The Country Gentleman's Magazine 265 Work in the Garden during October. From "THE VILLA GARDENER." T THE VINERY. HE fruit ought to be fully ripe this month. If not, the chances are that it will not ripen at all. The sun from henceforth lacks the necessary energy to ripen the king of fruits. I ought to have cautioned the villa gardener last month against wasps and flies— the terrible pest of Grape growers in the autumnal months. Hardly is the fruit ripe till they are down upon them, the wasps mostly acting as sappers and miners for the flies. The former bore a hole, and the latter cluster around and drain the Grapes of their sweet juices, leaving the grower a series of scooped out skins. It used to be common to bag the bunches in muslin. But this is tedious work, and unless the bags are large, so as to stand clear of the berries all round, the wasps eat through the muslin and feast unseen inside. A much better way is to guard the openings with fly-proof haircloth, that admits the air, and keeps out every living thing. Mice and rats will now be sharp set, since the fields and orchards have become bare, and must be kept out or caught directly. They make sad havoc among ripe Grapes. Should the Grapes not ripen kindly, or the wood fail to assume a nut brown hue, and a hardness approaching to bone, both must be helped to complete maturity by a dry atmosphere and fires. The latter to be employed rather during dull cold days than at nights. In dull foggy weather, light fires in the morning, and give air to prevent the fog entering or settling on to the Grapes. Leave air on the vinery night and day. From the time the first speck of colour appears on the Grape till it reaches the dessert table, no condensed moisture should ever rest upon the bunch. Fire heat is one means of preventing this. A constant movement of air another. If, however, such excessive ventilation is given as to reduce the vinery below the temperature of the external air, moisture will instantly be condensed on the berries in consequence. The Vines will not require any water at the roots from this time till next season. In wet localities it is good practice to cover the roots with wooden shutters, tarpauling, or any other waterproof material, this month. This helps to mature both fruit and wood, and to keep the Grapes from rotting. Nothing contributes more powerfully to the decay of ripe fruit than glutting the roots with water at a time when the assimilating power of the plant is at its weakest. The leaves can not elaborate the fluid sent forward by the roots; hence, an excess of water which rushes aside into the Grapes and rots them. Common sense, as well as science, tells us that if we wish our Grapes to hang, we must keep the water out. Any excess of foliage may likewise be removed, so that light and air may play freely all around and among the bunches. Again, look carefully over the bunches every second day, and cut off, or out, any specked berry. If there is any difference in the bunches, use those on which the berries have been left the thickest first. The looser the bunch hangs, the longer the berries will keep, for mere mechanical reasons. Undue pressure not only causes decomposition, but necessarily hastens it. Finally, cut your Grapes in the early morning, that they may come to table cool, free from the flavour of stale sunbeams. THE ORCHARD HOUSE. Keep the orchard house cool and dry. As soon, however, as the fruit is safely gathered, the roots may be well watered with sewage if the tree requires it. If planted out, and the leaves keep green, and the wood growing, no water may be needed. But if the leaves droop and the young wood shew signs of distress, water the trees, as above, as a means of strengthening them. When the trees are grown in pots, and the roots have been allowed to run through, the pots are mostly lifted this month, and the roots beyond them are broken off. Within a week or so of this radical mode of root pruning, remove all the wornout soil to a depth of from 4 to 6 inches from the surface, and replace it with nice turfy loam, or one half loam, one half well-rotted dung. The vertical roots being thus suddenly removed, the plants hasten to emit horizontal and surface ones, and finding good stuff to run in, the trees are soon recouped for their loss of their deeper, stronger roots. There is, however, considerable danger in this operation. If done too soon the wood will shrivel, and the flower buds refuse to plump up to fruitfulness. If deprived of too many roots, the flower buds will drop off the following spring. The success of this rough-and-ready mode of root pruning depends very much upon the numbers and state of the roots remaining within the pots. If these are sufficient