WEEKLY CALENDAR

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 3 December 1927, Page 15

WEEKLY CALENDAR

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. December is one of the hottest months in the year and constant hoeing and waterings should be given. Peas and beans specially require plenty of moisture if they are to continue bearing. The follo ving seeds should be sown now:—Dwarf and runner beans, peas, broccoli, savoy cabbage, leeks, Brussell Sprouts, borecole, parsley, spinach, beet, carrots and parsnips. The ground should be raked tine and well watered after sowing. Pumpkins, marrows and cucumbers can still be sown if one is prepared to water well. Sow in groups of three or four seeds and thm out as required.) Plenty of stable manure or rotted vegetation should be dug in before sewing. The following plants may now be set Kumeras, tomatoes, celery, cape gooseberry, cabbage, lettuce and cauliflower. Transplant if possible on a dull or showery day. Slugs and snails often wony the young plants. The best and surest remedy is to water the ground with sulphate of ammonia. Ijozs. per gallon of water. This also acts as a fertiliser, Tomatoes and potatoes should be sprayed with Bordeaux powder to prevent blight. Use at the strength of three tablespoonfuls to one kerosene bucket of water. Broad beans affected by rust may be sprayed with lime and sulphur. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Now is the time we should look ahead and plant seedlings that will flower throughout the autumn months. The tollowing can be transplanted : —Cosmos, zinnias, celosia, kochia, asters, artirrhinums, poppy, petunias and marigolds. Outtings of dahlias and chrysanthemums can still be planted, Stake the plants when setting to protect them from the winds. Both these varieties are gross feeders and should be well manured. The following seeds can be sown for borders in their permanent positions:—Virginian stock, mignonette, candytuft, alyssium, linana, nasturtium. Water well after sewing as the hot sun and winds are apt to dry up the seeds. Indoor plants should receive extra attention now the weather is wanner. Soak all plants twice a week in a bucket of water and drain off. Those varieties looking pale and sickly should be manured with ammonia and potash, loz. per gallon of water. Sweet peas are now flowering well. Liquid manure will add size and colour to the flowers. Sowings of the early winter ptas can be made towards the end of the month. Roses that have finished their first crop of bloom should be cut back and will flower better later on. Spray any sign of aphis or green fly with Black Leaf 40, 2oz. per gallon. ♦•* ♦ ♦ PUCHBIAB. AN OLD FLOWER REVIVED Fuchsias have been in cultivation for many years and at one time were the reigning favourites in the garden They were first named after Leonard Fuchs, a German botanist of great renown. The varieties known are endless, comprising doubles, singles and variegated foliaged species. Of recent years, the fuchsias have gradually died out from our modern gardens. This should not be, as they art worthy of a place in any mansion. Many of the new hybrid varieties are not grown because they are not known to the general public. One variety worthy of merit is

called Bronsted. This grows in a compact bush about four feet high with bronzed foliage and large pendular flowers of a crimson scarlet hue. These flowers are borne in clusters of twelve or more, and the tree continues to bloom for nine months of the year (set photo). As a lawn specimen this variety is unexcelled, as it does not grow ragged and woody like its many brothers. Other varieties under the hybrid list are gracilis, a daintyleafed bush growing about three feet with variegated foliage margined white, and sunray, a beautiful dwarf variety with gorgeous colourings and shadings in the leaves. This variety is not so hardy as the two previous species and will require a more shaded position. Fuchsias require practically no cultivation. Plant in moderately rich ground, protected from any bitterly cold winds. An occasional hoeing round the tree and the application of super and blood and bone will always keep this tree in good condition. Occasionally after flowering, a light pruning may be required to keep the bush neat and compact.

CHIVES AS SPRING ONIONS

Chives or Cives (Allium Schoenqprasum) are used as a very superior substitute for spring onions. It is, a useful herb for soups, salads and flavouring, and is more delicate in flavour than onions. A single row a few yards long will keep a family supplied. A light, rich soil is most suitable. Plant together six to eight small bulblets in rows about 12in. apart, and as many from patch to patch. In the autumn they will have grown into good-sized bulbs, and if required may be taken up and stored and used as onions. The leaves, when green, are fit for use and should be cut off close to the ground, when they will be quickly succeeded by others. Every second year they should be lifted aiiff divided up.

FOUR USEFUL HINTS

Keep tile surface soil free and loose about your plants. A weekly hoeing will .not only keep the soil clear of wedds, but will sweeten it. Always cultivate the ground well before applying mulch or manure. Good cultivation is without a doubt one of the few secrets of successful gardening. When your neighbour tells you that certain plants will not thrive in your locality, it is often wise to resort to the opposite measures. Gardening is full of pleasant surprises, Never'lend or borrow garden tools: its a bad policy. An occasional exchange is quite all right, but see to it that you have the best of the bargain. Don't advertise the fact that you are an amateur gardener by taking home a parcel of blood and bone in the tram or ferry. Insist upon it being s(c)ent.

