“Our gardens are often at their best in 
early autumn. We have a few days of ear¬ 
ly frost, in which the very tenderest things 
are killed off. and then follow days, often 
weeks, of the most delightful weather, in 
which the plants that have escaped the first 
frost, are at their best. It is very disheart¬ 
ening to the amateur, to see his beds of 
Coleus, and his Cannas, all limp and use¬ 
less, while the hardier Geraniums seem to 
laugh at the disaster. So far as we have 
noticed, this is the usual experience, and 
it occurs so regularly each year, that it 
seems worth while to prepare for these ear¬ 
ly frosts, in order to prolong the enjoyment 
of the garden. These early visitations, 
though sufficient to kill the tenderest plants, 
are so slight that they may be easily ward¬ 
ed oft', What ever may be placed over the 
plants to prevent radiation of heat, will an¬ 
swer. The taller the plants, of course the 
more difficult it is to protect them. We 
have preserved a bed of tall Cannas, by 
setting a still taller pole in the center, tying 
a sheet by its middle to the pole, and let¬ 
ting the sheet hang over the plants, its 
edges being supported by them. Beds of 
Coleus and other tender plants may be 
readily protected by newspapers, held up 
by sticks placed here and there in the bed. 
Indeed, in early autumn, the newspaper is 
a most useful horticultural appliance, not 
only in the flower garden, but in the veg¬ 
etable garden. By a proper use of news¬ 
papers for a few nights—the early frosts 
rarely continue for more than three nights 
—the crop of tomatoes may be prolonged 
for several weeks; especially where the 
plants are trained, as we have so often ad¬ 
vised, to a trellis or a support of gome 
kind.” 
We find the above seasonable hints in the 
American Agriculturist for Sept., and we 
may add what has been our practice for 
several years with tomatoes. When from 
a sudden fall of temperature we feel cer¬ 
tain that a hard frosl is approaching we 
hastily pull all the vines containing green 
and ripening fruit and stack them up. 
Oiily the vines on the top of each stack are 
then injured and after the weather moder¬ 
ates they are again spread over the ground 
where much of the fruit adhering to the 
vines will continue to ripen for along time. 
Or a few vines may be hung under some 
convenient shade with like results. 
—We were reminded by Dr. Calder, the 
State Grange Lecturer of Pa., the other 
day, of a plan which we saw used several 
years ago, for preserving apples and pears 
in excellent condition and flavor until very 
late in the seaaon. As these fruits are very 
plentiful this season it may be put to a 
practical test by many of our readers to 
their pleasure and profit. 
Select perfectly sound specimens of fruit 
and pack them in boxes or barrels in com¬ 
mon land plaster or gypsum, using first a 
layer of fruit and then a layer of plaster, 
using as much fruit as possible without 
having the specimens actually touch each 
other. Close the package and lay it away 
in some cool place where it will not freeze. 
The plaster will exclude the air and keep 
the fruit at an even temperature and it will 
be found perfectly preserved after a very 
long interval. We believe that the plaster 
is actually benefitted for future use by 
keeping, as it absorbes nitrogen and am¬ 
monia from the atmosphere and gives actu¬ 
ally better results than when fresh ground. 
— We have been calculating that the labor 
of producing the single number of Seed- 
Time and Harvest which is before you, (if 
but a single one were printed,) would cost 
more than one hundred dollars, yet by divid¬ 
ing this expense among the large number 
published we are enabled to reduce it to less 
than five cents for a single number. Should 
we print double our present number, the 
cost per copy would again be diminished so 
that we might make it larger anfl better, or 
publish it oftener without charging any 
more for it. Now can you not see that it is 
to your advantage, as well as ours, that you 
call the attention of your friends to it and 
help us to double our list ? If it is, please do 
so. If it is not, just tell us so and advise us 
not to waste our time and money to no pur¬ 
pose. 
