August is the great holiday month of the year, and gardens sometimes deteriorate owing to the absence of their owners. Where professional gardeners are not kept, an arrangement should be made to have the garden looked after, as if it degenerates very much during the holidays, it is often allowed to run wild for the rest of the summer. A garden ought to give great pleasure for many weeks yet.

Among flowers, some of the most important operations in August will be the completion of Rose budding, Carnation layering, and taking the buds off Chrysanthemums which are being grown for the production of large blooms.

Liliums may be staked, watered, and helped with liquid manure.

Fragrant Freesias and white Roman Hyacinths may be potted for early blooming in the greenhouse and conservatory.

Young herbaceous Calceolarias, Cinerarias, Cyclamens, and Primulas may be pricked off or repotted as the case may be.

Zonal Geraniums that are being grown for winter blooming in pots should be prevented flowering at present, all the flower stems that show being picked off.

Dahlias must be looked after to see that they are adequately staked. The shoots may be thinned and liquid manure given.

Schizanthuses ("Butterfly Flowers") may be sown for flowering in spring.

Stage Auriculas should be repotted. Alpine Auriculas are generally grown out of doors.

The propagation of such bedding plants as Zonal Geraniums, Heliotrope, Marguerites, and Verbenas by cuttings may be practised.

Early Daffodils and Narcissi may be put into pots or boxes, and plunged for early flowering.

Hedges may be pruned. Pelargoniums may be repotted.

In the fruit garden the budding of fruit trees may be performed.

Currants and Gooseberries may be pruned and top-dressed with manure.

Wasps must be excluded from Vineries, and late Grapes encouraged to ripen by careful ventilation.

Peaches and Nectarines which have been cleared of their crop may be pruned and trained, old wood being cut out and young tied in.

Strawberries for forcing may be repotted, and early-rooted plants intended for the garden put out.

Early Apples and Pears may be gathered when the stalk parts from the tree readily. Heavily laden Plum trees should be supported with stakes.

The old canes of Raspberries may be cut out after the fruit has been gathered.

In the kitchen garden attention may be given to the Asparagus bed. Liquid manure will do good.

Kidney Beans must be regularly picked, or they will soon go out of bearing. Soakings of liquid manure may be given.

Cabbage seed may be sown to give plants suitable for use in spring, and Cauliflowers for summer crops.

Suckers should be removed from Celery, and the plants tied. Early crops may be earthed up.

Lettuces and Endive may be sown to stand the winter and give early Salads the following year. Onions, Corn Salad, and Spinach may be sown also.

Tomatoes should be stopped, and the lower leaves curtailed or removed. Liquid manure will do good in poor soil.

Winter Greens of various kinds may be planted. Particular care should be taken to make Broccoli firm, or it will be killed in winter.

Leeks intended for show may be earthed up to blanch the stems.

Cucumbers in frames may be looked over, old growths pruned out, and a top-dressing given.

Early Potatoes may be lifted and stored.

Turnips may be sown for autumn.