COTTAGE ECONOMY. 
439 
reducing overgrown stools of hardy herbaceous flowering plants; prun¬ 
ing shrubs, &c. By these various operations the clumps and borders 
will be in readiness to be digged over, and got into sightly trim during 
the hard season. 
COTTAGE ECONOMY. 
NOVEMBER. 
“ Bees. —Attend to the directions for last month, and keep the 
hives dry. It has been proved by experience, that bees which are kept 
very warm by covering the hives, consume eight pounds of food more 
than is consumed by bees exposed to the natural changes of the wea¬ 
ther. If a certainty exists of there being plenty of food in store, there 
is no objection to covering and keeping warm, as it will tend to hasten 
the swarming, perhaps, a week or ten days. 
“ Garden. —Gather carefully any apples or pears which may yet 
be on the trees. Commence pruning gooseberries and currants. Re¬ 
move the earth from around their stems, (taking care not to injure 
their roots,) and throw it to some distance, filling up with fresh soil 
from another part of the garden : — this will assist to check the 
caterpillar. 
“ Cut down and remove all decayed haulm or stems preparatory to 
digging, when the weather permits. Prune and nail fruit or flowering 
plants, collect manure, and prepare rich composts for different sorts of 
bed or border flowers. Rough-dig all vacant ground. The early sorts 
of peas and beans may now be sown; but, unless the soil be light and 
dry, it is better to delay these sowings till January. Cabbage may still 
be planted, and finish earthing up all crops requiring such care. See 
that your winter store of potatoes are well secured against frost; and 
if any carrots, parsneps, or mangle wurzel be still in the ground, let 
them be raised and laid in a dry place for winter use : the ground 
they occupied may then be rough-digged or trenched, to lie the 
winter.” 
