THE WEEK’S WORK AT A GLANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 430, 11 August 1928, Page 28

THE WEEK’S WORK AT A GLANCE

BUSY MAN’S CORNER

VEGETABLE GARDEN “Until thy feet have trod the road, advise not wayside folk." How aptly this old saying applies itself to the tendering of garden advice, and how many venture to voice their opinions upon the subject who hardly know one end of a spade from another. The information contained in our columns is helpful, practical and authentic, and if adopted may turn failure into success. Gardeners who followed last week’s notes will be prepared for the change of work about to be prescribed. Tomato sowings now call for attention. Sow the seed in a box and cover lightly with fine sandy soil. Carter’s Sunrise and Holmes Supreme ai-e two small fruiting reliable sorts. Market Favourite and Large Red are splendid large varieties. As an article of food, peas are the most nutritious of all vegetables and everyone should sow at least a few early rows of this favourite. William Hurst is a splendid early dwarf variety, cropping quiclcjy and well. Make sowings of parsnip, Hollow Crown and Student. It is not necessary to have very rich ground provided it is deep and well-drained. Prepare beds for a later sowing of pumpkins, cucumber and marrow. All garden rubbish, leaves and weeds, may be stacked in heaps and covered for planting the seeds upon. Choose warm situations away from the wind, and by the time the vegetation begins to rot the planting season will be here. Salads for later use should now claim our attention, and preparations against a dry summer should take place. Make successive sowings of spring onions, mustard and cress, lettuce, radish, endive and leeks. Transplant into rows onion seedlings that are large enough to handle, setting them nine inches apart and one foot between rows. Have you planted those trees that you were speaking to the wife about? If not you will have to hurry or you will disappoint her and lose 12 months’ growth. Guavas, loganberries and gooseberries all may be set and are delicious to eat while gardening in the hot week-ends, FLOWER GARDEN Have you any gladioli in your garden? These stately bulbous growing plants may be set now when they will make a fine show in the summer, and are splendid for cutting. Set the bulbs three inches deep and one foot apart. Sprinkle sand around the bulb to keep out worms and insects. Set in a position that will not be too dry in the summer. The planting of climbing roses is essential in every garden. They are invaluable for covering old fences and unsightly tree stumps. Four varieties highly recommended for this work are Ards Rover, Marchiel Neil, Tliawatha and Irish Fireflame. During the last six weeks we have not been able to do much in the way of sowing flower seeds, but this month we can start afresh by sowing seeds of annuals such as calliopsis, calendulas, clarkia, salpiglossus and ten-week stocks. Plant out evergreen shrubs and hedge plants where required, as .next month will be too late. Summer bedding plants such as althenantliera or carpet bedding and irisene that lias been protected during the winter may now be divided up and started in growth in boxes for later planting. Where the fronds of maiden hair is turning brown they should be cut away, unless required for seed spores. Nephrolephis fern leaves that are of yellowish colour should be removed to let tlie new growth in the centre break away. Begonia and gloxinia bulbs that have been in dormant state may be started away in growth for Christmas flowering. Repot into new sandy soil and keep moist. Aphis attacking carnations may be killed by using black leaf 40. All fruit trees should be sprayed with lime and sulphur to kill dormant diseases lying in the bark.