October 17, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
103 
Even tlie gnarled' roots (where they exist) should be 
left free and exposed. The planting of flowering plants 
in the “bedding” form are distortions sometimes seen, 
and are very objectionable. Masses of Snowdrops, 
Primroses, Periwinkle, and hosts of other flowering 
plants carpeting the ground where gigantic trees tower 
above them, is a sight which all can admire ; but when 
art comes in, such as we have indicated, we have a bur¬ 
lesque.— M. T. 
--- 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Plants in the Open-air.— In cases where green¬ 
house plants are still standing out they should be 
placed under cover at once, for though a little frost will 
do no harmto^sucli things as Camellias and Azaleas, 
both of which are almost hardy, the heavy rains we are 
now getting will make them too wet at the roots. 
Chrysanthemums. —Although these are generally 
grown in pots when required for decorative purposes 
indoors, they generally do quite as well, or better, 
planted out, and those who are cultivating them in 
that way should lose no time in lifting them, or the 
plants will flag and suffer when brought into the house. 
In taking them up it is necessary to exercise care, and 
to secure as large a ball of earth with each as possible, 
and as soon as they are dropped into and pressed tightly 
in the pots, the next thing is to give a good watering to 
settle the soil, after which the plants should be stood 
close under a shady wall, and be kept syringed or damped 
overhead to preserve the foliage in a fresh healthy 
state. 
Disbudding the Plants. — The flower buds of 
Chrysanthemums will now swell fast, and where fine 
blooms are desired, thinning out must be pursued, 
leaving only the central or biggest and most promising 
bud on each shoot ; but though this plan of treatment 
is requisite when they are intended for exhibition pur¬ 
poses, it is not the best of the plants that are wanted for 
furnishing, as then it is desirable to have many blos¬ 
soms to make a fine show. This being so, all that 
should be done with those required for the use last 
referred to is to remove any buds that appear crowded, 
and thus give those left plenty of room to develope and 
open, and to aid them in this, liquid manure should be 
given whenever the plants are dry at the roots. 
Taking the Plants Indoors.— If the weather re¬ 
mains fine and mild the plants will be better outdoors 
for a week or so longer, but if an adverse change occurs 
they should be got in at once, and when under glass it 
is important that they.be kept cool, with an abundance 
of air, or mildew will get hold of them, and spoil the 
foliage if the atmosphere remains at all close. 
Cinerarias. —It is time now that these had their 
last shift by potting them into the sized pots they are 
to flower in, the most suitable soil being light fibry 
loam, leaf mould, and a little rotten manure mixed, in 
which they are sure to do well. As Cinerarias are 
damp loving subjects, the best place for them is a cold 
frame or pit, but as they are very tender they must be 
protected against frost by secure covering till they are 
removed into the house. 
Primulas. —The most suitable situation for these is 
a light airy shelf up near the glass, when they can have 
a temperature of about 50° by night, in which degree 
of heat they will continue to grow and send up fine 
trusses of bloom. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Making and Repairing Walks. —Nothing adds 
so much to the comfort and convenience of a garden as 
well-made good sound walks, as, instead of being soft, 
dirty, and disagreeable as many are, they remain in 
a firm condition all through the year. To have them 
in this desirable state they must have solid foundations 
to start with, and these may be made with any kind of 
hard material found ready to hand for the purpose, the 
best, perhaps, being slag or clinkers from furnaces, as 
owing to their rough rugged surfaces, they grip hold of 
chalk put with them, and bind almost as hard as a rock. 
Failing the slag or clinkers, big rough stones or broken 
bricks will be found to answer well, but whatever is 
used must be filled up between, as it is impossible to 
have the walk right at the top if there is any looseness 
or shifting below, neither should water be allowed to 
soak through the surface, but be carried away by means 
of drains and gratings laid along the sides to take off 
the rain as it falls. 
With the drains and bottom or foundation in, the 
next thing is to put on a layer of stony gravel of good 
binding quality, and on that, an inch or so of sifted or 
finer stuff to finish off with, when this is made perfectly 
level and smooth, the whole should be rolled down with 
a heavy roller, repeating the same operation again and 
again after rain, till the gravel gets well together and 
seems solid and firm. 
Repairing and Surfacing.— Old walks that are 
discoloured, and much worn, may be repaired, bright¬ 
ened, and made in appearance equal to new, by just 
breaking up and turning the surface, and giving a thin 
dressing of new stuff, which should consist principally 
of very fine stones, as all else that is wanted is sufficient 
of the binding material to hold them together. 
Lawns and Grass Verges. —Next in importance 
to having good walks, is the condition of lawns and 
verges, which, if uneven, are a great eyesore, and not 
only that, hut are bad for cutting the grass. Turfing 
and Relaying : In cases where the hollows or in¬ 
equalities are many, it is best to take up the whole of 
the turf, and after thoroughly leveling the surface by 
putting on fresh soil, or breaking down the hills and 
bringing them into the holes, to relay it again 
Cutting the Turves. —For the work to be done 
properly, it is necessary to have all the turves of a size, 
and the same in thickness, and the thinner they are, 
so long as they are stout and strong enough to hold 
together, the better, as they may be beaten down regu¬ 
larly with little trouble or labour. 
Taking out Weeds.— What disfigures grass plots 
almost as much as being unlevel, is, to have them full 
of weeds, especially such coarse usurpers as Plantains 
and Daisies that spread in great patches, and, if left to 
themselves, soon seed and cover the greater part of a 
lawn. To prevent this, the best way is to dig them out, 
which may easily be done by having a narrow spud¬ 
like tool with a bent stem to act as a lever, as by its use 
the weeds may be cut through just below the crowns, 
and lifted out of the ground without much disturbing 
the surface. 
