OcTOBER 1, 1902. 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER, 
Gardening Operations for October. 
SEPSCSO HESS = 
HERE is always sucha lot to do in a 
garden.. Of course there is. That is what 
it is meant for. Ask Adam, he began it. 
If there is plenty of work one always has the 
supreme satisfaction of knowing that there is 
plenty to show for it. Equally, on the other 
hand, the less one does, the less there is to 
show for it, except in the matter of weeds. 
Even the weeds exercise the privilege of 
grumbling, as the following little humorous 
refrain will show :— 
THE WEED’S COMPLAINT. 
«Tt’s rough, 
I tell you what, an’ tough. Five times 
I’ve taken root, this spring, an’ tried to grow, 
But ev’ry time I git a start, along 
That smarty comes a- brandishin’ his hoe— 
An’ chop! An’ there lam again. They might, 
I think, at least jest let a feller be, 
Who wasn’t doin’ nothin’, but they seem 
To have a spite agin me, I can see, 
An’ I don’t git no chance,” said the weed. 
ce toy course, 
If I was both’rin’ anybody—but T ain’t ; 
Ain’t bonin’ favors an’ ain’t makin’ any blow. 
I’m peaceable an’ quiet an’ jest try 
To git along the best I know; 
I wasn’t even planted, but jest growed 
All by my lonely—wasn’t helped a speck, 
As others are ; but the less I ask, 
It seems, the more I get it in the neck— 
An’ I don’t git no chance,” said the weed. 
An’ then, 
Jest see that dude, the corn-stalk. Ooddled till 
It makes one tired to see. Why, do know, 
He’d die if he’d not babied so! Gee-whiz! 
If [ but had that show—or half the show 
That he has! Wouldn’t I grow? I guess yes— 
I’d top the fence in no time. Spread ? Oh, my 
An’ smile ? Id pay for care, I would, a’ be 
The pride o’ this whole garden ’fore I die— 
But I don’t git no chance,” said the weed. 
—Cleveland Leader. 
Although cleanliness is one of the first 
considerations ina well-appointed garden, the 
flowers themselves require constant attention 
to keep them and their surroundings pre- 
sentable. But such attention should not be 
classed as work. It is merely recreation and 
pleasure. 
During this month the foliage of bulbs will 
begin to die off. As soon as the flowers are 
gone a jaunt round the borders with some 
string to tie up the straggling green leaves is 
well worth doing to keep them trim and give 
the young plants coming on a fair show of 
air and sunlight. When the tops begin to 
wither and turn yellow cut them off by de- 
grees. Do not shave them to the ground 
right away or the flowers may be found want- 
ing next year no matter whether the bulbs 
be left in the ground or removed to their 
sand beds until the time for replanting later 
on. We advise leaving the bulbs in the 
ground for three or four years without mov- 
ing. Some specialists in Daffodils advise 
lifting every second year. ‘The advice may 
be good, but something depends upon the 
suitableness of their beds. If the bed is 
found satisfactory we say leave them, the 
next remove may not be so satisfactory. 
When walking round the garden admiring 
its beauties, nip off the dead flowers, the 
operation helps to keep the plants sightly, 
and the period of flowering will be 
lengthened. 
This is the beginning of dry months, and 
a word or two about watering may be timely 
before the hoses and watercans are brought 
to bear upon the open beds. 
place see that the driest spots about the 
garden are covered with a light mulch of 
some sort. 
so is seaweed. The prevention of evapora- 
tion by the heat of the sun and drying winds 
is the idea, A good soaking of water twice 
a week is all that is required, and once extra 
if the atmospheric conditions are excep- 
tionally drying. Sprinkling the ground 
merely every evening or morning is a little 
better than nothing at all, in fact frequently 
does more harm than good. The water thus 
applied merely damps the surface, and the 
roots of the plants in their thirstiness grow 
up towards the surface instead of down into 
the nurture of the ground. ‘The surface 
watering evaporates rapidly, the ground dries 
quickly, the roots become paralysed, and the 
plant wilts. Sprinklers are a great invention. 
They save an immense amount of labour, 
and give a good gradual soaking to the 
ground and at the: ‘Same time cleanse the 
plants of foreign matter. 
