Greenhouse And Flower-Garden

All plants should now be \in-doors; a sharp look-out must be kept for cold snaps. These often come very unexpectedly in November, and as many plants are injured by frost in this as there are in the colder months, when the enemy is more closely watched for. When fire heat is freely used, be careful to keep up the proper supply of moisture by syringing, sprinkling the paths, etc In the flower-garden nothing is now to be done except to clean off dead stalks and straw up tender roses, vines, etc., and wherever there is time, to dig up and rake the borders, as it will greatly facilitate spring work. All beds where hyacinths or other fall bulbs have been planted, had better be covered with rough litter or leaves to the depth of two or three inches. If short, thoroughly decayed manure can be spared, a good sprinkling spread over the lawn will help it to a finer growth in spring.

Fruit-Garden

In cold sections the hay or straw mulching recommended in the chapter on the Strawberry may be put on during the last of this month. Grape-vines and fruit-trees generally should be pruned, and if wood of the vine is wanted for cuttings, or cions of fruit-trees for grafts, they should be tied in small neat bunches and buried in the ground until spring.

Vegetable Garden

All celery that is to be stored for winter use, should be put away before the end of the month in all places north of Richmond, Va.; south of that it may be left in most places in the rows where grown if covered up. Directions for storing celery for winter are given under Celery. The stalks of asparagus beds should be cut over, and as asparagus sometimes becomes a weed, it is better to burn the stems if there are berries on them. Spread a heavy dressing of rough manure three or four inches thick on the beds. All roots that are yet in the ground and not designed to be left there all winter, must be dug up in this latitude before the middle of the month, or they may be frozen in until spring; onions, spinach, sprouts, cabbage, or lettuce plants that are outside should be covered with two or three inches of leaves, salt hay, or straw, to protect during winter. Cabbages that have headed may be usually preserved against injury by frost until the middle of next month, by simply pulling them up and packing them close together in a dry spot in the open field with the heads down, and roots up; on the approach of cold weather in December, they should be covered up with leaves as high as the tops of the roots, or if the soil is light, it may be thrown over them if leaves are not convenient; cabbages so packed will keep until March, if the covering has not been put on too early. Whenever it is practicable, all empty ground should be dug or plowed this month, trenching or subsoiling whenever time will permit. All such operations when performed in the fall, not only benefit the soil, but greatly facilitate work at the hurried season in the spring. The cold frames where cabbage, lettuce, or cauliflower plants have been planted will now require regular ventilation by lifting up the sashes in warm days, and on the approach of very cold weather, straw mats or shutters would be a great protection to the plants; for the cauliflower this protection is absolutely necessary here.