AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
997 
I 860 .] 
. . ... ... - _ 1 -...... ■- =3r ; g gr . 
Weeds are neither useful nor ornamental, keep them 
in their place, with their roots in the air, or better, bury 
them in the compost heap. 
Kitchen and Fruit Garden. 
As the season advances, the importance of this part of 
the homestead becomes more and more apparent, particu¬ 
larly if the labor of previous months has been well done. 
While enjoying a profusion of garden products, provision 
for the future should not be neglected. Many vegetables, 
as peas, beans, corn, tomatoes, etc., can be successfully 
preserved for winter use, by cooking and sealing up in air¬ 
tight vessels. The market gardener will find full employ¬ 
ment in disposing of the ripening crops, and in preparing 
ground for future use. 
Asparagus—Gather and clean any ripened seed, which 
may be sown at once, or kept until Spring. .The beds now 
covered with a thick bushy growth, need little attention 
except to pull out rank weeds by hand. 
Beans—Plant a few of quick growing varieties, if, for 
late use of the pods for cooking or pickling. 
Beets—Pull from the thickest parts of the bed for use 
as wanted. Thin to six or eight inches apart, Weed 
those sown last month. Mark by stakes the earliest ma¬ 
turing, to be saved for seed. 
Blackberries—Pick as fast as they ripen. The New- 
Rochelle variety turns to a dark color several days before 
fully maturing, and should remain till it parts easily from 
the stem, to secure the highest degree of sweetness and 
flavor. Preserve in bottles, or dry them for future use. 
They may also be profitably manufactured into wine. 
Cabbages, Cauliflowers, and Broccoli—Set out remain¬ 
ing plants for latest crop. Hoe often around former 
plantings. Sow seed, f, m, for Fall greens. 
Celery—Set remaining plants in the trenches, ff. 
Water the bed thoroughly an hour or two before re¬ 
moving, and take up plenty of earth with the roots. Let 
the earth be slightly rounded up in the middle of the 
trenches, to prevent dirt washing from the sides into the 
crowns of the plants. Earth up former plantings when 
they have attained a vigorous growth of leaf and stalk. 
Corn Salad—Sow, 11, for Winter use. 
Currants and Gooseberries—Prune as soon as the fruit 
is gathered, Take out decaying and barren w ood, and 
shape to a good head. The cherry variety bears most of 
its fruit near the ends of the branches, and will not bear 
severe cutting back. Other sorts need pruning to induce 
fruit bearing. 
Cucumbers, Melons, Squashes and other vines need 
heading back after a sufficient quantity of fruit is 
set. To secure very large growth, thin out the fruit, 
leaving but two or three specimens. Boards or straw 
placed under melons will keep off worms, and add to the 
flavor of the ripening fruit. Turn the best specimens oc¬ 
casionally to ripen equally on all sides. Pick cucumbers 
for pickles as they attain proper size. 
Espalier or Wall Trees.—Train the branches to their 
proper places while young, and cut out superfluous 
growth. Syringe the foliage during drouth. 
Grapes—Train the leaders to the trellis. Leave foliage 
sufficient lo supply the wants of the fruit. Where the 
ends of the bearing branches have been nipped off as di¬ 
rected in previous months, the side shoots will have start 
ed. and need to be shortened in, ff. They should not be 
disturbed after the berries have completed stoning and 
commenced their second swelling. Destroy worms and 
insects by hand picking. 
Herbs—Complete gathering and drying, ff, m. 
Hops—Pick during dry weather as they ripen, spread¬ 
ing until perfectly dry, when they may be put in bags and 
hung away for use. 
Lettuce—Continue to sow and plant out for Autumn use. 
Mushroom beds may be made, m, 11. Collect materi¬ 
als, f, m. 
Onions—Gather for use or for market as they ripen. 
Handle with care to prevent bruising. Sow, 11, for 
“ pips ” to be left during winter for early summer use. 
Peas for latest use may be sown in this latitude, ff. 
Clear ground from early crops and sow with turnips. The 
haulm or straw will be relished by swine. 
Potatoes—Dig early sorts for market. Take them from 
the ground only as wanted, and keep them from exposure 
lo the sun. The ground may be used for quick growing 
turnips, etc. 
