The Garden.

Manawatu Herald, 30 June 1898, Page 2

The Garden.

(From Robert Oleave'a Catalogue— Invercargill.) JUNE. Kitchen garden work ii now entirely suspended. All preparations for Spring should now be completed, ao that advantage may be taken of £, nny fine weather that may occur to *• fur- her the operations of transplant* ing and removal of trees. If any opportunity occur, hedge seed may now ba sown— sweetbriar, hawthorn, qorse, and broom of variout species. Winter pruning on established trees should now be performed. It is impossible to give accurate directions for pruning in print. A lesson from a scientific hand is worth more than all that can be written on the subject. The operation consists simply in cutting out certain shoots or branches of a plant for the pur* pose of modifying its form, increasing its fertility, and stimulating particular parts to a greater Vigour. A plant may be made to assume almost any form if it it regularly and frequently pruned from an early stage.

Mulch all newly planted trees ; it matters not how coarse or strong the manure is for mulch ; and it is the very best method of manuring trees. Many amateurs fall into error by putting manure to the roots of trees whan planting, avoid this, and resort to mulching with good stable manure. JULY. Attention is now paid to cropping the garden with various vegetables as the seasons succeed. Asparagus, sea kale, Jerusalem artichokes, rhubarb, horse radish, shallots, and potato ODIOO3 should now be too longer neglected. Broad beans and a first sowing of pr as may also be made, choosing a light and dry soil, and a warm situation. The earliest potatoes nviy now be planted, and, if cart fuliy tended, so as to prevent injury from -late frosts,, will, by their earline.-p, amply repay all trouble 4 that may attend a crop planted at this season.

Lose no lime in bringing pruning, training and planting to conclusion, always choose mild weather for plant* ing, and <>p ur> account bring frozen •irdi around the root? ; many failures i i newly planted trees may bi at lib-.Ufd to this, and one of the grent s'. mistakes amateurs fall into win r-^g ml to planting is planting t'lodurp. The collar, or point on ho stem whence all the roots divided, -houlrl he jn-t beneath tho ground. Naturally the roots creep along immediately below the surface. The violation of this natural law, parti* t-u'arly in stiff retentive soils, brings ♦ibont ♦• canker " in a very few years, and the tree shortly languishes and dies. Particular attention is drawn to this matte ; care should also be taken that no warm or hot manure comes in contact with the roots of rhe trees. Professional planters say : " Tivnch well, manure the land well and the trees will grow themselves." This contains much truth ; the after ni'iu'igcment of the trees, when once a vigoroud growth is established, baiug a simple matter.

In the flower garden the foregoing remarks on fruit trees are equally applicable to the shrubs andornanamental trees. Finish planting Spring flowering bulbs, and push on with late flowering sorts, such as Gladioli, and various kinds of lilies, etc.

Abundance of work will come on y with lengthening days, and every, tbing that can possible be done now should be proceeded with. All alterations, additions and improvements should be completed as soon as possible, co as to have everything in readiness for sowing and planting out in Spring.

(Note. — These notes having been framed for the extreme South gardeners musk keep well in advance for this district.)