AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
QQ7 
1861 .] 
would be difficult to revive it after wilting begins. 
The plow, cultivator, or horse-hoe, should be run 
through the nursery rows frequently, to keep down 
weeds and lighten the soil. The hand hoe will also 
be needed to work closely about the trees. 
Seedling trees of all kinds should be kept free 
from weeds. Partial shading with screens made 
of slats, or with branches of trees is beneficial, par¬ 
ticularly with evergreens. 
Kitehen and Fruit Garden. 
It should be the aim of the gardener to make the 
most of the limited space of ground usually devo¬ 
ted to this purpose. In addition to stimulating 
the plants iz- their most vigorous growth and fullest 
production, by judicious manuring,watering, prun¬ 
ing, etc., much may be gained by keeping the whole 
space occupied. Two crops in a season can he 
taken from much of the ground. Early peas and 
potatoes may now be succeeded by turnips and 
late cabbages, and later crops can be replaced by 
spinage and other plants to be protected in Winter. 
There should be no waste of ripened vegetables. 
If any surplus of peas, beans, tomatoes, etc., etc., 
can not be marketed, they can be preserved in bot¬ 
tles or cans for Winter use—especially tomatoes. 
Asparagus—Gather and clean the seed as it ripens, 
and sow at once if new beds are needed. Time is 
saved, however, by setting out roots in Autumn. 
Keep weeds from encroaching on the beds. 
Beans—The young pods of bush varieties are ex¬ 
cellent for pickling, and they may also be kept good 
for the table by packing in salt. Plant a few, ff, for 
& Winter supply. 
Beets—In pulling for use, take them from the 
thickest parts of the bed, to allow the remainder 
plenty of space. Keep the ground well loosened 
and free from weeds. Mark by small stakes the 
earliest and best to be saved for seed. 
Blackberries—Pick as fast as fully ripened. Any 
surplus may be dried, preserved in bottles, as di¬ 
rected on page 215 (July No.), or manufactured into 
wine according to recipe on page 247. 
Cabbages, Cauliflowers, and Broccoli—Hoe often 
around former plantings; no plants receive more 
benefit from frequent stirring of the surface—once 
or even twice a week is none too often. Set out 
plants, ff, for a late crop, and sow seed, /, m, for 
Fall greens, and keeping in cold frames. 
Celery—Set out remaining plants for bleaching, 
ff. Transplant carefully, with plenty of soil attach¬ 
ed to the roots. Earth up former plantings when 
sufficiently high. Good celery may be grown above 
ground by surrounding with boards and filling 
around the plants with earth or sawdust to blanch. 
Corn—Mark the earliest and most prolific stalks, 
to be preserved for seed. Examine to prevent 
depredations of the corn worm which eats down¬ 
ward from the silk to the kernels. 
Cucumbers—Gather as they attain proper size. 
If not wanted for immediate use, put them in pickle. 
See recipe for pickling ripe, p. 247. The yield 
will be increased by not allowing them to ripen. 
Reserve the best for seed, and remove all other buds 
from vines that are set apart for ripening seed. 
When a sufficient quantity of fruit is set, nip off the 
ends of the vines. 
Currants and Gooseberries—Prune as soon as the 
fruit is gathered. Remove from one third to one 
half the old wood, and shape to tree form. 
Egg Plants—The growth and ripening of fruit will 
be hastened by placing a board painted white on 
the north side of the hills. Hoe well; hill slightly. 
Espalier Trees—Keep well trained and pinch off 
superfluous growth. 
Grapes—Tie the leaders to the trellis. Where the 
ends of the bearing branches have been pinched off 
as directed last month, the side shoots will need to 
be shortened in, ff. Destroy insects by hand picking. 
Herbs—Complete gathering and drying, ff, m, or 
uviring the period of blossoming. 
Hoe as may be needed to keep the surface loose 
iuia to destroy weeds. 
Hops—Pick during dry weather as soon as they 
attain sufficient maturity; spread until perfectly dry 
and store in bags. 
Lettuce—Sow in vacant comers for Autumn use. 
Melons—Restrain the growth of vines by pinch¬ 
ing off the ends. By removing all fruit except three 
or four specimens to each vine, those remaining 
will be larger and of finer flavor. As the melons 
approach maturity place a layer of straw, or a board 
under them to protect from worms ; occasionally 
turn them to ripen equally on all sides, but do not 
injure the stem. 
Onions—Gather for use or for market as they rip¬ 
en, but if to be kept for any length of time, leave 
them exposed to the sun until properly cured. Sow, 
U, for “pips ” to be left in the ground during Win¬ 
ter for early use next season. 
Peas—Clear the ground from straw of early crops 
and feed it to swine. Fill the vacancy with turnips, 
or late cabbages, lettuce, onions, etc. 
Potatoes—Harvest and market early crops, and 
replant the ground as directed above. 
Raspberries—Remove bearing canes as soon as 
fruiting is over, and takeout all except two or three 
of the strongest young shoots; the latter will yield 
the crop next year. Keep them properly trained 
to the stakes or trellis. Hoe in a compost of well 
rotted manure and ashes. 
Seeds—Save the earliest and best of all kinds. 
Collect as they ripen, or the best will be lost. La¬ 
bel each sort distinctly, with the name and date of 
raising; keep in a dry, dark place secure from vermin. 
Spinage—Sow,/, m, l, for Autumn use, and 11, to 
remain over Winter. 
Squashes, Summer—Gather and use or market be¬ 
fore they harden. Leave the earliest for seed. Re¬ 
move eggs of the squash bug {Governinstis) from 
leaves, and destroy the insects already hatched out. 
Strawberries—Read articles on pages 241, 242. 