to bear the loss of the other, increased fertility will be the result. If not, weakness, disease, it may be, it often as been, death, result from tearing the roots off in this wholesale manner. Better far either grow the trees in pots or not. If the former, keep the root from running through by frequent removals or a hard bottom. The mere fact of growing in pots is check sufficient to turn the tree fruitwards. If not, keep it dry; water with clean water in lieu of foul, or take a heavy crop. Starvation or overwork will teach the tree fertile habits, and it is easy to strengthen it to bear its fruitful burdens with liquid food. On no account should trees in pots be wintered in the open-at least not stone-fruits. The abnormally developed buds are perfect god-sends to the pinched, hungry birds, and when you proceed to house your trees you will find them bare boughs, indeed, with never a fruit bud left. Besides, trees grown under glass become tender and unfit to do battle unprotected with the elements. The idea that cold or frost can ripen wood has long been shelved, among a host of other popular errors horticultural. It may rend, rive, ruin, wood, and clear off bushels of imperfectly matured buds; but as to finishing any process of growth, as well ask the lightning to finish the work of the sun. Keep your fruit trees under glass, and if room is wanted for other plants on the floor of the orchard house, place them among the fruit trees, or pack the trees closely together, and form groups of hardy flowering plants, such as Chrysanthemums, or beds of useful vegetables, such as Walcheren Brocoli and Lettuces at one end. THE GLASS HOUSE. As the cold finger of winter begins to be laid on outside beauties, more care should be taken to preserve and multiply those under glass. Hence, as the days shorten, more attention should be bestowed upon the glass house. One great object of having a glass house is to provide flowers of different kinds inside from those that will bloom out-of-doors. But the chief use of glass is to furnish flowers when few or none can be gathered beyond its sheltering wing. In harmony with this dual object, the house may have been largely filled with semi-stove or tender plants, such as Achimenes, Balsams, Gloxinias, Begonias, Ferns, Palms, &c. These inust now give place to the more permanent occupants of the glass house. There must be a clearing out and bringing in. Tender plants should be removed to the hot pits to finish their growth. And such things as Lilies, late Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, that have exhausted themselves, may be placed out-ofdoors till the frost comes, or in a cool shed, orchard house, or frost-proof room. Climbers may also be cut in, and a general cleaning of roof, stage, shelves, floor, take place. This general clearing up is preparatory to the new tenants. Azaleas, Camellias, Heaths, Epacris, and all hard-wooded plants, should be safely housed before the end of the month. It is often a marvellous transformation-by no means for the better. The dying glow of summer glories is succeeded by a house of green. Therefore it shews good management if some choice variegated and plain Pelargoniums have been made to flower late, that they may fringe the greenhouse in early autumn with their bright and cheery blossoms. Chinese Primroses should likewise be now shewing their hope inspiring flowers. Where one glass house, however, has to receive all tender plants, it must perforce look verdant now. French, show and fancy Pelargoniums, to say nothing of the exhausted stock of Zonals, silver and golden tricolours that have flowered so gloriously through the early autumn, must all be provided for, while every nook and cranny is filled to suffocation with bedding stuff. Under such high pressure conditions, the glass house, at the end of October, looks like some of those old fashioned band boxes, into which were squeezed entire wardrobes, and occasionally some useful articles of household furniture, to boot. It is almost as difficult to carry such crowded houses through the winter as to take an over-freighted vessel across the Atlantic. And if the glass house must receive all our plants, we will be better off for plants next spring if we have a massacre of the innocents at once, than allow the elements to carry similar work on at their leisure, all through the winter.. Only a little, and the best of each variety, should be our motto. And we must see that each plant housed is clean, and clean all over and all through, not only the plant itself, but its pot and surface soil. Dirt and overcrowding are the foes that slay plants by the thousand during winter. For one that surrenders to the cold, these destroy hundreds. After