i8o 
GARDENS AND THEIR MEANING 
gardener said that his business was to grow vegetables, but 
that he himself must look out not to vegetate. 
To prove that the need of eonstant activity is not imaginary, 
we have here sketched out the work of a twelvemonth. The 
calendar which follows is compiled from items that appear in 
the records of young gardeners, some of whom have worked 
at school and some at home. It shows how the various tasks 
are likely to be distributed through the different seasons. 
The almanac reads as follows : 
September : Keep the hoe busy. Avoid digging around shrubs and 
trees. Rake together the weeds. Get the ground ready for bulbs. Har- 
vest the main crop of potatoes. Collect seeds from the onion, cabbage, 
beet, turnip, and radish plants that have been allowed to mature for this 
purpose. Put these away in paper bags plainly labeled. Keep them cool 
and dry. Pile more soil around the celery. Look out for slugs. Com- 
plete a collection of common insects, especially to show their life histories 
for mounting and study in the winter. Complete also a collection of 
common weeds, showing the plants in blossom and in fruit ready for 
identifying and mounting. 
Sow spinach and kale for next spring’s crop. Plant seeds of trees ; it 
is well to plant some nuts. Set out hardy perennials. Plant all sorts 
of hardy flower seeds : columbine, foxglove, Canterbury bells, sweet 
William, as well as annual poppy, coreopsis, and mignonette. Plant 
sweet peas now or a little later in preference to early spring, and if the. 
weather is unusually warm, delay a little, for they should not begin to 
sprout now. There’ will be many more weeks of warm weather, so save 
the tender plants from the first frost. Bring out old mats and news- 
papers at a moment’s notice. 
October : Rake together all remaining weeds and fallen leaves to 
start a new compost heap. Bring in the final crop of pumpkins, squashes, 
onions, and potatoes. Leave the turnips and the salsify. Freezing im- 
proves the flavor of salsify. Cover the chard to carry it through the 
winter. Trench the celery before the frost. After the ground freezes, 
cover the strawberry bed with loose straw ; this gives better fruit than 
a mulch. Plant winter rye early to turn in for humus. Set out bulbs. 
Trim the shrubs. Set out new shrubs. Prepare cuttings. Pot the house 
plants for the winter. Exchange plants with the neighbors. Gather the 
