GARDENER'S CALENDAR FOR DECEMBEE.

Southland Times, Issue 1178, 8 December 1869, Page 3

GARDENER'S CALENDAR FOR DECEMBEE.

Kitchex Garden-. — How unlike the same month in the Home Country ! We have abundance of green Peas, new Potatoes, and Strawberries, and are enjoying the perfume of the Rose, the Honeysuckle, and the Sweet Briar. This i is a busy month in the garden : vegetables 1 are growing vigorously, root crops require thinning, Peas and Beans staking, and, above all, weeding ; and hoeing has to be attended to. Peas, sow ; also French Beans and Runners, Turnip, Early Horn Carrot, Lettuce, and Radish. Early varieties of the Potato may still be planted. A slight top dressing of stable manure mixed with sand will benefit Onion and Leek beds if the growth be at all backward ; and in the event of dry weather, water with weak guano or manure water. Celery will be improved by the same treatment. Fkutt G-aeden-. — The little Cherryeating birds are busy nibbling the fruit as it begins to color. We should like to kuowhow to protect our trees from the depredations of these petty little intruders: they are so small that the nets used to protect Cherriesin Britain are of nouse here. Trained trees now require eying or nailing. Slight frosts, which occasionally occur this month lire apt to blister the leaves of Peach and Nectarine trees. A temporary copping of scrub, to project about a foot over the top of the wall or fence on which they are trained, will protect them. Pinch the tops off the strongest growing shoots of young 1 fruit trees, to equalise the growth and induce a bushy habit. Remove all suckers as they make their appearance below grafts lately put on, pinch the tops off their main shoots when they have pushed two or three inches. This will encourage the growth of lateral shoots, and in some measure prevent them from being injured by the wind. Flower Gtakdeis". — See that Dahlias and Hollyhocks are well secured to stakes, and encourage growth by frequent waterings with liquid manure. Lillies, Phloxes, &c, will require stakes ; and Verbenas, Petuneas, and other trailing plants, pegging down. Stake Sweet Peas, Canary Creeper, and Convolvus Major. I See that annual sare not too thick, and let all thinning be done whilst the plants are young. Young Fuchsias now making rapid growth should be encouraged by shifting into larger sized pots, and watering twice a-week with weak guanowater.

A wild man proposes the removal of the seat of Grovernrnent to New "York. No ! To believe all the country preachers say, we are vicious enough now, without having that quintessence of iniquity added to our sins. Move Congress here, and our prirnest burglars would learn new tricks. Keep it away ! — New York World.