TOE SUNDIAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 335, 21 April 1928, Page 26

TOE SUNDIAL

KILLING WEEDS Do not be afraid to use the hoe. Its vigorous and constant application will repay every gardener. If the opportunity is taken to hoe between the rows during hot, dry weather, and if the stable manure used is always well rotted, there should not be much trouble from weeds in a small garden, but they require constant attention, and often, through a few days’ neglect in the early spring and autumn, the weeds get beyond control and cause endless trouble. A day’s work while the weather is favourable, and the weeds in their young state, may be worth a week later on. The hoe should be kept constantly going, not only to kill the weeds, but also to conserve the moisture; if the surface is kept loose the subsoil will always be moist, and even in dry districts, with a low rainfall, successful gardening may be carried on by using these “dry farming” methods. The surface should never be allowed to cake. This can only be secured by constant hoeing. The only way to get rid of such weeds as sorrel, couch grass, etc., is to fork them carefully out in hot, dry weather, taking care to get the whole of the roots out, and to leave them on the surface exposed to the sun. When land is choked with weeds and weed seeds, the best plan is to plant a green crop, as in green manuring, or the land may be kept fallow for a few months and continually ho.ed whenever there is a growth of weed seeds. Garden paths may be kept clean by using one of the chemical weed destroyers. ANSWERS TO PUZZLED GARDENERS Rex, Epsom. —If loganberries are to be trained over a fence or wall, slight cutting back of the runners will be necessary. If they are growing in the open, prune hard back to promote bushy growth. Constantly hoe round the roots and fork in blood and bone. Taka.—Snail creeper will make no growth until the spring weather and will probably lose its foliage through the winter. They are slow to take hold, but by next season robust growth will take place. Early spring, water frequently with liquid manure to give the plant a good start.