FOR GARDENERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 418, 29 January 1909, Page 2

FOR GARDENERS.

; :-.;; ;WORK FOR TO-MORROW. i- The'r army worm,""which'has'been devas.tatmg\ crops' in. Canterbury and. Hawke's Bay, i: and-' other, caterpillar'a.of marching ■• powers, may be found inmost gardens'this season. It is worth looking for "on account ■ of the interest, that attaches to , this powerful . little creature. It is a fat greenisn cater : pillar, about an inch or an inch and a half : in,length. : Along each side is a line of dark marks,'and fawnish'markings are 'also-pre- ; sent. The 'creature has three "pairs 7 of. legs toward the front, and four pairs of what are called "pro-legs? , ; toward the. rear.'These' ; pro-legs are'fat appendages'that are-really not legs—they .have'no joints—but 1 do .the work: of'legs. In the New'.Zealand''.army worin,(Melr,ncha coinposita) each"of:the'prolege bears a', striking black-mark, which ' helps _to distinguish the variety.:ln America: the title: of '[army worm ■" is given to -an-, other variety (also, to be found in New Zealand gardens) -called Leucania ; unifunota..>ty is very, much like nielanctia; \bui- the., dark. ; . .line-along the side: is more/broken, and the. i pro-lcgß'pnave..no dark marks. * : .-..ln' our gardens the marching .performance; is.not gone through, because ; there : ,: is:,p,lerisjy of food', there,. and .the_ creature ■. only when it is collected.in such ■ a large 'army 'that its food supply gete.all eaten',up, and it has. to hurry forward-for-new.-feeding ground/ ' If one of these caterpillars be'taken from the garden, upon atable or on'a'footpath ■ .it" will., probably'.begin "to march for/food." ' The moth from whose eggs these caterpillars hatch is a beautiful fawny, brown moth, about the size, of the common white butter- , '. fly.'- .Each female lays> about 200 eggs,• and there', are several -generations ;ina"' Beasdh. Starlings' eat large numbers•: of' these cater- - pillars, and there are numerous'insects'which lay. eggS'iii tie bodies of -the so : .that the ■ progeny that hatches- from. the' egg ■ eats --the. inside of. th 6 caterpillar,-'and,' of ' course, :kills it. . ' .• '.. ,: -' : .!::.. •'; : • ,} Gardening! operations'!will facilitated- ■ if the fine -weather of. the. last' few days be" ' continued..; : The ■■ Wellington 'soils '■ will ■ soonlose all the effect.of.the moist season, rnd cultivation of the l surface -must. ;be promptly. ■ and repeatedly attended to. -The pinching out of lateral :■ shoots of tomato-plants must ' ■not be.'neglected if'good;'tidy' and ; : handsome crops of .fruit be desired;. A good watch;'should' be kept '.for'- caterpillars, of. all kinds.; ;■■ These pests , have?'"'been- specially- ! numerous" this season on the leaves of most , plants,' including fruit.trees, and;many in-, stances 'of their, wonderful, : shall .we, say, : needlework ?—may..,be observed in-the manner in which.they fasten leaves to- ■ gether _to make .themselves., a;chouse.', The: inost simple. way .to ideal with'- these little trespassers j-is -to, pinch -• each .infected'' leaf'-, between thumb and' finger. Some?.-of the caterpillars are quick to run: out and drop "to the ground if one attempts to unroll a: leaf,, '.and it is,: safest'to kill-, first examine afterwards. . : :-.- .."'. ",'.:'.;''■ : '. :■■:--:. ,:-\7."V- '■'.' : ( .Preparations should be made for the winter, cabbage'' and., other k.\ winter', 1 vegetables.' ■ Wherever 'ground is. t6.:be.'redug.Rafter, a.. previous crop, every! opportunity, should be taken to; bury ■•weeds, ; 'cabbage leave's,: etc. There .can "never be .too much humus in a Wellington garden,,for' it' encourages! the bacterial life of .the soil,; preserves imoistur'e,-; and' supplies plant-food:;: .The.-Edftenin|s' i.nfluenog of' humus :is the ', things most' : needed ;. !in" our : rotten-rock 'soils., ■ If ground; is d\ig. : now, it .should not be left open- longer than. . absolutely necessary, - for' this' .Jets" the.- moisture escape.,-To'dig .and plant immediately, should, : -.be, the:motto now,' and -hoeing 'should . , be' done' b'etweetf:' r&ws, mmediately".after-' wardsv, :<?'■:J^Mihi'.titil'^cnis&\;-% ' ■:.-.■':. ■■ Herbs-are-abvmdant ndwi';i .They shouldl)e out' and tied up in bunches for preserving. ' Seedling crops' should 'be-; thinued, ivhere 'r.e-. oessary, , ' ana va : little- earthing'.; upV'may, do.' 'good.-.: Potatoes ;■ sb.oiild : ''.Ke;; : 'dug--' as".;fasfV'as .' they'riperi,. !to'prevent second-growth''bf"the" . tubersi and! also, to.-.prevent -fthe'Vblightsfrojrii <• :oxteriding'.'-- W?:? ! '.:.:'Z\ 'w'■'> : ;:-,--v ,v Ar-f■'r^'.-v'Y'i- - :may be made.now .of; beans'of all ; ; .kinds, peas,' lettuce,' mustard;'::-.and- ■:'cress,-, onions, .'radish, turnips,. spinach, savoy /and other cabbage, cauliflowerj endive./-Plantings-may;be ; made! of brussels. ■ sprouts, :• borecole, .broccoli, "savoy,. and pther : cabbage: : and':!.celery.k. The {summer.': pruning ; of: fruit trees'.may be performed for the en'couragement.of fruit ;buds. ; ';Slips - may be taken from carriations:and other.-fiowefs', and ■ layering carried out.- Dormant'bulbs may , be itaken-up'-and divided.■■ , This;is i agood' time ', ■'it begin budding rose'-;'bushes'- and./fruit. trees; the-work-may be '■■ continued:, till the ■ end.of February—that .is,, so long-as the' 'bark will-'lift;'.freely:'.'""--'-:- ; .; :i '. ; o =''SiV.T- v - ; ■;■ '^ ■'■