THE GARDEN. [By Hortus.]

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 175, 23 October 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN. [By Hortus.]

Kitoben Garden. Continue cowing peas for aucceßsional cropa. Earth up those that have attained a height of about six inches. Sow mustard, crees, and radishes fortnightly, Plant a few more cauliflowers and cabbage. Earth up those that have attained sufficient eize. Plant out another patch of let* tuce. Tie up the advanced plants, so that they may blanch. French beans make successful sowings, and also the running varieties. Begin to prepare hills for plant* ing ont and sowing cucumbers, melons, marrows, pumpkins, etc. Dig holes and place about a barrow-load of well-de-composed manure in each. Mix a good deal of the soil with it, leaving, when finished, a alight hill, and it will be in splendid order for planting in a week or so. Tomatoes: Prepare sets i in rows in a similar manner, beginning to harden off the young plants under glass, bo as to get the plants put as soon as possible. Thin-out all advancing crops of vegetables as soon as they have attained some size, and never allow them to get so large as to draw one another up. Keep the hoe going between the rowa. If the growth is backward, dust a little guano between the rows in moist weather ; it will quicken them. Earth up the earlier-planted crops of potatoes. Get the late varieties planted aa aoon as possible. Celery : Prick out into beds specially prepared with plenty of manure. Strawberry beds should now receive a thorough overhaul. All treads should be cleared off; afterwards, give a good dusting of fine bone? or guano and lime, and then slightly fork over the surface soil between the rows. While doing so, take care not to injure the rootlets. Begin to collect materials for mulching the plants. The above will improve the quantity and quality of the crops. Keep the weeds under. Lime in the evening all such crops as are subject to the attack of slugs.

Flower Garden. All hardy annuals ehould be sown now as the seaaon is advancing. Some of the very early ones will transplant. A few of the tender varieties can now be sown out in the open. Those sown under glass harden off so that they may be planted out as soon as possible. Bedding plants, if not out already, during the late fine planting weather, should be put out in their permanent position as soon as possible now, as the sooner they are planted the better plants they will make before the hot weather sets in. Bulbs: Plant out the late succession stock, see to the tying and staking of those which are planted early and require support. Pinch back and regulate all strong • growing plants. Don't allow one or two grass shoota, to draw all the sap. Tie and stake where necessary B.osea should now be making strong growth ; mulch with cow manure when possible. Where the fly makes its appearance syringe with tobacco water. Put the young dahlia plants in the frames as soon as they are ready ; elugs'are very fond of them. Lime frequently. Stir the surface soil in the beds and border, so as to keep weeds under. Lawns: The grass must now be cut frequently ao as to thicken the bottom growth. Koll with a heavy roller to compress the turf regularly as the soil gets drier. All grass and other debris of the garden should be at once placed in the rot-heap, to get it properly rotted to be used as manure next autumn. Place;in layers, and duet salt and lime over It. Slugs are now very troublesome. Take every means to keep their depredations under.

Greenhouse. Continue repotting permanent plants ap they require it. Coleus, etc., cuttings of which have struck, pot into small-sized pots, repotting as they grow larger — using a mixture of goed loam sand, leafmould, or well-rotted manure. Pelargoniums and geraniums for early flowering keep near the glass. The same with calceolarias, cinerarias, and primulas. Those which are not potted into flowering pots should be repotted at once. Look well after aphis ; fumigate plants that are affected. Don't smoke the whole house, but make a little box which will hold about a dozen plants and always keep it for the purpose. Give plenty of air during the day, water in the afternoon and syringe when closing up the house.

.Horticultural Society. The schedule of prizes of the Auckland Gardeners Horticultural Society's Spring Show is now in print. The Society offer, in all, 236 first prizes ; also a large number of second prizes. Some or these are of considerable value, ranging from £2 2s to 2s 6d. In looking over the schedule, it will be seen that the Society have received a large number of special prizesf rom friends tb at take aninteresfcinhorticulturalmattera. Itisonly to be hoped that the weather from now on will be such as will promote a good show of flowers and vegetables,,-so as to fully realise the expectations of the Committee, who have spared neither time nor trouble so as to make the coming Show excel all that have preceded it. One feature this spring is that the Show will be held in a place more accessible to the visiting public. The exhibition is to be held in the new buildings in course of erection in the City Market on the 26th and 27th of November. All intending competitors should at once make application to the secretary, for a copy of the schedule, so that be may learn the rules regulating the class he may wish to comin,

pete Dahlias. ■ The dahlia is one of the most popular autumn flowering border blants. Every garden ought to possess a small collection every season. They do do well, if ©nlya moderate amount ot attention is paid to them, either in the mixed flower-border or in a small'break by themselves. They are

tuberous-rooted, fand grow beat in deep, rich, moist soils, with plenty of well-rotted manure placed to the roots of each plant. Now Btock ie easily raised from cuttings or subdivision of the old plants in the spring ; but for the ordinary amateur it is better to procure a new collection every season- from one of the nurserymen, choosing the best and most distinct varieties. When the plants are to be grown in a break by themselves, It is better to, trench the whole break in the spring before planting, and whilo turning over the ground put in plenty of manure — cow is the best. After the trenching is finished, mark out places about five feet apart ; then dig the holes, and put about a barrowload of cow manure in each hole. Cover the manure over irith a little soil, and when the plants are ready to go out plant in the soil, leaving a depression round each plant, bo as to be able to water (during dry weather. After planting, drive a good strong stake to each plant se to support it, Wh«n the dry Bummet weather sets in, water frequently — occasionally using liquid manure. Always give a good soaking of water. As the plant growa, thin and pinch back the shoots occasionally, not growing too many flowers. A few good flowers should always be preferred to a Targe number of poor ones. In Britain the florists are now growing a large number of single dahlias, and they are said to look very effective in the mixed flower borders, having such numerous changes of colour. To grow them the seed of the finest varieties is saved, and sown early in the following spring under glass, and potted off when lar^e enough, then grown for ' a month or so in a cool bouse, and afterwards out in the open in the same manner as the double varieties. If there is anything very fine produced from such, they are lifted in the autumn and stored past for the winter, and in epring they propagate from thorn either by cuttings or subdivision. In some gardens in Britain they are actually preferred to the double.