The Flower Garden. 
The above term suggests a garden all 
ablaze ■with colour, but at the present time 
the blaze is almost out. Like a fire that has 
had a bucket of water dashed ever it, there 
are only a few flickers of brightness. I 
have just come in from the garden—been 
driven in, in fact, by a deluge, and not the 
first by a long chalk. Still, I suppose 'there 
will be an end of it sooner or later, so that 
we may proceed with the work in hand. 
That’s just it, I hear some reader remark. 
Every week “ Horti ” tells us to do this, 
that, and the other, and at the present rate 
of 'things we shall be doing in December 
’ what he told us to do a month previously. 
There is no way out of the difficulty I am 
: afraid, so if the ground for Roses has not 
yet been trenched, start on the job at the 
first opportunity, but do not plant right 
away, for trenched soil sinks considerably, 
and one cannot hasten the process of sinking 
by trampling, if the soil is anyway moist 
enough to stick, and at present it is. 
Turf Laying and Lawn Repairing. 
A job that may be dealt with scon after 
~ain is the laying of turf or repairing of 
wns. One not infrequently finds a few 
3 unken spots on a lawn, and such places 
i 1 ' an easily be levelled up by cutting out the 
/ ,.urf and replacing it after adding a little 
- soil. Ground that has been prepared and 
levelled fox turf is not seriously affected by 
being walked upon. Fresh cut turf very 
quickly gets hold. It is necessary, how¬ 
ever, to have some fairly dry soil at hand 
for filling up depressions, etc. 
Bulbs in the Lawn. 
Speaking of turf reminds me that a few 
bulbs dotted about in the grass have a 
charming effect in the spring time. The 
early flowering Daffodils are the most suit 
able" for this purpose, as the foliage is not 
so conspicuous after the flowers are over. 
Crocuses, too, look very pretty. It is 
getting late for bulb planting, but it w-r ' 1 
be idle to say that it is too late. Bulbs may 
be planted singly in grass by means of a 
strong dibber, afterwards filling up the hole 
with soil, but the best way is to partly lift 
a turf and set several bulbs near together. 
They make a much better show this way. 
Sand for Bulbs. 
Bulbs to be planted in beds or borders 
will be benefited if 'some sand is dropped 
around each one. The soil at this date is 
very wet and cloggy, so that it is not a 
good medium for inducing quick roots. 
Lime for Beds and Borders. 
Olid borders and beds that have been 
manured year after year are generally lack¬ 
ing in lime, and this fact is often the cause 
of some plants failing to do well. A light 
sprinkling of fresh slaked lime while not 
an effective insect destroyer, is certainly a 
valuable help in other ways. 
Planting Shrubs. 
Bought in shrubs should all be in posi¬ 
tion by this time, as such stock rarely has 
any great amount of soil attached to the 
roots, consequently they are liable to suffer 
if severe weather follow planting. Home¬ 
grown stuff can, however, be lifted with a 
good ball, so that little or no check follows. 
Shifting Hollies. 
Should it be necessary to shift Hollies it 
will be advisable to follow the American 
plan, that is to cut off every leaf. American 
nurserymen all strongly advocate the re¬ 
moval of every leaf and unripe shoots, in 
fact many send out the bushes so treated. 
By this plan the dying off trouble is almost 
entirely overcome. 
Paeonies. 
While the weather remains open, the 
coarser growing herbaceous plants may swll 
be divided and replanned. Always discard 
the centre portions which are practically ex¬ 
hausted. Paeonies should be well mulched 
with manure after the stems have been cut 
away. Beautiful as these flowers are, very 
few gardens appear to possess anything like 
a collection. It may be that they are too 
expensive for the small gardener, but they 
may be purchased as cheaply as Roses, for 
many of the old sorts are equal to the high- 
priced new ones. In America, Paeony grow¬ 
ing is becoming quite a craze, both among 
gardeners and florists. There is a special 
Paeony Society, which is doing some very 
important work in the way of smoothing out 
the nomenclature of the Paeony. I would 
strongly advise anyone to get a little col¬ 
lection of Paeonies. Plant them on heavily 
manured trenched soil, and after the second 
year they will be a positive delight.- 
Roses. 
