Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-09-05
Autumn Work In the Garden

Early autumn is the best possible
time for re-arranging beds Of her
baceOus plants, such as Hollyhocks,
Delphiniums, P9onies, &c. Roots
can be divided without injury, and
generally with great benefit to the
health of the plants. Lilies, and all
Hardy Bulbs, can also be removed
aud replanted as soon as the leaves
begin to ripen. All beds of Hardy
Bulbs, such as Hyacinths, Tulips,
&c, should be made as early as the
Bulbs can be procured, which is
generally about the latter part OF
September.
There is no season so favorable
as autumn for making general i'm
prOvements in .he garden. The
American autumn weather is Sill.
perb. Our springs are short, and
yet quite long enough, for our spring
weather is miserable; cold winds
and rain and snow and mud and
sleet. All important changes in the
garden should, therefore, be made
in the pleasant, dry weather of au-
tumn. Dig up and put in order
every vacant bed, as it will not on
ly facilitate spring work, but do the
soil good and have IL neater appear
ance than if left rough and weedy.
Above all things do not make a
manure heap or a barn. yard of the
front lawn. Why people think it
necessary to cover their lawns with
rotting, unsightly manure six
months in the year is more than we
can imagine. A well made lawn
will not need enriching in a century,
for there is nothing taken from it,
and it becomes richer and richer
every year. The fact is, our old
lawns become too rich and humid,
and need, if anything, dressing OF
lime or ashes. Then grass needs no
protection in winter, and even if it
did, how very sensible it is to rake
off every leaf that falls from the
trees-just the protection and man
ure that nature provides--and put
in their place the odiOus and odorif-
erOus manure that causes every pas
ser to initiate the Levite in the par
able.
Most people have observed, 10
doubt, that self-sOwn seeds, that is,
seeds that have dropped from the
growing plants of the previous sea-
son, sometimes produce the strong
est and most healthy plants that
bloom the most freely. This is true
Of several kinds, and particularly of
those that suffer under exposure to
our midsummer suns. The reason
is, that self-sown seeds get very
healthy growth in the spring, vege-
tating as soon as frost is gone, and
are good sized plants at the time we
usually put seeds in the ground.
They thus mature and flower during
the cool weather of spring. The
Clarkias and NemOphilas and An
nual Larkspurs are noted examples.
There are also several varieties of
Hardy ANIMALS that do we'll with
spring sowing that will bare autumn
sowing in the open ground, and re-
ward us with early spring flowers.
Sweet Alyssum and White Candy.
tuft will give us abundance of white
for early cutting, if sown in the au-
tumn. In a sandy soil the Portula-
ca may be sown in autumn with
good success. Seeds of Biennials
and Perennials, if sown early enough
to produce strong little plants, will
flower the next summer, and Pan
sizes, Chinese Pinks, though they
bloom the first summer if sown in
the spring, will make much stronger
plants and flower more freely and
earlier if young plants are grown in
the autumn. The Pansy sometimes
suffers in the winter, but if the
young plants are put in a frame and
covered with few loose boards, or
a little mating, being always sure
to give air, they will pass the Win
ter in safety.
All bulbs and plants that die
down to the ground in the autumn
may be protected by covering the
surface of the earth with leaves or
manure or straw, but plants that re-
tain their leaves during winter will
not bear this kind of protection.
A few evergreen boughs thrown
over the bed, a little straw between
the plants, or some light open COW
ering of this kind, is all they will
bare without injury. We have seen