Garden's Calendar.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 556, 2 March 1868, Page 2

Garden's Calendar.

ajT be well to remind our readers that a j eiiitmle of eight or ten days or even more siioila(l .>! allowed in reference to the directions gnen in this Calendar. In a climate like that of Hawke s Bay, not subject to extremes of temperature, vegetable growth varies to a very great extent in diuereut seasons; maturity takes place early if the season has has been dry : if wet, it is prolonged until a very late period of the year. These circumstances, and others that will naturally suggest them selves to the minds of our readers, should alwn\ s be taken into consideration in connection with the directions given in the Calendar.

FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH. Prcsonts the downy peach; the shining plum; The ruddy, ,vagrant nectarine; and dark Beneath his ample leaf, the lucious fig.

Thomson'. Showers may be expected during the month: these showers show that the time is come for plant■ng as quickly as possible all the cabbage and cauliflower tribe. Celery should now be transplanted lor general crop, and those plants already out, if nigh enough, earth up ; but if not wanted for immediate use, let them be eighteen inches high before earthing up. Sow cabbage seeds, Yanaek, Itast Ham, and Enfield market cabbage are best tnr this season. Sow lettuce and endive in drills thm, they may be thinned out; endive already forward enough, cover for blanching. Sow onions. early stone turnips, radishes, cress, spinach, (the prickly kind), New Zealand spinach, also white or s; 1 ver beet. Artichokes cut down and remove dead leaves. Cut down parsley to secure a young growth through the winter. Transplant spring sown leeks. In planting out any crop, particularly celery plentifully supply with water. Gather tomatoes as they ripen. Straw berry beds should now bo got on with. (Directions last month.) Budding should now be pressed forward as fast as possible, Poach and apricot trees should now ree«ive their autumnal looking over—unloosing those shoots that have been too close nailed in, that they may ripen the hearing shoots of next year. Rasp’berry plants may now be cleared of dead wood, and the ground dug between the rows, some manure being given at the same time, and leave no more than four or five new canes for bearing next season. When intending to plant any fruit trees, prepare the ground that it may be in order for the reception of the tree. All vacant ground clear from weeds and burn them and prepare for future crops,

The flower borders should now be cleared of weeds, dead leaves, and stems. Bulbs of all hinds may now be planted. Auriculas, polyanthus, &c., shift, divide, and replant. Remove such carnation’. &e., that have taken root to the place for blooming next spring. Continue to pipe and lay carnation, pink, and picotee; transplant young" well-rooted pansies; lay some for new plants; cuttings generally make the best plants and throw the best bloom. Verbenas and geraniums may now be prupOj^iiuiu ' } ciiuiugs of roses ma,v j±o\7 Ijb truccii from the side stem; from three to four inches long with a heat and planted in sand or in the natural ground, if sandy. Chrysanthemums should | uow be coming into bloom; the standard of merit is half a ball, double, symmetrical: centre well up and perfect; petals broad, blunt, and thick; color decided, and every petal from notch. Carefully look over flowers for their seeds every day if possible. Transplant Erorapton, Queen, and ten week stocks for blooming nest spring. Honeysuckle cuttings may now be planted. Sow hardy annuals, finish planting biennials and perennials sown in spring, well watering at the time of planting and shading if practicable. Prepare ground for the removal of shrubs which may commence next month. Roses budded last month, cut off the parent stem, to throw power into the bud. Dahlias take off the w eak shoots, and shade their best flowers from the raid-day snn. The autumnal rains by this time will have set in plenteously; there will be no need of the watering pot again except to give liquid manure, which every one can do at very little expense, namely, the purchase of two hogsheads and put all the waste water, soapsuds, &c.,of the house into them. When the first is full it can be used; iu the meantime the second will be filling. The main thing is to secure that it be not too powerful; rather let there be more given weak than a little made too powerful. The contents of a cask thus got up will consist of salts, acids, alkalies, lime, Ac., aH of which are useful to some plant or other. We use it to almost everything we grow; but with flowers it must be diluted much more than with vegetables for culinary purposes.