housing the plants, let them feel as much like being out-of-doors as possible. Unless frost or very high winds occur, leave sashes, doors, and lights, open night and day for a time, so that the change from the outside to the inside, may hardly be felt at all. I have seen plants taken in and done for thus; shut up closely at once, no air given till the sun had perhaps run the glass house up to 70 deg. Soft wooded plants started into growth to rot in November fogs, and Camellia buds loosened by the sudden excitement, and scattered over the floor of the house, like dishes of huge green peas. Great care is needed in watering moderately after housing plants. Some, such as Camellias, must be watered freely, or the buds may be injured. The foliage should likewise be sprinkled over in bright weather, so that the plants may not miss being all at once deprived of the copious autumnal dews. Such plants as Pelargoniums, again, must be kept rather dry: the object now is to slow, sturdy, firm, not rapid and sappy growth. Of course, no frost must come nigh the house. Let 40 deg. be the minimum, and 50 deg. the maximum of fire heat. With abundance of air, the external temperature, whatever it may be above that, will neither weaken nor draw the plants. Work in the Garden during October PITS AND FRAMES. Hot Pits.-Apply linings of hot dung to finish late crops of Melons. A temperature of from 70 to 80 deg, must be kept up. See that the glass is clean, so that every ray of light gets freely to the fruit. With out more care and skill than most villa gardeners possess, no more Melons worth eating will be got out of pits or frames this season. Cover the glass at night with a double mat. Cucumbers.-There is more hope of these, and I have known amateurs succeed in cutting a supply all the winter. Strong young plants of the Sion House or Master's Prolific are sometimes planted in fresh beds this month, and by a weekly renewal of linings, &c., a supply is kept up. The great difficulty is damp; the chief danger, an excess of water in the earth and the air. The cold is easily kept out by coverings, and the heat sent in by linings. Where winter Cucumbers are attempted, it is best to grow them on a trellis free of the soil, and within 1 foot of glass. Begonias, Gloxinias, Caladiums, may be kept here in a dry state. Thousands of bulbs are lost by attempting to winter them dry in a low temperature. It cannot be done. Keep them warm when dormant, and you will find them all right next spring. These hot pits will be in immediate request for bringing on some early flowers, such as Lily of the Valley, Hyacinths, Roses, Lilacs, Deutzias, &c. Therefore, maintain a bottom and top heat of about 60 to 70 deg., and a handy place will always be at hand for rooting any choice cuttings, bringing up any rare seeds, and hastening forward any desired flower, fruit, or vegetable. Cold Pits.-Some villa gardeners will now fill these with Chrysanthemums, and if the flowers are expected perfect, the plants should not once be frozen. Most use them for storing bedding plants, Pinks, Carnations, Auriculas, Brompton Stocks, Mignonette, Violets, Cinerarias, Calceolarias, &c. These can hardly be kept too cool, if only they are preserved unfrozen. Pull the light off in mild weather, and leave them off even at night if you can be sure of it. Cover carefully if frost comes. Water enough to keep alive. Beware of mice and rats especially if bulbs are stored in the pits. Remove a few of the earliest pots of bulbs to the warm pits. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Finish the propagation of all bedding plants, winding up with Verbenas, Ageratums, and Calceolarias. Use only the small side shoots of such for cuttings, and root in a cool close frame or pit, with very mild heat. Heliotropes, Petunias, Coleus, Iresine, &c., will root quicker in a higher temperature. But if sufficient stock has not been provided, not a day should be lost, and most of these tender things keep best when thoroughly established before winter. All 267 young bedding plants should be safely stowed in thei winter quarters before the end of the month. Having thus provided for the future, our next duty is to care for and enjoy the present. The flowers often continue in great beauty throughout this month. While the frost lingers, be it ours to enjoy beauty, and remove every speck of decay in leaf and flower. The great secret of perpetual blooming is constant picking. It is seedbearing that exhausts plants. Off with the seed before it has time to drain out vital force, and flower succeeds flower for ever. And off with dead and dying leaves likewise. They can do more work, and it is bad taste to strew our fields of beauty, like fields of battle, with our dead workers. Away with them, to make room for others, and to roll back the advancing tide of death and decay as long as we can. Every week of beauty now is so much lingering summer wrested from the cold grip of winter, and should be valued accordingly. By autumn care, and spring preparation, we shorten winter at both ends, and make its bleak reign over our gardens as short as possible. Autumn tide has likewise a beauty all its own. The short days and long nights bring out the softest tints to perfection, and the garden prepares itself for a sacrifice to the frost, as a bride adorneth herself for her husband. Seed Saving.