October 17, 1908. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
663 
1 ^ ^ ^ ^ A ^ 
The Flower Garden. 
ie Herbaceous Borders. 
Michaelmas Daisies and border Chrysan- 
emums will form the chief feature of these 
rders at the present time. Neglected plants 
esent a very untidy appearance, and it is 
difficult matter to get them shapely again, 
t this work must be done. Specimens which 
3re duly staked look very nice indeed now, 
id well repay one for the labour spent up- 
1 them. 
amoving Faded Leaves. 
On both Michaelmas Daisies and Chry- 
nthemums there are many faded leaves 
rich curl up and harbour earwigs and other 
sect pests. All such leaves should be 
died off and burned in the garden fire. 
About twice during the present week it 
auld be advisable to thoroughly examine 
1 plants in the herbaceous border and cut 
iwn the stems of those that are quite ripe, 
very effort should be made to keep these 
irders as clean as possible, and the work 
•cessary to this end should not be be- 
udged. 
ahlias. 
Of course, it would not do to cut down 
ly of the plants that were bearing fresh 
aves and flowers; some temporary protec- 
on should be afforded such forthwith. But 
here early frosts have injured the leaves 
: unprotected specimens the stems should 
» cut off as shown in Fig. 1. Do not cut 
f the stems close to the ground, but leave 
tern abount 9 inches long, as shown at A, 
ie tops B being burned forthwith. In addi- 
on to the ground label, tie a small one to 
ie stalks of the plants as shown in the 
:etch, and thus do all you can to retain 
ie correct names of the Dahlias after the 
■owers have gone. 
If other work presses during the present 
eek, you may leave the tubers in the 
round, as they will be quite safe from the 
:ost. When lifting the roots be careful not 
ii injure them with fork or spade or by 
mlently pulling them out of the soil. Place 
ie lifted roots—with the soil adhering to 
lem —in a dry, open shed for a time, but 
iver them with mats each night. In due 
lurse, when the soil is dried and the tubers 
|icely hardened, they may be prepared for 
coring during the winter months. 
lanting Bulbs in Herbaceous Borders. 
Theie are few months in the year in which 
iese borders are without flowers of some 
ind where a fairly good collection is grown, 
nd this is one reason why they are so popu- 
tr and growing in favour with the public. 
Vhere there are spaces large enough, you 
lay fill them with bulbs at once. Hyacinths, 
'ulips, Narcissi, Jonquils, Snowdrops, 
villas and Crocuses are all suitable for 
lanting in groups or in lines in the bor¬ 
ers. But grouping is the most pleasing 
prm of growing the bulbs. 
Hrubs and Trees. 
Where these are unsatisfactory and you 
J/ish to replace them, or where it is intended 
P form new shrubberies and plantations, 
rake all necessary preparation. The ground 
hould be deeply trenched and all old roots 
f trees and shrubs carefully picked out. It 
s never satisfactory to plant the specimens 
n hard, unbroken ground. But cffiefly ow- 
ng to lack of labour this is often done. 
Fig. i. Cut down Dahlias at once if the 
leaves get frozen. A shows the stalks left 
9 in. above ground; B, the tops to be taken 
away and burned. 
However, by taking advantage of every op¬ 
portunity you may succeed in getting all 
the ground trenched in due time for the 
planting. 
The Fruit Garden. 
Plum Trees. 
Suckers grow from the roots of these fruit 
trees more freely than from those of any 
other kind, and if they are left undisturbed 
for a year they soon become a thicket of 
growth. It is useless to cut off the suckers 
at the ground level, as they grow again in 
increased numbers and soon spread all over 
Fig. 2. Suckers often grow on the roots of 
Plum trees. They should be cut off. A 
shows the suckers and B the tree root. 
the border. -The greater the number of 
suckers the weaker the growth of the tree 
becomes. Fig. 2 shows how the suckers 
should be removed. Take out sufficient soil, 
very carefully, to bare the roots and the 
suckers growing on them; then cut off the 
suckers A close to the roots B, using a sharp 
knife. When filling in the trench again 
mix a small quantity of fibrous loam and 
old mortar rubbish with the ordinary garden 
soil, and so encourage the formation of 
plenty of new fibrous roots near the surface. 
Make the soil firm as it is replaced. 
Fig. j. Lift and store Beetroot in clamps 
as shown above. The roots are now ready 
for covering with straw and soil. 
Blackberries. 
The American Blackberries, or Brambles, 
are well worth cufEivating. There are often 
odd corners in gardens which are not suit¬ 
able for the growth of the more tender kinds 
of fruits, but in which the American Black¬ 
berry would thrive. All you need do is to 
tiench the soil and free it from all kinds of 
weeds which may be found there, as it is 
not an easy matter to get rid of the weeds 
when they are growing amongst the roots 
of the Blackberries. Put in growing plants 
of medium strength and allow ample space 
for each clump to grow in. The following 
are good varieties, namely : Parsley-leaved, 
ornamental leaves, large fruit, sweet and 
freely producell; Wilson junior, early, large 
fruit, also free; Early Harvest, large fruit, 
sweet, ripens early. 
A select list of Apples, Pears, Plums, etc., 
will appear in next week’s “Work of the 
Week.” 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Storing Beetroot. 
Beetroot, if bruised, loses colour consider¬ 
ably and also flavour, so that all roots should 
be gently raised out of the soil with the aid 
of a garden fork. If forcibly pulled up and 
the tops are cut off close to the crown much 
juice will be lost. Twist off the tops several 
inches from the crown and lay the roots out 
to dry for a few hours before they are stored. 
Pack the roots in sand in an open shed and 
then cover them with straw and soil. Fig. 3 
shows the end of a heap of Beetroot ready 
for covering. 
Endive. 
Plants placed' in frames for blanching 
should be examined, and all decaying leaves 
removed. Also those under slates or boards 
need attention in this way, too 
Lettuces in Frames. 
At this season many persons grow Let¬ 
tuces in frames; but as the plants do not 
succeed well if kept too close, air should 
be given freely in fine weather, and unless 
there is a frost keep the lights open slightly 
at the top both day and night. 
Brussels Sprouts. 
Many main leaves growing from the stem 
turn yellow at this season. Do not allow 
any such to remain on the plants, but pull 
them off forthwith. Also pick up any that 
are lying on the ground. In the case of 
winter greens generally, it is advisable to 
gather up all leaves found lying on the soil. 
Keep the quarters quite clean and sweet. 
Foxglove. 
The Amateur’s Greenhouse. 
General Notes. 
The winter-flowering subjects will at the 
present time be claiming a deal of the ama¬ 
teur’s attention, and in a “ mixed ” house 
these should be placed in the most favoured 
positions as regards light and ventilation, 
relegating those plants which are resting to 
the background for the time being. 
The task of watering, which during the 
dry hot summer months has taken a deal of 
our time, will now be considerably lessened, 
the quantity given being, of course, gradu¬ 
ally reduced as the winter approaches. Some 
of the summer-flowering bulbous and tube¬ 
rous-rooted treasures, such as Achimenes, 
Liliums, Begonias, etc., may be dried off 
and stored away free from both damp and 
frost till the time arrives for re-starting 
them. 
Various insect pests will soon be secreting 
themselves snugly away for the winter, and 
it is, of course, advisable that they be 
searched for diligently and destroyed before¬ 
hand, thereby saving trouble when the warm 
days return in the spring. 