Killing the Weeds with Acid. —A quicker way, 
perhaps, of killing the weeds in lawns, is to destroy 
them with vitriolic acid, x>ne drop of which popped into 
the heart by the aid of a stick will burn the weed up. 
Beds and Borders. —Lifting and storing Dahlias : 
So long as the tops of these remain alive they may be 
left out, but directly they are killed down by frost they 
should be lifted at once and stored, the most suitable 
places for them being a cellar or shed, where the tubers 
ought to be buried in dry soil to keep them plump and 
sound till the spring. Gladioli : the best way of 
wintering these is to lift the bulbs or corms just as 
they are with the tops on, and put each one, or several 
together, in a pot, burying the roots with dry sand, and 
then standing them in a cool airy house or shed out of 
the reach of frost, and there keep them till March. 
THE FRUIT GARDEN. 
Gathering Fruit. —Although the late heavy rains 
have done much in enlarging the size of Apples and 
Pears, it is to be feared that such a glut of moisture 
will act very injuriously against their quality and keep¬ 
ing, as they are full of crude juice, which at this late 
season, with so little sun, cannot be converted into sac¬ 
charine matter. This being so, the fruit should be left 
on the trees as long as it will hang, and as it is very 
backward this year in ripening, there is all the more 
reason for deferring the gathering. The proper time to 
pick the fruit is on a still dry day, when baskets padded 
with hay or other soft material should be used, and the 
Apples and Pears put carefully in and carried to the 
place of storage, where they ought to be sorted and laid 
singly on shelves that they may be looked over easily, 
and any defective ones taken out and used before they 
go bad. 
The Vinery. —Those who have Grapes hanging will 
find it a most difficult matter to keep them sound, but 
with great watchfulness and care it may be done. The 
chief thing to attend to is the atmosphere, which must be 
maintained in a very buoyant condition without raising 
the temperature, as artificial heat soon causes the 
berries to shrivel. To avoid this evil, the way to man¬ 
age is to have the pipes just warm, and at the same time 
the ventilators slightly open by night, as then any 
moisture arising from the floor of the house will be 
driven out instead of condensing on the Grapes as it 
otherwise would. If any of the berries show signs of 
decay they should be cut out at once before they con¬ 
taminate others they touch. 
Young Vines.— The weather has been so cold and 
sunless that these are very late in ripening, and to 
finish them off, dry artificial heat will have to be re¬ 
sorted to, which should be given by day, keeping a fair 
amount of air on at the same time, and the combined in¬ 
fluence of the two will then bring about a hardening of 
the wood, and maturing of the buds, and greatly assist 
the rods in showing good crops of fruit. 
Strawberries.— Instead of digging amongst Straw¬ 
berries at this season, as is too often done, it is far 
better to take a hoe and draw some of the earth 
between the rows up to the sides of the plants, and 
then give the ground a good dressing of half-rotten 
manure, which will keep the frost out, and encourage 
fresh roots from the crowns. 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
Taking Up and Storing Roots.— The worst thing 
that can be done with Potatos is to pit them, as when 
covered up close under straw and a heavy body of soil 
they generate heat and begin to sprout ; and not only 
that, but Potatos that have been pitted and are used 
soon after being taken out, always taste earthy and have 
their flavour and quality impaired, and those for seed 
become weakened through growing. The best way of 
managing with the last-named is to spread them very 
thinly on the floor of a dry airy shed, where they are 
safe from frost, and there keep them as cool as possible, 
and the same with those for cooking, but they must 
be screened from the light, as exposure turns the skins 
green and spoils them for table. 
Beetroot. —As Beetroot is rather tender, andbecomes 
injured by frost, it is not safe to leave it out much 
longer, but in taking it up care should be exercised not 
to break any more of the roots than can be avoided, or 
to bruise the skins, otherwise the Beet will bleed when 
being boiled, and lose much of its colour and flavour. 
The way to manage with the leaves is to wring them 
off and not cut them, and after that is done the Beet 
should be packed away in dry earth or sand to prevent 
shrivelling and keep it sound and good for the winter. 
Carrots. —These require treating exactly in the same 
manner, and ought to be dug out at once, as they are 
growing again since the rain, and making fresh roots 
from the sides. 
Cauliflowers. —These will be safe for the present 
if the plants are examined and have their leaves bent 
over the hearts of those turning in, but later on it will 
be better to lift them and lay them in by the heels in 
any old pit or frame, where they can be protected by 
night, as by managing in that way a supply may be 
kept up till very late in the winter. 
Lettuces. —Any of these that are now getting largo 
enough for use should be lifted with good balls and 
placed under cover of a frame, where they can be shel¬ 
tered from frost and kept dry, as then they will afford 
a supply for a long time to come. 
Endive. — This may be treated in the same way, or 
tied up where they stand, but if the latter it is better to 
put an inverted flower-pot over each, when, by excluding 
them entirely from the light, they blanch beautifully 
and are crisp and good in flavour. 
Cabbages. — The best of all the Cabbage family to 
come in at this season of the year is Gilbert’s Chou de 
Burghley, which everyone should grow, as the heads 
are large and tender and delicious when cooked, beating 
Savoys in every way, which vegetable Chou de Burghley 
is likely to oust from all gardens. 
Spring Cabbages. —Where slugs are troublesome, a 
dressing of fine lime and soot mixed and sown over the 
ground will be found beneficial for these plants, and a 
frequent hoeing or stirring of the surface does much to 
keep the insects in check. 
Wigandia caracassana. —This may either be pro¬ 
pagated by roots in the autumn or from cuttings in the 
spring ; but as cuttings are not produced very freely it 
is better to try with the roots, which may be treated the 
same way as Aralia papyrifera, but they do not start 
quite so freely, and require a little more. heat. 