Preserving fruit, vegetables, etc., has been fully de¬ 
scribed in former numbers. Put up a full supply for win 
ter use. ' 
Radishes—Sow, f, m, for late use. 
Raspberries—Remove bearing canes as soon as the fruit 
is gathered. Select the two, or at most, three strongest 
of the new shoots to the hill, for bearing next year, and 
cut out the others, unless wanted for setting out Keep 
out weeds, and hoe in a little well composted manure or 
leached ashes. Head back canes that grow too rank— 
four or five feet is high enough. 
Seeds—Collect as fast as they ripen, label them dis¬ 
tinctly, put in boxes and keep dry, dark, and out of the 
reach of vermin. The year of raising should be marked 
on each package. 
Spinage—Sow, f, m, 1, for Autumn use, and 11, for a 
Spring crop. Scatter a little lettuce seed among it. 
Strawberries—Read article on page 245. The runners 
of those intended for hill culture will require clipping now. 
Tomatoes—Follow directions of last month. Look out 
for the tobacco worm, which feeds also upon this plant. 
If they are troublesome remove them by hand. 
Turnips—The flat or cow-horn varieties may bring a 
good yield if sown, ff. For ruta bagas it is rather late. 
Water from the sink, or the wash tub, is a good appli¬ 
cation for currant bushes, gooseberries, strawberries, etc. 
Weeds add nothing to the beauty or the productiveness 
of the garden—add them to the manure heap. 
Flower Garden rand Fawn. 
Although many of the early flowers have completed 
their blooming period, a large number yet remain, many 
of them of decided richness, which are gay with a profu¬ 
sion of brilliant hues. It has been truly remarked that 
the late bloomers exceed in beauty of color and outline, 
most of the early flowers. By exercising a little care and 
forethought, a fine succession of bloom may be kept up 
from Spring until late in Autumn. A judicious selection 
of varieties, sowing at different seasons, and nipping the 
young plants back to retard a portion of them, will accom¬ 
plish this object. Especially is it desirable to have a 
goodly collection of those sorts which flower continuous¬ 
ly, or at intervals during the entire season, as the verbe¬ 
na, fuchsia, geranium, petunia, monthly and remontant 
roses, etc. Many plants, blooming but once in a season, 
ordinarily would flower the second time were the seed 
capsules removed as soon as formed; the plant would 
then push into vigorous growth for a short time, and 
soon develop new flower buds. 
Now is the time to note the peculiarities of new plants, 
their habits of growth, form and color of flower, etc., and 
to mark those specimens from w hich 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 complete their blooming season, cut them down, 
if perennials, and pull them up if annuals, to give place 
to others. The value of a previous suggestion to have 
late sown plants in the vicinity of, or ready to transplant 
to spaces otherwise vacant during the remainder of the 
season, will now be seen. 
Box edging should early receive its final clipping for the 
season, so that it may be prepared to withstand the frosts 
of winter. 
Budding—This is a proper time to bud the rose, but the 
practice can only be recommended on a small scale 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—If left in the ground until now, and still to be 
re set this season, lift and dry, ff. They may be set out, 
11, or better during the latter part of next month, if they 
keep well. 
Dahlias should now' show a fine bloom of choice colors. 
Keep well tied up and prune where growing too thickly. 
One, or at most two good flower stalks, per root, is suffi¬ 
cient. 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 insects, especially the greyish worm which bores 
into the stalk and feeds upon its juices. 
Fuchsias—A mass or bed of the different varieties, now 
in full flower, can not fail to please. We regard them as 
among the finest floral gems of the garden. They do 
well in a partial shade, which also prolongs their bloom¬ 
ing season. 
Gravel Walks—Strew salt over occasionally. It will 
assist in destroying both weeds and insects, and serve to 
unite or compact the gravel. Hoe or pull any weeds 
which persist in growing. 
Hedges—Clip, f, m, unless it was done during the latter 
part of last month. Cut away from the top, so as lo thick¬ 
en up the bottom. Leave in good shape, as this should be 
the last shearing, especially upon evergreens. 
