46 
The Garden Magazine, September , 1920 
and public-spirited citizen of the United States, believe in the exclusion 
of plant diseases and insects destructive to plants; they believe that the 
methods and rulings of the Horticultural Board can be modified and 
improved so that the desired results can be obtained without subjecting 
imported plants to the dangers and delays which it is impossible for 
them to escape under the existing regulations and methods of the Fed- 
eral Horticultural Board. Officers of the Government realize that these 
methods and regulations cause serious delays, and the unnecessary 
destruction of plants, and agree with many importers that these delays 
and dangers can be reduced by the establishment of inspection stations 
at ports of entry, and by changes in the list of excluded plants. If 
such inspection stations could be established, more prompt and better 
service would certainly be obtained. Such changes can only be ob- 
tained by the active cooperation of every organization and of every 
individual in the United States interested in the cultivation of plants; 
and it should, I believe, be the duty of this Convention to urge the 
necessity of cooperation with the Department of Agriculture in an at- 
tempt to obtain change in its rulings and methods in regard to the 
importation of plants, on which the future of American horticulture 
depends. 
£7k fc>nf/vs Reminder 
“Come with me, then, behind the scenes, where we are concerned only with the joys of plant increase and rejuvenation ” 
The Reminder is to “suggest" what may be done during the next few weeks. Details of 
hov: to do each item are given in the current or the back issues of The Garden Magazine— it 
is manifestly impossible to give all the details of all the work in anyone issue of a magazine. 
References to back numbers may be looked up in the index to each completed volume (sent 
gratis on request), and the Service Department will also be glad to cite references to any spe- 
cial topic if asked by mail. 
When referring to the time for out-door work of any sort New York City at sea level in a nor- 
mal season is taken as standard; but at best dates can only be approximate. Roughly, the sea- 
son advances northward fifteen miles a day. Thus Albany, which is one hundred and fifty 
miles from New York, would be about ten days later, and Philadelphia, which is ninety miles 
southwest, about a week earlier. Also allow four days for each degree of latitude, for each five 
degrees of longitude, and for each four hundred feet of altitude. 
SEPTEMBER— THE MONTH OF CLOSING UP THE IVORK OF THE YEAR 
RAWING a parallel between the garden and a commercial 
business we find ourselves now at the inventory, stock-taking- 
M closing-up-accounts season, when everything is gone over, 
checked up. audited, examined, and finished, and the door 
locked on it, as it were — and the future faced with clean slates 
and fresh enthusiasm and ideas. Every leak and waste and fault is 
unearthed and ways devised to obviate each; new undertakings are 
weighed, considered and decided upon; budgets are prepared; salaries 
are raised (perhaps!) and everybody is lectured or praised as the case 
may be, and exhorted in either event to Bigger and Better Things for 
the Future. For it is essential that future plans be made with past 
achievements as monitors, if advantage is to be taken of experience. 
General 
Do not cease from your labors altogether, but keep the borders tidy 
and free from seed heads and dead leaves and the general dejected 
look that comes of neglect. Especially destroy all rubbish of every 
kind as this is the stamping ground of many an insect. A certain 
amount of sowing is still possible and seeds for it should be on 
hand. Bulbs are to be ordered for planting in October and provi- 
sion is to be made for storing the tender bulbs through the winter. 
Greenhouse and Frames 
Everything here should be in readiness to proceed with the sowing of 
seed, and all the activities that lead to a successful winter. 
Bring Azaleas, Bougainvilleas, etc., inside once more preparatory to 
getting them under way for Christmas and Easter bloom. 
Keep buds on Roses from developing as yet. 
Sow Cineraria, Calceolaria, and Cyclamen at once. 
Cuttings of bedding plants should be in the propagating bench by the 
middle of the month, but take only short top growth in order not 
to injure the appearance of the beds outside. 
Pot bulbs for forcing and keep them in the eoldframe to root at a tem- 
perature of 40 degrees. 
Pinch all runners from the Violet plants. 
Buy shrubs for forcing this month and get them under way. 
Flower Garden 
Divide clumps of Phlox, Peonies, Larkspur, Campanulas and all hardy 
plants that have done flowering, if division is necessary. 
This is the month par excellence for planting Peonies — and for planting 
many other things as well; and the earlier the better. 
Sow Poppies toward the end of the month. 
Sow Sweet Peas toward the end of the month. 
In the north lift Dahlias, Gladiolus, Cannas, and Elephant Ear (Cal- 
adiums) as soon as frost has killed off their tops, and store for the 
winter. In the south leave in the ground until October. 
Early frost comes usually about the middle of the month — then an 
extended period of beautiful Indian summer, during which the gar- 
den ought to be still lovely. Slight protection at night when frost 
threatens will insure its being so. Cover plants with cheesecloth, 
tree branches or newspapers and place shallow pans of water about 
the garden if the cold promises to be excessive. 
Vegetable Garden 
Sow Lettuce once for use in October and later, Radishes twice. 
Turnips any time before the tenth, Corn Salad to winter out- 
doors, Endive and Spinach in frames to be used Christmas, and 
Cabbage and Cauliflower to winter the young plants for early use 
next spring. 
Salsify may be sown now for use whenever spring thaws will allow 
the roots being dug from the ground. 
Gather Tomatoes and Eggplant and bring into a dry cellar to ripen 
when it grows too cold for them to continue growth on the vines. 
Pull up poles supporting Beans and lay them down, vines and all, along 
the rows, where they can be protected from frost and yet go on 
growing. Gather the last of them while still green. 
Transplant some Lettuce to coldframes if you have more young plants 
than can mature before frost. 
Earth up Celery slightly. 
Leave an inch or two of top on Beets to prevent bleeding, and always 
handle them carefully to avoid bruising. 
Cut off Asparagus tops when they begin to turn brown and burn 
them. 
Burn Melon vines as soon as they turn brown or are killed by frost. 
Scatter Rye over each section of the garden as fast as the final crop is 
harvested therefrom, to furnish cover during the winter and ferti- 
lizer when turned under early in the spring. 
Do not allow Potatoes to lie in the sun after digging, but spread them 
out in the shade long enough to dry thoroughly on the surface be- 
fore putting them away. 
Fruits 
Pick all late fall and winter fruits as late as possible, but always pick 
early ripening fruits before they are quite ripe. 
Trim off all runners that form on Strawberries newly set out. It is not 
too late to set out new plants from pots. 
Plant Currants and Gooseberries now rather than in spring, but do not 
plant other fruits if your soil is poorly drained. Late summer 
planting is perfectly all right however, on well prepared and well 
drained land. 
Prune Raspberries and Blackberries at once, if this is not already done, 
removing all old wood which bore fruit this year. 
Make cuttings of Grapes. 
Early windfall Apples make excellent cider for vinegar. 
