GARDEN CALENDAR.

Dunstan Times, Issue 659, 4 December 1874, Page 3

GARDEN CALENDAR.

—o — DECEMBER. Kittiii'n Garden.—With Ibis month ends the circling year, The gardening operations of the season should be so far advanced as to leave little to ho done in the way of sowing and planting ; besides which, those previously omitted, if nowsown, arc unlikely to reach such perfection as former sowings, and attention should now rather be given to the various means ■of furthering the growth of those plants which have already appeared above ground. In the kitchen garden early psas and potatoes will begin to be ready for clearing off and celery put into a nursery boil should take the .place of either of these crops; it must ho "borne in mind that this crop of celery cannot ho depended on, as it will run to seed. Turnips should now be sown for late winter supply, and a succession of peas and French Beans should ho planted at the beginning of the month ; if the weather prove dry, soak them about six hours in water, aud also water the drills before planting. Continue to plant broccoli, cauliflower, green kale, and cabbage plants, as ground becomes vacant. Earth up all crops requiring it, and destroy all weeds as they -appear.

Fruit and Flower Garden.—ln the fruit garden strawberries will now he ripening. and where possible water should be withheld as it spoils the flavor of the fruit for cither eating or preserving. .Peaches, nectarines, and apricots on walls or trellisc, should have their fruit thinned as soon as they are sufficiently developed, as if a tree has more on it than it can bear, the sequel w ill be that it will become so weak that the whole crop will fall off, half grown, and the tree become spoiled for next season. Disbudding, where not done, should nowhe attended to, as this is called midsummer pruning and should he done forthwith. The operations of the flower garden should now he confined to keeping order throughout. A well husbanded flower garden will show itself this month in great luxuriance, and win the admiration it justly merits. nlikethe English Christmas season, many of our choicest flow ers will now be in full

bloom, such as roses, fuschias, geraniums, pinks, carnations, slocks, sweet-williams, and numerous annuals ; forming no unlit substitute in our Christmas festive decorations for the time-hallowed mistletoe and holly of old England.