Mr. Hall ivill gladly answer queries pertaining to individual problems connected with the garden and grounds. 
please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope. 
When an immediate reply is desired, 
THE LAWN 
October Activities 
The bare spots in the lawn should be looked 
after. Loosen the bare places with a sharp 
rake and then treat them to a dressing of pulverized sheep manure, 
and seed liberally. After seeding, again rake over the surface 
so that the seed will be well covered. This should be followed 
by the use of the roller to smooth the surface. The finer the 
soil can be made before seeding, the better will be the result in 
securing a good stand of grass. If the lawn is well cared for, 
properly fertilized, and kept closely mown, the sod will improve 
from year to year. Many gardeners think that the grass should be 
let grow rather tall about this time of the year to make a protection 
for the roots. This is a mistake; the lawn should be kept closely 
mown until the grass ceases to grow. If left to get tall a great 
deal of the grass will die out during the winter and this long grass 
will have to be raked out by hand in the 
spring before the lawn can be made to take 
on a fresh appearance. 1 f closely mown late 
in the fall it will start into growth very 
early the following spring. Bone dust or 
pulverized sheep manure, preferably the 
latter, makes good lawn fertilizers. It is 
not necessary to have the lawn unsightly 
all the winter months through the use of 
coarse stable straw-manure. Give a good 
top dressing of pulverized sheep manure 
— that is sufficient. 
ORNAMENTAL 
AND SHRUBS 
TREES 
October is 
the best time 
of the year in 
which to plant ornamental trees and 
shrubs, except in localities where the win¬ 
ters are extremely severe. In the selection 
of both ornamental trees and shrubs re¬ 
gard must be had for the adaptability of 
the subject to the climatic conditions 
existing where it is to be planted. In 
planting always make the hole at least a 
foot wider than the root area of the 
specimen, and the depth according to the 
depth of its root system. If the earth at 
the bottom is a stiff hard clay, or a gravelly hard-pan, it should 
be broken up to a depth of a foot or more and a goodly portion 
of sods and manure incorporated with it. If the soil where the 
tree or shrub is being set is poor, a good compost of well rotted 
manure, leaf mold, and sods should be thrown in and dug in 
to a depth of six inches or more. See the article “The Whole Art 
of Transplanting Trees” on another page. 
SWEET PEAS 
Dig over your trench and sow sweet peas now 
to gain several weeks in the spring 
Sweet pea seed planted now to lie dormant 
in the ground all winter will give much earlier 
bloom than the earliest spring planting. Fall planting is especially 
desirable for well drained, light, sandy soils, as the vines start 
early in the spring and come into flower much earlier than they 
would in a heavier soil, where they make a much stronger growth. 
The period of sweet pea blooming may be very much extended 
by placing a mulch of fine straw or grass about the roots, keeping 
them well watered and the blooms picked 
off. It is well to keep in mind that sweet 
peas will not do well planted in the same 
soil two years in succession. But if they are 
desired in the same location the trench 
method can be resorted to—the old soil 
taken out and the trench refilled with new 
soil and manure. Sunlight and fresh air in 
abundance are essential to successful sweet 
pea development. In the shade the vines 
will make a tall growth, little foliage, and 
less flowers; in damp places the foliage is 
apt to mildew and the vines die off without 
flowering. Spade and prepare the ground 
properly, having it in a fine loose condition, 
putting on a liberal application of well 
rotted barn manure, or pulverized sheep 
manure, before spading. Use a liberal 
quantity of seed to make sure of a good 
stand — one ounce to fifteen feet of row is 
sufficient—and, when well started, thin 
out the young vines until they stand from 
four to six inches apart. Light two-inch- 
mesh poultry wire makes a very convenient 
support for the vines. A better and 
more satisfactory way of supporting the 
vines is to drive stout round stakes, four 
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