This is the monthfor Roses. _ The dig- 
ging fork is a handy thing about the rose- 
beds at. this time, but care should be taken 
when. stirring the soil not to: disturb the 
roots. A little liquid manure two or three 
times during this month will help the buds 
and the blooms. Aphis are great lovers of 
the Queen of Flowers, but their love is too 
exacting, and if allowed to continue will des- 
troy the blooms. The plants will appreciate 
a spraying with soapy water SAYA a tinc- 
ture of tobacco. 
BUDDING ROSES. 
The operation of budding. Roses: is not 
carried on to the extent it might be with ad- 
vantage. We offer the following explanation 
of the process from Amiateur Gardening, 
which we think is as clear as‘one. can Possibly 
give it :— xf 
“This is a very simple He ease and. 
easily learned by watching an ordinary 
practical gardener. If anyone wishes to do 
their own budding I. would advise them to 
ask someone to give them a lesson ,but not 
be satisfied in seeing it done, but put one or 
two in themselves in the presence of the in- 
structor. They would learn more in five 
minutes’ practice than in several hours study 
of books. Although it is necessary to know 
the theory, or the whys and the wherefores 
—which it is just possible that some experts 
cannot give who may be able..to bud suc- 
cessfully— it is always better to combine 
practice with theory. 
CHOOSING THE BUDS 
is one-of the most important parts of the 
operation. These must always be taken 
from flowering shoots. It is very tempt- 
In the first’ 
Stable litter is good stuff, and . 
shoot. 
7 
ing to take one of those strong young shoots 
which are thrown up from the bottom, as 
buds always look plump and good on them, 
and there is no flower to sacrifice ; but the 
chances are that the roses grown from them 
would not flower so freely, if at all. 
THE BEST BUDS 
are generally about the size of sniall pin- 
heads, and very often the leaves have te be 
pulled back a little before they can be seen. 
When the right kind of buds are found the 
shoots must be cut off as low down as there 
are buds fit for budding. As each shoot is 
cut off remove all the leaves to within three- 
quarters of an inch of the shoot, and add 
the name. Cutting the leaves off at once 
prevents the shoots shrivelling, as moisture 
is evaporated through the leaves. Having 
selected the buds, 
PREPARE THE STOCKS 
to receive them. These may be briar 
seedlings, brair cuttings, standard briars, 
or Manetta cuttings. The standard is 
the most popular with amateurs, and the 
easiest for a novice to begin with. The 
young shoots on the standards should have 
grown rather long and fairly strong, and they 
are generally well matured by the time 
budding should be done. Ifthe shoots are 
too young the first wind will cause 
them to break off where the cross-cut is 
made. First remove all the thorns -and 
leaves on the two inches nearest the stem, 
and 
MAKE A CUT THROUGH THE BARK 
one and a-half inches from the stem upward, 
at the end of which make a cut across like 
a capital T, going about half-way round the 
But before lifting the bark 
GET THE BUD READY FOR INSERTION, 
This is done by starting to cut an inch 
above a bud and cutting half-way through 
the shoot, going straight down past the bud 
and coming out an inch belowit. Now pull 
the wood out from the bark, which should 
come away quite easily if the shoot has 
been properly selected. Nearly everything 
depends upon how this wood comes out, 
If the shoot is too matured the bark sticks 
to the wood ; this very often happens when 
the bloom has been cut off a few days 
previously, and there béing no attraction 
the sap has ceased flowing. The wood 
_should come out clean and have the sap 
shining upon it. 
Perhaps the most im- 
portant point is how the bud breaks off from 
the wood, If it comes away leaving a hole 
leading up to the bud it willnot grow, _ It 
often does this when the bud is too forward, 
but it hardly ever comes out when the bud 
is as small as a pin’s head. There may be 
a slight indenture, but there should be no 
more. Growth takes place when the oper- 
ation is done, while the sap is flowing 
freely in both, the cambium layers coming 
in contact with each other. But if there be 
a hole underneath there is. no chance of the 
sap reaching the bud until fresh cells have 
been formed in the hole, which are grad- 
ually built up one above the other from the 
surface of the wood This would take 
several daysto accomplish, and the proba- 
bility is that by that time the bud would be 
dead. As soon as the bud is ready 
