THE GARDEN.

Matamata Record, Volume III, Issue 136, 12 June 1919, Page 1

THE GARDEN.

(By W. Taylor in Journal of Agriculture) In March of (his year sonic results of trials with cauliflowers at the Arataki Horticultural Station were detailed. These trials should be of in-

t, teres! to cultivators in the warmer parts of the Dominion, to those who grow for the market, as well as private gardeners. In some of the warmer districts, particularly where the summers are usually very dry, the cultivation of this class of vegetable is attended by great difficulties; in fact, at times it is impossible to prow them. 1 Even the hardy broccoli often fails to survive the combined effects of dry, hot weather and the ravages of the cabbage-moth ("Plutella cruciferum"). The Arataki trials show that cauliflowers can, in the warmer climates, be produced a month earlier than is possible in the most favourable places in other districts, and two months earlier than they can be obtained in many places. The cabbage-moth does not affect winter and spring crops, and there are no difficulties to contend with. Snowball cauliflower at Arataki, sown on Ist April, and planted on 6th June, gave the first heads on 24th September. It may be remarked that Early London and Early Paris would come in the same time. Early Erfurt and Veitch's Giant, sown and planted on the same dates, gave the first heads on 21st October, when the earlier crop was nearly gone. Early Erfurt and Veitch's Autumn Giant, sown on Ist May, came into cut on *lotli November. This crop would last till the New Year. These trials appear to show that in certain districts broccolis could well be dispensed with and the quicker-growing cauliflowers substituted; but more particularly the trials show the value of the earlier crops for market purposes.

Spring cabbages are amenable to the same conditions, and should also receive attention. For these crops blood-and-bone manure is an efficient fertilizer. Apply at least 2 oz. per square yard broadcast before planting. Nitrate of soda should be applied at •} oz. per square yard in two dressings, the first soon after growth begins, the second four or five weeks later. The first dressing should be strewn close around the plants, the second broadcast. In places where growth is not so forward the plants should be drawn from the seed-beds and pricked out in a good plot of ground preparatory to the final planting. The early varieties of cauliflowers and early cabbages are liable to bolt prematurely. Early planting or pricking out overcomes this tendency to a large extent, and, together with the dressings of nitrate of soda, usually makes them safe. Peas may be sown before the end of May in all places not subject to very severe frost. Dwarf varieties are usually sown, but in places subject to high winds, or where slugs or birds are very troublesome, it is found best to sow a variety of medium growth. The rows arc given the support of sticks as soon as the plants are well up. The sticks render slug-control easy, save them from wind, and birds will hardly trouble them. Broad beans should be sown in all places about the middle of June.

Lettuces in some places grow the whole year round—in all places, in fact, except the coldest. For winter use small-growing varieties, such as Tennis-ball and All-the-year-round, are planted in the sunniest position available, preferably on beds raised a little above the ordinary surface. SMALL FRUITS. Pruning bush-fruits should be undertaken as soon as the foliage is off. A necessary preliminary, in my opinion, is to clear the ground of weeds, removing such as would prevent the easy clearing-up of the primings of the bushes. If there are many tall weeds the best plan is to mow them. They might then be left to be raked up with the primings. The ground should not be dug before pruning, as that would make it difficult to take up the small pieces of wood cut off. I consider it important that this should be done, as when dug into the ground they generate fungus that may prove injurious. The primings can be readily raked up on a firm surface. They should then be burned, thus destroying any insect pests and disease germs that may be on them.

llaspberries.—Dig out superfluous suckers; remove dead canes entirely; reduce new canes to about six of the strongest, and shorten those left for bearing by about 12in. Loganberries are to be relieved of the old fruiting-caries—it should have been done as soon as the fruit was past. The young ennes should be tied in place and the weak tops cut back to ripe wood.

Gooseberries require spraying for leaf-spot. These, as well as currants and raspberries, are liable to be infested by scale insects. Lime-sulphur, 1 in 10, will serve the dual purpose of a fungicide and insecticide. THE FLOWER GARDEN. This is an appropriate time for breaking up new ground, the soil being moist and easilly worked. Except in specially favoured places where there is a considerable depth of loose soil the ground should be broken at least two spits deep. The top soil should be kept on top. If there is grass growing on it the turf should be stripped off first, because if it is dug into with the top spit it holds the clods together and it is a long time before they can be broken up. The turves cut off may be placed in the trench, or, what is better, stacked till the grass is dead and then dug into the soil, or kept for potting plants, raising seedlings in boxes, etc. Old gardens are sometimes benefited by retrenching. This cam be done without moving shrubs and permanient plants and trees. It requires a little scheming, and all temporary plants have to be lifted.

Hedges may now be trimmed. Hedges that are well kept are trimmed twice each year—namely, during winter and near the end of the year. The summer trimming is light, merely cutting back the young growths. The winter trimming may be more severe, and affords opportunity for keeping a hedge from becoming too wide. In the ordinary course of trimming a hedge increases in width every time it is trimmed, as a portion of the young growth is left every time. In a few years the hedge reaches an undesirable width, wasting ground-space and causing additional labour in trimming. When the species of plant will stand drastic treatment it may be heavily cut back to form a new face. Some plants will not respond to such treatment. The labour involved in doing it might prevent it being done, and, moreover, it might not be desirable to have a bare face for a few weeks or months. The necessity for drastic treatment can be avoided, and the hedge kept from increasing in width by other means. A well-kept hedge has always abundant foliage independent of the last twigs. At the winter trimming a number of the growths should be cut back into old wood, taking off bunches of stubs formed by cutting back the face spray. These cuts are, of course, inside the face of the hedge. Only a proportion of the branches should be so treated each winter—just those that are becoming prominent and prevent the shears cutting hard buck. By this means a hedge can be kept permanently to the width desired. Rose-planting may be carried on for several months to come; still, it is better to get the bushes planted early, as they then break stronger. Bushes planted in June and after should be pruned before planting. Cut out weak shoots altogether, and shorten others to two or three buds in the case of young plants.