-See to anything choice at once. in flower and dried, the seed will be found ripe. Asters, Marigolds, Zinnias, &c., may be gathered This is a fact worth knowing, as, if gathered in flower, Marvel of Peru, and Gladiolus, may be taken up and the best will assuredly be collected. Dahlias, housed. But there is no great hurry. Dahlias often go on flowering gloriously during this month. And we seldom have first frosts sharp enough to injure them should never be left in the open a single day. Many with their tops on. After they are cut down, they have to clear away much autumn beauty to prepare for a winter or early spring display. But a compromise might often be effected thus:-Plant bulbs thickly in boxes or borders to root, and remove them to their final quarters after the flower garden is cleared. Bulbs are hardly injured by removal in a chipped or growing condition. Then as to all the other materials for spring garDaisies, Arabis, &c., it matters little when they are dening, the Forget-me-nots, Violets, Aubrietias, moved from October to January-if it is done with care and judgment. See that the plants are strong, freely rooted, and well set with flower buds, and then move them with balls at your leisure, and they will never look back to ask what month it is. Hardy Annuals, such as Nemophila, Saponaria, Clarkias, &c., may yet be sown, and those sown in August for winter blooming, pricked out into beds preparatory to final planting in flower beds or borders. Keep the grass short, the walks clean and bright, destroy all weeds, so that no dirt, nor robbers, nor slovenly keeping, should invite winter to make a sudden raid on our summer beauties in the flower half. Many fruit trees have been crippled, ruined for garden. THE FRUIT GARDEN. Gather fruit as it ripens, carefully, without bruising it either with hand or by transit. It is mostly light work the gathering this year, therefore more time may be devoted to it. A good many Apples and Pears seem to ripen prematurely. These neither reach full size, nor have their full flavour. All such should be stored by themselves, and used at once. They will not keep, and will be found eaten by grubs, or malformed within. Some varieties are unusually late. Let such hang till they are ripe. Unripe Apples and Pears turn out most unsatisfactory. They eat hard and leathery, instead of sharp, crisp, and full of juice. Begin with the ripest, and if one or two is ripe, gather that without waiting for others. Some fruit growers harvest their fruit on the same principles that Aunt Chloe "clared up de kitchen." They have a certain time for it, and it must be done then, fit or unfit. Once they begin, they must also go on to the end of it, ripe or unripe. This is a great mistake. Retter lose a few fruits by wasps or other vermin, than store it in such a state as to lower the quality of all. Late Peaches, Plums, Cherries, &c., should be protected with fly-proof canvas or haircloth. Flies and wasps are very plentiful, and have skeletonized all the small fruits with a rush-they are now swarming on the walls. The best trap is a hollow mouthed glass bottle, with a funnel-like entrance in the centre of the wide top. Fill these with beer and sugar. There is a broad entrance, and no return. We have bottled pecks during the past six weeks. In two days the bottles are full of blue-bottle flies, wasps, hornets, butterflies, moths. Root prune all trees that need it. No tree that fruits freely should be root pruned. In all such matters leave well alone. One crop of fruit is the best possible preparation for a second, and so on for ever. But if any tree is persistently barren, then prune its roots. But never cut more than one haif at a time, and this makes its fruit swell; if not, cut the other life, killed, by reckless root-pruning. All surgical operations need skill and care. We are careful as to whom we allow to operate on our limbs, but our trees are entrusted to any one to hack and hew at. Strawberries, Raspberries, &c.