Clip the runners of those in hills, as they appear. 
Tomatoes—Continue to trim the vines as directed 
last month. Destroy worms by hand picking. 
Turnips—Sow flat or cow horn varieties, ff, among 
rows of corn and in other unoccupied places. 
Water plants which are ripening fruit if there be 
drouth. Give a thorough drenching occasionally 
at evening, rather than frequent sprinklings. 
Weeds—Every one which ripens seed makes ad¬ 
ditional labor for the gardener next year. Take 
time by the forelock, and make them useful in the 
compost heap. Those whose seeds are nearly ripe, 
should be burned. 
Flower Garden and Fawn. 
August is usually the most trying month for the 
florist. The powerful sun wilts the foliage, dries 
up the plants, and shortens the period of flowering. 
Many plants set late in the Spring, die from 
drouth this month, unless artificially watered. In 
extensive grounds it is a laborious operation to go 
over the flowers, shrubbery, and lawn with a water¬ 
ing pot. The city and large village gardens can 
usually be sprinkled with the hose attached to 
street or family hydrants. A large garden may 
receive an occasional artificial sprinkling with a 
portable hand or force pump like the hydro- 
pult. A simple watering pot will suffice for a small 
plot. Caution is needed against the too free use of 
water. Every showering cools the ground, and 
keeps it cool by evaporation—a free use of the wa¬ 
tering pot will keep the ground cool much of the 
time. Plants do not need to be kept continually 
wet. Try the soil by digging into it; if moist 
within two or three inches of the surface, it is not 
suffering. Give a liberal watering when needed, 
rather than frequent light sprinklings; select the 
afternoon or evening for applying it. In watering 
evergreen or other trees, remove a little of the sur¬ 
face soil, water plentifully and replace the soil, 
which will then remain light and ‘porous. 
Now is the time to note the peculiarities. Pf new 
plants, their habits of growth, form and color of 
flower, etc., and to mark those specimens from 
which it is desirable to save seed. A small string 
or piece of bass matting tied to the plant indicates 
that it is intended for seed. As fast as others com¬ 
plete their blooming season, cut them down if 
perennials, and pull them up if annuals, to give 
place to others. The value will now be seen of a 
previous suggestion to have late sown plants in the 
vicinity of, or ready to transplant to spaces other¬ 
wise vacant during the remainder of the season. 
Some of the biennials and perennials, sucli as 
Sweet Williams, carnations, daisies, phloxes, Holly¬ 
hocks, polyanthus, campanulas, etc., will be ripen¬ 
ing seed this month. Gather and sow the seed now, 
and a bloom may be had next season. 
Budding—This is a proper time to bud the rose, 
but the practice can only be recommended on a small 
scale and for amateurs. The buds often die out in a 
few years. Oranges, lemons, magnolias, and many 
of the flowering shrubs may also be budded, ff, m. 
Bulbs—Read article on page 245. 
Climbers—See that cypress vine, cobcea, convol¬ 
vulus, cardiospermum, tropceolum, corydalis, lon- 
icera, etc., are provided with suitable supports and 
properly regulated. 
Dahlias should now show a fine bloom of choice 
colors. Keep well tied up and prune where grow¬ 
ing too thickly. One, or at most two good flower 
stalks, per root, is sufficient. Frequent waterings 
and a mulch about the roots in dry weather will 
benefit them. Cut away the dried flowers as fast as 
they lose their beauty. - Watch for and destroy in¬ 
sects, especially the greyish worm which bores into 
the stalk and feeds upon its juices. 
Fuchsias trained singly as standards or set in 
masses, always give pleasure, the unique form of 
the flower being universally admired. Their con¬ 
tinuous bloom is also in their favor. We regard 
them as among the finest gems of the flower gar¬ 
den. The stock may now be increased by cuttings 
and layers. 
Hedges should receive their final Summer clip¬ 
ping during this month. Cut from the top. If 
trimmed late in the growing season, the new growth 
will not sufficiently mature before Winter. 
Hoeing should be continued as directed last month. 
Houses—If any are to be built this season let 
them be constructed this month, or during the 
next. Make needed repairs or alterations in those 
already built. A cold house for grapes and other 
hardy plants can be built at a trifling cost, usually 
a lean-to against some other structure. 
Insects—Do not let them increase by a second 
crop, at this season. Even if they have done all 
their injury for the season, allow none to weave 
their cocoons for propagating next year. 
Layers of many of the woody plants can still be 
made with a probability of their rooting before 
Autumn. Use wood of the present season’s growth. 
Shoots laid down in early Spring, if well rooted, maj 
now be severed from the main stock. 
Lawn and Grass Edgings—Mow evenly when 6 ta 
8 inches high. Frequent cutting causes it to thick¬ 
en at the bottom. A sprinkling of guano water, or 
liquid manure, after cutting, will cause the grass to 
start with vigor. New lawns may be sown, ff, add¬ 
ing a little Winter wheat, or rye, to protect the 
roots during the Winter. 
Mignonette will still bloom late in the season, it 
sown,/ - . It will also form good house plants for 
Winter flowering. 
Pelargoniums—Start cuttings, ff, m, for a Winter 
stock to bloom in-doors. Thin out and head back 
plants to give them a good form. 
Potted Plants will need care at this season. Wa¬ 
ter frequently and loosen the surface soil removing 
weeds and moss. Pot off a good stock of the vari¬ 
ous plants Intended for early Winter flowering. 
Pruning should have feen mostly completed last 
month according to directions there given. See de¬ 
sirable forms of trees, pages 240 and 241. 
Roses—Budding may still be performed on late 
growing sorts, and layers of new wood pinned down. 
Continue to apply the slug preventive as long a, 
