164 
CHILDREN'S GARDENS 
v 
many which were far too large for me to lift, 
weighing two or three stone, and one great 
triumph was a giant of seven and a half 
stone, which must have been the kind that 
Cinderella’s fairy godmother turned into a 
coach . 1 
If gourds or pumpkins are grown they must 
be cut before any frost injures them, or they 
will soon spoil. If they are gathered before 
the cold nights at the end of September, and 
stored in a dry place, they will keep for some 
time, even till Christmas, if they are not 
bruised at all. 
I have now written enough to show you 
what a very busy season autumn is. First the 
cuttings to take, and seeds to collect, next the 
bulbs to be planted, and all the herbaceous 
plants to be attended to, and then a general 
tidying up all round. Besides this regular 
work, countless little jobs will be found 
necessary from week to week as the season 
wears on, and the short days of winter 
approach. 
The gardener will find the autumn months 
none to long to finish everything that has to be 
done, and must work hard so that all should be 
prepared before winter. The garden must be 
1 The seeds of this pumpkin were those of the “Potiron rouge,” and 
were bought at Vilmorin, Quai de la Megisserie, Paris. 
