GARDEN CALENDAR FOR JANUARY, 1874.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 120, 10 January 1874, Page 2

GARDEN CALENDAR FOR JANUARY, 1874.

[Localities beyond three miles from coast line may be considered a fortnight later in their seasons.]

(FROM THE HAWKE’S BAY HERALD ALMANAC.) Kitchen Garden.—Very little sowing or transplanting can be done during this month. Thin out former sowing of carrots, spinach, turnips. Cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and vegetable marrows will require attention in stopping the shoots, removing barren ones, where crowded, and watering —carefully avoid the common error, in watering, of merely wetting the surface; sufficient should be given at each watering to thoroughly soak the soil to the roots; by thus doing you will encourage the roots to descend, an important point in dry seasons. The planting of celery had better be deferred till next month. Stick tomatoes ; if not supported the greater part of the fruit will get damaged; when a sufficient quantity of fruit has set, keep the shoots nipped backed. Cabbages and cauliflowers should be planted out, but unless a plentiful supply of water can be afforded them it will be useless, as the “ cabbage blight” would attack them; therefore defer it until the middle of February. Stop scarlet runners and case-knife runners when about four feet high; a greater crop of beans will be the result. Kidney beans should be well advanced in growth; the most useful kink is the dwarf, it has a bushy habit, aad is a prolific bearer. If necessary to sow a few seeds, prepare a bed by trenching it two spades deep—soak it thoroughly with water —sow the seed on the surface, and cover it with the requisite quantity of ordinarily damp soil; keep the bed partially shaded. Harvest onions, eschallots, and garlic. Fruit Garden. —Budding should now be very general; choose cloudy weather; if the bark does not rise freely, excite the plants with a liberal supply of weak liquid manure for a few days. After the wood is removed, see that the eye of the bud has not come away from the shield ; if so, reject it. Summer pruning should have been finished in December, but may still be proceeded with where young shoots are crowing the centre of the trees, or are crossing each other. The cherry dolphin commences its depredations about now, stripping every leaf from the tree ; they may be destroyed by dusting the tree with quick-lime, or syringing with a weak solution of chloride of lime. Stop vines; thin the bunches of close growing grapes such as the frantignans. Clear runners from strawberries beds. Prupe Cape gooseberries. Figs and early apples ripen about the middle of the month. Flower Garden. —Bud roses; take up tulips, Cape bulbs, anemones, and ranunculuses, and stow away in canvas bags until April; beware of the mice. Stake and prune dahlias; leave only one stem. Stop toll-growing chrysanthei mans.