SOW SPINACH AND PARSLEY FOR WINTER USE.

It is almost impossible to grow parsley at any time of the year in some soils. In others the plants will grow like weeds .and we all know that the latter will grow without being cultivated — intentionally — although they thrive best in soil tilled for garden crops. Parsley seeds rarely germinate ordinarily, in the open border in spring, sooner than four weeks from the time of sowing. The best plan is to sow the seeds in beds, having three or four rows in a bed at one foot apart, as then it will be an easy matter to put on some protecting material on hoops if severe frosts come. Sometimes, in sandy soil, parsley fails to thrive; where this is the case, try spreading on the surface a thin layer of fine gravel after the seeds are sown. Thin out the plants to 4in. apart and transplant the thinnings. Sow seeds of prickly spinach thinly in rows 2ft. apart or near the foot of walls. Have the soil moderately firm and manured if poor. Thin out the young plants to flin. apart,

THE CULTIVATION OF LEEKS. (Allium Porrum).

Allium porum, commonly called leek, is said to be a native of Switzerland. Of recent years much interest has been taken in the cultivation of this household vegetable. For the main crop plants should he bedded out now. The best varieties for the amateur to grow are London Flag. Musselburgh and Lyon. The seedlings should be planted in double or single rows as for celery, 15in. between the plant and 12in. between

the double rows. For general purposes holes about 3in. in diameter and Bin. deep should be made with a dibber, and in these holes the plants should be placed upright. Water well anl allow enough soil to fall to cover the roots. As the plants grow the holes can be filled up gradually, and so the blanching will proceed. Another method of blanching is obtained by wrapping paper collars round the plants and as they grow pulling the collars higher up the stem and moulding the base with soil. Keep them well supplied with water and liquid manure during the growing season. Should seed be wanted for the following season select four or five of the vigorous, strong growing plants and grow them on in a warm, sheltered position till the seed heads appear, which will ripen the following autumn, the heads changing to a brown colour. The seeds keep best in their heads and these should be cut off without 12in. of stalk, tied in bunched and hung up in a shed. If this is done the seed will remain good for two or three years.

THE SEASONS OF THE YEAR.

There is a good deal of speculation every year as to when winter really begins. Not a few persons are of the opinion that the cold quarter begins in May. Here, however, are the astronomical figures supplied by the Sydney Observatory:—Spring, begins September 21; Summer, December 21; Autumn, March 21; and Winter June 1. The man in the street usually fixes winter as beginning from the first cold day in the year—in any month.

SHOULD TOMATOES BE MANURED.

Opinions may differ as to the wisdom of mixing manure with the soil at the time of planting tomatoes, but generally it is agreed that when plants begin to set their fruit some help in the direction of food is needful. Experience has proved that rottefl manure spread over the surface as the roots begin to conic through stimulates the plant. People growing tomatoes often start feeding before flowers have formed before before flowers have formed with the result that a deal of unnecessary wood is made at the expense of the fruit. Stimulants can be given as soon as the first truss has set and these may be continued during the remainder of the season. Sheep droppings, cow manure if obtainable, ought to be diluted with water. Failing this some other proved concentrated manure jvill be found to hasten the crop. Tomatoes like a change of food, but under no circumstances ought stimulants to be applied before ordinary water has been given, or should it be applied in a strong state with the idea of getting fruit to ripen up quickly, as it often ends by plants becoming over-fed and collapsing. This is one point which arises out of top-dressing tomatoes to which it is sometimes needful to call special attenton. It is the temptation to lop off some of the larger leaves, especially where plants are close together. It is a mistake to do so and nearly always results in bleeding and prevents swelling of fruit. The better way is to tie the leaves back until they begin to turn yellow when they can be pinched off.

LAWN DRESSING BEFORE THE SUMMER MONTHS.

There is nothing that lends more charm to the appearance of the home than a well-tended lawn. A neatly cut and well-rolled lawn is a good sight to look upon, quite apart trom the floral effect of dazzling flower beds with their various volour schemes. November and December are good months to patch up the bare spots in the lawn that, may have occurred owing to a bad winter, etc. Rake the dead grass from the unsightly places and add some fine soil before sowing seed—joz. of good lawn seed mixture per square yard should be sufficient, and afterward top-dressed with good loamy soil. The best top-dressing manure to stimulate the growth and thus reduce the annual weeds is as follows: — lOlbs. superphosphate, ."lbs. sulphate of ammonia, 51bs. bonedust (enough to cover 100 square yards). This is used at the rate of 3ozs. to the square yard. By doing this now you will improve your lawn 100 per cent, and also help to keep that lovely green appearance through the dry summer months.

A HINT ABOUT WINDOW BOXES People who like to have gay flowers in window boxes often complain of the mud specks on the window caused by the rain splashing on the soil. Inis trouble is easily overcome if the mould in the window box is covered with a layer of coconut fibre, which can be inexpensively obtained from any florist. Incidentally, the fibre prevents the escape of moisture, so the roots of the plant are kept cool and damp.