Fall Work In The Garden

Because the growth of grass on the lawn is not as luxuriant and rapid in

fall as it is in midsummer, is no reason why the lawn should be

neglected after summer is over. It should be mowed whenever the grass

gets too tall to look well, clear up to the end of the season. The neat

and attractive appearance of the home-grounds depends more upon the lawn

than anything else about them. It is a good plan to fertilize it well in

fall, thus enabling the roots of the sward to store up nutriment for the

coming season. Fine bonemeal is as good for this purpose as anything I

know of except barnyard manure, and it is superior to that in one

respect--it does not contain the seeds of weeds.



Go over the garden before the end of the season and gather up all plants

that have completed their work. If we neglect to give attention to the

beds now that the flowering-period is over, a general appearance of

untidiness will soon dominate everything. Much of the depressing effect

of late fall is due to this lack of attention. The prompt removal of all

unsightly objects will keep the grounds looking _clean_ after the season

has passed its prime, and we all know what the Good Book's estimate of

cleanliness is.



Seedlings of such perennials as Hollyhock, Delphinium, and other plants

of similar character, ought to be transplanted to the places they are to

occupy next season by the last of September. If care is taken not to

disturb their roots when you lift them they will receive no check.



If you give your Hybrid Perpetual Roses a good, sharp cutting-back early

in September, and manure the soil about them well, you may reasonably

expect a few fine flowers from them later on. And what is more

delightful than a perfect Rose gathered from your own garden just at the

edge of winter?



Perennials can be divided and reset, if necessary, immediately after

they have ripened off the growth of the present year. If this work is

done now, there will be just so much less to do in spring.



Before the coming of cold weather all tools used in gardening operations

should be gathered up and stored under cover. If any repairs are

needed, make note of them, and see that the work is done in winter, so

that everything needed in spring may be in readiness for use. It is a

good plan to give all wood-work a coat of paint at the time it is stored

away, and to go over the metal part of every tool with a wash of

vaseline to prevent rust.



Have a general house-cleaning before winter sets in. Cut away the stalks

of the perennials. Pull up all annuals. Rake up the leaves, and add

everything of this kind to the compost heap. All garden refuse should

find its way there, to be transmuted by the alchemy of sun and rain, and

the disintegrating forces of nature into that most valuable of soil

constituents--humus. Let nothing that has any value in it be wasted.



After hard frosts have killed the tops of Dahlias, Cannas, Caladiums and

Gladioluses, their roots should be dug, on some warm and sunny day, and

prepared for storage in the cellar or closet. Spread them out in the

sunshine, and leave them there until the soil that was dug with them is

dry enough to crumble away from them. At night cover with something to

keep out the cold, and expose them to the curative effects of the sun

next day. It may be necessary to do this several days in succession. The

great amount of moisture which they contain when first dug should be

given a chance to evaporate to a considerable extent before it will be

safe to put them away for the winter. Cut off the old stalks close to

the root before storing.



While clearing the beds of dead plants and leaves be on the lookout for

insects of various kinds. The cut-worm may still be in evidence, and may

be found among the rubbish which you gather up. And if found, destroy it

on the spot. This precaution will go far toward safeguarding plants in

spring, many of which are annually injured by the depredations of this

pest.



When you are sure that cold weather is at hand, cover the bulb-bed with

coarse manure or litter, hay, or straw, as advised in the chapter on The

Bulb Garden. And give your Roses the protection advised in the chapter

on The Rose.



Cover Pansies lightly with leaves or evergreen branches. If you have

mulch enough, apply some to your hardy plants, and next spring note the

difference between them and the plants which were not given any

protection.