is at all sandy- It is not 
generally known that most Delphiniums will give a 
second display of flowers if properly treated. The 
modus operandi is to cut the flower-spikes dow-n close 
to the ground as soon as the blossoms have faded ; then 
thoroughly water the plants and, as soon as new 
growth is active, feed well with weak liquid manure 
and renew the mulching. If watering is persisted in 
during dry weather, secondary flower-spikes will soon 
lie formed, and, although iidt so large and stately as 
those that opened earlier, will nevertheless be very 
welcome in the autumn months. 
The simple operation of staking is, of course, neces- 
sary, and is only referred to here because it is so often 
badly done, the flower stems being trussed to a 
stake so that they form a passable caricature of a 
Birch broom. Miss Jekyll has adopted the most sensi- 
ble plan that I know, and one that preserves the 
natural contour of the plants. Her method is to use 
natural sticks, such as usually employed for support- 
ing Peas, three or more of these being thrust into each 
plant so that the shoots can push their way up between 
the branches. — Tlic Garden (English). 
T^OR creating bold effects in the outdoor garden, the 
■^ statelv Delphiniums or perrenial Larkspurs are 
unsurpassed. Ranging as they do in height from 3 feet 
to more than twice that stature, according to the soil 
and variety, they can easily be accommodated in beds 
or borders', or any other positions that it may be neces- 
sary to fill. Good blue flowers are not too common ; in- 
deed, one might almost say that they are rather scarce ; 
hence we should make full use of these stately peren- 
nials, which embrace so many shades of blue. Fortu- 
nately, their cultivation does not call for any special 
skill. Good, generous diet, and attention to a few de- 
tails that I will mention, are all that is necessary. Like 
every other plant that we undertake to grow, the Del- 
phiniums well repay good cultivation, and for that rea- 
son the soil should be well and deeply dug, or, better 
still, trenched to a depth of 2 feet, and a liberal quan- 
tity of partially decayed manure thoroughly incorpo- 
rated with it. Planting is best done in autumn, or during 
March, or the first week in April. For preference one 
would select autumn, as the plants then have an oppor- 
tunity of becoming well established before flowering- 
time, which is usually June and July. As they are 
plants of goodly dimensions, overcrowding must not 
be tolerated, and from 2 feet to 3 feet apart is not too 
much space to allow. 
The greatest enemy to Delphiniums, especially those 
that have recently l)cen planted, is the ubiquitous slug. 
This irjsidious pest will, during the winter, scoop out 
the dormant shoots, and so ruin all prospects of flowers 
the folldwing summer. It is important t(i rememlier 
ANTS IN GARDENS 
o 
NE can hardly helj) ])lacing these insects among 
those that are injurious in gardens, though the 
amount of mischief they do is very small, and it is 
only when they make their nests at the roots of a 
plant that any harm is done, and that onh' indirectly, 
as they do not feed on the roots ; but these are injured 
by not being in such close contact with the soil as they 
should be. It will nearly always be found that if an 
ants' nest be made among the roots of any plant, the 
roots are attacked by one of the root-feeding aphides. 
This position has been selected in order that the ants 
may the more easily feed on the sweet secretions of the 
a]ihides. When this is the case the plant should be 
taken up, its roots carefully washed atid freed from 
the aphides, and then be replanted elsewhere. The 
ants' nest inay then be destroyed by pouring boiling 
water, diluted carbolic acid, or paraffin into it. If it 
is undesirable to remove the plant, take a good-sized 
garden pot, stop up the hole at the bottom, half fill it 
with leaves, and place it bottom upw^ards on the 
ground close to the plant ; then water the plant copi- 
ously every day, so as to keep the soil thoroughly satu- 
rated. The ants will soon begin to move their nest to 
the shelter of the pot, which in about a fort-night's 
time may be carefully taken away, when it will be 
found to contain the nest. Ants are often of service by 
showing when a plant is attacked by aphides or scale 
insects, for if several ants are found on a plant it is 
almost certain that it is infested by one of the other in- 
sects. — E.rclians;e. 
