THE WEEK’S WORK AT A GLANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 340, 28 April 1928, Page 30

THE WEEK’S WORK AT A GLANCE

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN

Does it ever strike you reader, that we could add a little more gaiety to the garden of life by acquiring more knowledge of the earth upon which we exist? It would indeed assist us to straighten out the frowns and twisted smiles and ridicule the crude attempt of brother man to engender false and unsatisfactory pleasure. Now if you wish to be happy and forget worry, commence now and start a garden. The greenish larvae, or caterpillars of these moths, are now making their appearance on the cabbage, cauliflower and turnips. Spray with arsenate of lead, 1 part in 25 parts of water. Slugs and snails are fast making their appearance again. Dust the ground with lime, tobacco dust or kilsiug. No garden is complete without a bed of salads and greens. For health purposes alone they are worth growing as they are splendid for stomach complaint. Sow cress seed in boxes, or small beds, and four days later make a sowing of mustard seed. This will enable one to cut the two varieties at once. Spinach and silver beet are among the best winter greens and very easy to grow. Sow the seed in drills and thin out as the plants grow. Spring onion seed, lettuce and endive are all worthy subjects of the salad department. Prepare beds for planting out strawberries, asparagus and rhubarb roots. All these may be had about the middle of May. Dig the ground deeply, well trenching and including well-rotted manure with every spadeful. The following root crops may be sown: Carrot, parsnip, turnip, swede, onion, beet and radish. Plants or seeds of the following may be set: Cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, silver beet, parsley, thyme, sage and broad beans. In sheltered gardens prepare for early potatoes. Spread the seed out to shoot before digging over the ground. Garlic and shallots are useful for early use and pickling. Set the bulbs now, 6in apart and 12in between the rows. Collect and store up pumpkins and marrows in a dry place for later use. Rake up all the old melon and cucumber vines and stack in a heap for making rotted manure. Earth up celery and leeks and apply liquid manure every ten days. THE FLOWER GARDEN Cultivate joy by cultivating- fruit and flowers, vegetables, etc., and you will then realise the true interpretation of those all-meaning words that: “Earth’s crammed with Heaven, And every living bush afire with Cod, But only he who sees takes off hi» shoes.” (Commence planting all seedlings for a. late winter, or early spring show, such as cinerarias, pansies, violas, poppies, stocks and antirrhinum. All the above varieties are to be had now although it is not too late for sowing seed. Many perennials may be planted now thus giving them plenty of time to make growth and bloom this summer. Set wallflowers, polyanthus, sweet William, Canterbury bells, aquilegias, delphiniums and cyclamen. Flower edgings or borders are sometimes a worry tc gardeners. Here are several subjects for immediate planting: Primula malacoides, a dainty little profuse blooming mauve flower growing 6in. Plants should be set Bin apart. Nasturtium seed, Tom Thumb, may be poked in the soil along the border for winter flowering. Violas, blue, yellow and white. Flower for months in moderately rich soil. The following seed may be drilled along borders or sown here and there in clumps: Virginian stock, mignonette, linaria, linum, night-scented stock, alyssum, clarkie and candytuft. The following should be planted in boxes and covered with glass: Nemesia, g*ant pansy, gaillardia, calliopsis, stock, ten weeks, poppy, cineraria, antirrhinum, carnation and lobelia. All herbaceous plants such as michaelmas daisy, golden rod, golden glow, helenium and helianthus should be cut down after they have finished flowering and all weeds removed from around their roots. Large clumps may be lifted and divided next month. Chrysanthemums are now nearing their best and repeated liquid manurings with ammonia and potash will help to produce fine sturdy blooms. Spent dahlia flowers should be cut away to allow the younger buds to fully mature. All available spare ground should be sown in crops for producing green manure. Lupins, oats and mustard are the three leading varieties to sow. Lawns should be attended to immediately and all vacant spots raked over, top-dressed and resown with fine seed. Autumn sowings are always the best as the grass has longer to establish itself before the summer months. #