-See last month. Nectarine trees, and commence at once to prune and As soon as the leaves fall, partially unnail Peach and nail Cherries and Plums. One man will do as much nailing on a mild autumn day as three in a biting Drive all possible work forward now, such as prespring wind. Yes, and the one will do it better. paring ground for the planting of fruit trees and bushes, the collecting of soil for fruit-tree borders, &c., else the work will drive you all through the year 1872. THE KITCHEN GARDEN. Harvest all root crops, such as Potatoes, Parsnips, Carrots, Beet, Celery.-Water, if dry, previous to earthing up successional crops of Celery. Cabbages hoe among, and lightly earth up. Plant out some more of the strongest plants. Cauliflower, Walcheren Brocoli.-Plant out under hand lights, protectors, and in the open ground, to stand the winter. Look over late crops, cut and store safely daily. Plant out Letttuces. Blanch Endive, and store in pits or cellars Lettuces ready for use. Hoe and thin late Turnips, Winter Spinach. Manure, dig, and trench all the ground vacated by autumnal crops. See that every inch of ground is either under crop or fully exposed in a rough and raw fresh dug state to the ameliorating influences of the atmosphere. Allow no weeds to fatten on, and thus impoverish the garden. Make new walks, or mend and fresh-surface the old ones; remove all dead and dying vegetables, and let neatness and order be the rule throughout the vegetable department in the dead season. The Country Gentleman's Magazine 269 The Deterinarian. IMPROPER SHOEING OF HORSES. EFFECTS ON THE FORM AND CONDITION OF THE LEGS. HE evils of modern systems of shoe- stable floors, heavy shoes, and a host of we may trace one-half of the deterioration of horses-the other being brought about by want of proper care in work and management. In our last, we pointed out the result of over-work as demonstrated in its effect on the muscular structures, causing knuckling or bending of the legs. We have now to consider another cause arising from shoeing as commonly practised. At the outset, we must direct attention to certain animals which are used in slow work, as a rule-farm horses and others, the feet of which, not being regularly shod and subjected so frequently to the action of the knife and rasp of the smith. These maintain, as a rule, good strong, large, and sound feet, and their legs continue to advanced age straight and fine to a remarkable extent. But, on the other hand, take such animals away, and, although removing them to some large town, they shall continue to perform the same kind and extent of work, their legs soon begin to exhibit signs of degeneracy and malformation. Tradition, which always finds a cause for everything, has irrevocably stamped the blame on the stones. The hard stones, say our wise men, are the cause of concussion, which, being communicated to the foot, is continued upwards and shakes the limbs, and here the concatenation and sequence of changes are suddenly stopped, and inquirers are left to grope their way as best they can to the as far distant solution. Such descriptions never fail to mix up several causes, and, in the cases before us, we have the results of careless and excessive driving, prolonged hard work, too little rest, defective trievable results. In a well formed limb there are to be observed some of the most admirable contrivances of nature to obviate concussion, and when allowed to exercise her functions, most perfectly and beautifully does she accomplish them. The legs possess numerous bones placed at convenient angles with each other, and, united by tendons in a most appropriate manner, admit of extensive motion. The fact that angles are chosen for some essential purpose, must be obvious to every one who examines the limbs. Had they been straight columns, with few or no points, the question of concussion as a result of a moderate jump, and even during a walk or trot, might be seriously maintained. But see the dipping fetlocks of the thoroughbred, each time the weight of the body comes upon the limb. Is this not conferred for some wise purpose? To avoid concussion, most assuredly. Besides, the muscles above are richly endowed with nerves, sensitive telegraph wires, in constant communication with the great central station—the brain, which, being timely warned through its connexion with the eye, receive such signals during rapid movements, as enable them to place the limbs and feet securely on the ground. A straight column of bones would require no such organization of departments, and a wooden limb would answer every purpose. But in addition to the wonderful powers of co-ordination just enumerated, we find the foot is covered with a strong horny box, capable of maintaining its own integrity, by efficient growth; and, at its base, which, as a |