Hoe often all cultivated grounds, walks, etc., removing 
the weeds and leveling with the rake. Even if there are 
no weeds, the soil should be stirred to keep it from crust¬ 
ing, and prepare it to absorb rain and dews. 
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 and re¬ 
main for a propagating stock another 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, may now be severed from 
the main stock. 
Lawn and Grass Edgings—Mow evenly when 6 to 8 
inches high. Frequent cutting causes it to thicken 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, adding a little winter wheat, 
or rye, to protect the roots during the Winter. Having 
used perennial Rye Grass with good satisfaction, we are 
prepared to recommend it. We have discarded the old 
directions to use a large variety of grass seed, and now 
prefer a single sort. 
Mignonette sown, ff, will form fine plants for Autumn 
and Winter blooming in-doors. 
Pelargoniums—Start cuttings, ff, rn, for a winter stock 
to bloom in-doors. Thin out and head back plants to give 
them a good form. 
Potted Plants require frequent waterings at this sea 
son. Loosen the surface soii occasionally, and remove 
weeds. This is the proper season to pot a stock for win¬ 
ter blooming. 
Prune Shrubs and Trees upon the Lawn, or borders, if 
necessary, always using the knife sparingly upon shade 
trees, although where it is to be done, this is a suitable 
month for the operation. Almost any desired shape may 
be given to a lawn tree by heading back in one place, ty¬ 
ing in another, and pinching elsewhere. Fantastic forms 
are sometimes given evergreens by shearing to the shape 
of animals or other objects. 
Roses—Continue the oil soap mixture as long as slugs 
or aphides are troublesome. Early in the month is a 
proper time to bud roses. Layering may yet be done, 
using shoots of the present season’s growth. Many of 
the Remontants are now in bloom the second time. 
Verbenas and Petunias—Layer, ff, m, for Winter and 
Spring blooming in houses. 
Water—Give to potted plants especially, and those 
newly planted out. If very dry, an application both morn¬ 
ing and evening will be beneficial to those which absorb 
rapidly. It is better to mulch the ground before watering. 
Weeds—Keep from the borders, walks, and also from 
growing among the grass upon the lawn. 
Wild Flowers—Many of these are now in bloom. Note 
the desirable kinds and mark the spot where they are to 
be found to be transplanted at the appropriate season. 
The peculiarities of soil, shade, moisture, &c., where 
they grow naturally, should be borne in mind for future 
guidance. 
Green and Hot-IIouses. 
As most of the plants are in the open grounds, there is 
little to do inside the houses this month. It will be well, 
however, towards the close of the month, to put every 
thing in order for the reception of plants, as a cold spell 
in September sometimes makes it necessary to cany the 
tender plants inside, and the houses are much more easi¬ 
ly and safely cleansed, painted, whitewashed, glazed, etc., 
while empty. In extensive collections, some plants are 
usually left inside the house during the Summer, to have 
better control over sun and shade, heat and cold, dryness 
and moisture. These will require daily care, giving them 
plenty of air and frequent waterings. 
A good supply of potting earth should be prepared, both 
for present and future use. It is better after having lain 
in the heap some months, hence a large stock should be 
provided. A good potting soil is made of 3 parts muck, or 
leaf mold from the woods, 1 part loam, 1 part sand, and I 
part old manure. 
Budding—This is the proper month for budding most of 
the woody plants, particularly oranges, lemons, camel¬ 
lias, etc. Inarching may also be performed. 
Callas—Repot, f, m, watering moderately. 
Camellias— Complete repotting and bud, or inarch 
those plants which are to be changed. 
Cuttings— A large number of plants should now be 
started by cuttings. A frame, in a somewhat shady po¬ 
sition, is the best place for them. The soil should be 
light, well worked, and the plants watered frequently. 
Many cuttings which would not grow in the open grounds, 
can be successfully struck in this manner. 
Geraniums strike very freely even in unprotected 
ground. Put in a good stock of the choicest varieties, 
especially the Tom Thumbs. 
Grapes—Some of the early houses have already ripened 
their crops, and the vines want hardening off, by throw, 
ing open the doors and ventilators. Later plants need 