Roses show no signs of going to rest just 
yet, and no attempt should be made in the 
way of protecting them. Wait until Decem¬ 
ber is out at least. Coddled plants are 
likely to give trouble by starting dnito 
growth early in the new year, for despite 
the scores of years that even the more ten¬ 
der Roses have been cultivated in this coun¬ 
try they) cannot adapt themselves to our 
climatic changes. 
Fuchsias. 
Hardy or ,shrubby Fuchsias may, how¬ 
ever, be given protection if severe weather 
■threatens. Although termed hardy, some of 
them are liable to be killed to the ground, 
and [heir beauty is lost for a season or 
two. Old mats, etc., are as good as any- 
■p-; :g for protecting them. 
Gladioli and Dahlias. 
All Gladioli should be up and drying 
now. Dahlias, too, may be taken up. 
The Fruit Garden. 
Fruit Tree Sprays. 
Each season sees some advance made in 
the methods of spraying fruit trees, and_ it 
is pleasing to be able to state tbat W m. 
Cooper and Nephews, of Berkhamsted, have 
made spraying such a simple process that 
no one need excuse) themselves on the 
ground that spray fluids are a nuisance to 
make. There is no denying that the small 
gardener finds it a great bother to prepare 
such solutions, and on this account, many 
never attempt to try and cleanse their trees 
PRIZE LETTER COMPETITION. 
Owing to pressure on our space Letters 
received in this Competition are held over 
until next week. 
733 
from lichens and other pests. Vi fluid is 
guaranteed to remove mosses and lichens, 
and to destroy the various insects and their 
eggs that congregate on fruit trees in the 
winter. The Pear midge and Apple sucker 
are two pests that come under this category, 
as their eggs are always present in vast 
numbers. The Codlin moth is another de¬ 
structive pest. V2 fluid is- for summer 
application, and it will destroy live and 
destructive pests such as aphis, scale, Psylla, 
and otheT terrors that attack leaf, blossom, 
and fruit. 
Pi-unimg and Planting. 
Pruning of fruit trees may be pushed on, 
small bushes being dealt with first. Keep 
off the ground if it is very wet. Planting 
should cease if the present wet spell con¬ 
tinues, but a dry day may be taken advan¬ 
tage of, especially if the holes for the trees 
are already prepared. A little dry soil fer 
working among the roots will be found 
beneficial. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
lit is almost idle to say use the hce among 
the Cabbage plants. The wet state of the 
ground will prevent this in most places. A 
little earth drawn round the 9tems of the 
plants will prevent their being blown about 
severely. 
Peas. 
Some advocate a sowing of Peas and 
Bread Beans now, but I fancy the practice 
is falling off, for the modern early Peas 
sown in February wall come in as early as 
a November solving, and generally make a 
better show. On very warm soil a sowing 
may be attempted. 
Radishes and Turnips. 
Winter Radishes and Turnips will suffer 
less through cold if earth is drawn over .he 
bulbs. Turnips that are fit, such as Golden 
Ball, are better if taken up and stored like 
Beets. 
Clearing Up. 
Clear away all yellow and fallen leaves 
from the winter green plantation. Sprouts 
and the like are by no means benefited by 
■having a lot of rolling foliage about them. 
Clear up everything in the way cf rubbish. 
If not diseased such stuff may be used in the 
bottom of trenches, providing the latter are 
3ft. deep. Never turn in rank green stuff 
as if it were manure when digging. Green 
manuring is quite a different thing. 
Artichokes. 
Artichokes may be lifted if the ground is 
wanted. Select good sets for later planting. 
Endive, 
Blanch Endive by covering with pots or 
slates. Choose a dry day for so doing. 
Potatos. 
Give stored Potatos a frequent look over. 
Keep seed sets as cool as possible. Early 
sorts may be boxed, but do not encourage 
them to sprout just yet. 
Celery. 
Celery is not likely to suffer through frost 
just yet, but it is a good plan to have some 
protective substance at hand. 
“ Horti.” 
Orchids for Amateurs. 
East Indian Orchids. 
The section of Orchids termed the East 
Indian Orchids, which comprises such 
generic spewes as A . rides, Saccolabiums, 
Rhynchostaylis, and the Vandas, of the V. 
tricolor section, is not nearly so exclusively 
cultivated as was the case a few years ago 
or as its merits deserve. Amateurs' who pos- 
