Byblomen, and Bizarre-should read all down the centre, all down each of the seven long rows, and from the centre to the right or on the left, they come in that uniform way. Plant all the offsets and general stock in the common beds as soon as you please, and also all breeders.

NOVEMBER.

Alterations.-Remember every day you protract any proposed alterations, or the making of additions, you run the risk of being foiled by the frost; for, when that once sets in, all work of any consequence is stopped until it has gone. Planting of deciduous trees and shrubs should be persevered in until it is all done. Evergreens may be planted out, but will take no harm for a while. All the trenching, digging, making roads and walks, and planting ornamental timber may go on with all reasonable speed, for one fine day lost is irrecoverable, especially if unfavourable weather should afterwards set in. Wet is as bad as frost, and often does more mischief.

Anemones. These may be planted in beds or patches, three inches deep, and six in a small patch, to remain there, or six inches apart all over the bed or border; and let the earth be bruised well that covers them.

Auriculas. Remove the dead and dying leaves, keep the frames clean inside, and give no more water than is necessary. Let them have all the air they can on mild, dry days, but when there is any fall of wet let the glasses be propped, so as to keep off the rain.

Borders and Beds.-As the flowers decay, do not allow of large gaps, but be provided with dwarf evergreens in pots, with which to dress them; and this is very desirable where masses of annuals have been flowered and have gone

off. Geometrical gardens in particular require attention. It is rarely worth while to take up either the Scarlet Geraniums or Verbenas unless we really want them saved, because they frequently continue blooming, in a mild autumn, till a very late period. But when they are either cut down or taken up, the space should be dressed for the winter, and potted plants of various evergreen shrubs ought to be provided. Yound Coniferæ are appropriate. Laurustinus are excellent, for they will flower all the winter. Dwarf, purposely stunted Pyrus japonica, which will give their coral flowers in some of the dreary months; Hollies, Box, Euonymus, and especially the variegated dwarf red and white Mezereon, and many other plants interesting in the winter and early spring, afford us opportunities of dressing out a winter garden as effectively, if not quite so brilliantly, as it is done in summer. The various subjects wanted to bloom in the borders next season should be planted now, because the less anything is removed in later months, or even in spring, the better.

Box Edgings.-The laying down of these may be seen to at once, in the manner described at page 8. Repairs may likewise be made where the old edgings have become patchy, or grown irregular, as the case may be.

Carnations and Picotees.-The health and vigour of these plants depend mainly upon their being kept dry and cool through the winter; not that they must absolutely want water and not have it, but that it should not be given them a day sooner than they need it. Pick off any yellow leaves, and keep the frame clear of weeds and dead leaves or decaying matter of any kind.

Chrysanthemums.-Any in bloom out-of-doors should have their dead and decaying blooms cut off at once, and the best ones be left to come forward still. In sheltered places, on walls, and frequently in the open gardens, this family of flowers forms a bright spot in the dreary autumn.

Climbers.-The hardy kinds may at once be pruned and trained. No general rule for pruning can be given, as the habit of each particular plant must determine the actual operation; but generally prune rather hard, especially in the case of all plants that blossom on the young or current season's growth. Hardy climbers are too often neglected in this respect, and become masses of confusion. If the plant

produces its blossoms from the one-year-old wood, be careful to retain a supply of the best-ripened young shoots all over the plant. In training, use small shreds and few nails; but the shreds must not tightly girt the shoots. The shreds. should be made of narrow strips of cloth, cut into lengths proper for the different sizes of the branches. The pruning of the less hardy sorts must be deferred until the spring.

Crocuses. These and many other of the smaller bulbs, if not already planted, should be got out at once, according to the advice already given.

Evergreens and Deciduous Shrubs.-All the layers and suckers should be taken up and cut off, to be planted in nursery beds or elsewhere, according to your wants. Lay down any branches that are low enough, and can be spared; they only require to have a longish slit, cut not quite halfway through, on the under part of the branch. Bend this down into the ground, and peg it there an inch or two under the surface; they will form strong plants fit to take off the next autumn. All evergreen and deciduous shrubs will thus form new plants; many, however, throw up suckers-that is. to say, branches from their roots-and if these are dug down to, and part of the root taken up with them, they make plants at once. Many seeds of deciduous plants may be now gathered, and cuttings of all kinds may be taken, though many think the spring quite as good. If there be any straggling branches of the shrubs that can be improved by shortening, do not be afraid of the knife, though care:

should be taken to spare those branches which show bloombuds until after the flowering time.

Hyacinths. There is nothing more striking and beautiful than a well-arranged Hyacinth bed. The colours are various light and dark blue, light and dark red, light and dark yellow, and white. Let the arrangement be so that you do not have two of a colour, nor even two of a shade, close together. Single and dwarf kinds make the best general bed, and those who have geometrical beds may so contrive them as to have flowers two months before the usual period by depending on bulbs. Hyacinths, in these beds, must be all of a shade in the same bed; but, if you want effect, you may have the lightest of the reds inwards, the darker ones further out, and the darkest on the very outside. The same with the blues; there are several shades, and they are admirably calculated for effect. These, planted in their beds nine inches apart, would leave room between for anything else to follow, and the Hyacinths might, on their removal, make room for the third succession of some kind. For instance, Tulips may be planted between the Hyacinths, and the Hyacinths taken up while the Tulips are in flower may make room for potted Stocks, or potted Nemophila, or for plants of Verbena, which will flower by the time the Tulips are off, and so keep up the bloom of the parterre.

Pansies. Those in beds are very apt to be disturbed by frosts and thaws; the changes expand the earth, and frequently bare the roots of small plants. To prevent this, you may be at the trouble of covering with mats or litter in frost, and keeping them uncovered in mild weather; but, unless they are very choice, few take the pains, as they are by no means a tender plant. But they must be set to

rights at every thaw, and fixed firmly.

Pinks. Such as are in beds frequently get disturbed by

worms, cats, frosts, and thaws; they must, therefore, be examined occasionally until they are very strongly rooted in the ground, and, where any are disturbed, they must be pressed into their places, with the earth close about them; and clear them of weeds while the same are small.

Ranunculuses.-These may be planted six inches apart in good earth, well worked, but not mixed with dung recently. A good layer of rotten cow-dung may be placed in the bed at a foot deep, but the earth in which the tubers are placed should be loam from rotted turves, or clean loam from a pasture one part, and leaf mould one part, which is about an equivalent: any well-worked earth from a kitchen garden will be well adapted. The easiest way to plant these autumn-made beds is to draw drills the length of the bed, three inches deep and six inches apart. You may then place in the tubers with a slight pressure, six inches apart in the rows. Others draw the drills across the bed six inches apart; but the easiest is lengthways, and it can make no difference unless people desire to grow a row of a sort, when it is better to cross the bed, because the sorts are seen distinctly when one sort crosses the bed. This does not refer to the fine sorts, which are planted in February, but to the surplus stock required to increase well, and to give early flowers.

Rose Stocks. These should be procured and planted ready for budding or grafting; plant them eighteen inches apart in the row, and the rows three feet asunder.

Roses. As we are now liable to high winds, and the heads of standard Roses have grown large and heavy, it will be well to shorten all the long branches, and to cut away altogether all the weakly ones. The wind will then have much less power over them. Many tender Roses would be safer if protected; but it is so difficult, and withal so unsightly, that we prefer taking them up carefully, and