THE GARDEN.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 179, 20 November 1886, Page 1

THE GARDEN.

Snails tad Slags. Hoeing between the rows and earthing up the different crops of vegetables is ono of the most important operations to be attended to in the kitchen garden, and therefore no opportunity of doing it should be missed. Whenever the different crops reach a certain stage, a clean and wellcultivated soil is imperative during the early stages of the growth of plants. The thinning out of crops as soon as the seedlings can be handled must also be attended to. Thin onions to six inches apart in row, horn carrots four inches, and the larger growing kinds six to eight inches. Turnips and beetroot also thin to about six inches. Succeesional sowings of the following should be made fortnightly ; — Peas, French beans ; spinage, radishes, lettuces, mustard and cress, etc. Onions : A small patch of these can now be sown broad -cast, and thickly so as to obtain small onions for pickling. Continue planting out cucumbers, melons, marrows, pumpkins andtomatoesin properly prepared hills. The beat way to protect them after planting is to water and then give each plant a good dose of lime. Afterwardß take two light branches of a tree and make a bow over each plact, and spread an old newspaper over each. Put some soil round the edges so as to hold it in position. The above willsupply sufficient shade and shelter till the plants get established. Occasionally lift the paper so as to give fresh lime to keep slugs in check. Continue making celery trenches and planting a few more out. Prepare the trenches for planting the main crop out next month. Prepare a well-manured break for planting out the leeks. If very large plants are required make a trench for them the same as for celery. Stake tall-growing peas and running beans as soon as they require it. Make another sowing of the latter. All mid-summer crops should now be making vigorous growth, and every assistance ought to be given them by frequently Btir» ring over the surface soil, To keep slugs and snails under, dust with lime frequently in the evenings.

Flower Garden. In spite of the late cold, wet, showery weather, many of the early summer border plants are making a vigorous growth, and give promise of abundance of flowere. All tender annuals should now be sown out in the open, if not already done. Continue planting out those sown and established under cover ; see to the filling up of all blanks caused by death in the bedding plants. Hardy annuals thin out. Most of the thinnings will transplant to other positions if planted with care ; water after planting. Stake and tie up pinks, picotees, carnations, liliums, gladiolus, etc. ; water occasionally with liquid manure. Climbers tie, stake, regulate and pinch when necessary. Rob6B should now be making buds ; mulch with cow manure where possible, 01 water with liquid manure ; where the rose fly is making its appearance syringe frequently with eoap-euda or weak tobacco water. Dahlias : Continue the subdividing of the old roots, patting them and getting them established out in the open. Cutting^ which are struck will require potting ; get the holes for them opened cut and manured. Every endeavonr should be made to stimulate the growth of all plants in the beds and borders at present, so as to cause them to cover their allotted space before the dry eeason sets in ; at the game time taking steps to check all rank strong growth : only promoting such growth as is best ' adapted for the production of flowers or foliage, according to the varieties of planta. Walka : Rake weekly, to keep the weeds under. Lawn : Mow the grass frequently, and neatly clip the grass edgings after every clipping. Where seeds are making their appearance above ground use lime, to keep the slugs from attacking them. Whenever any of the different parasitic insects attack any of the different border plants procure at once some preparation for destroying them. Never allow them to get headway, aa they will thon be difficult to eradicate.

Greenhouse. Continue potting off cuttings as they are struck, Also re-pot such young plants as are beginning to fill their small pots with roots. Give plenty of air on bright, sunny days, shading the houae during the hottest part of the day. Syringe every afternoon when closing up the house, taking: c ar> e not; to allow the water to touch plants that are in flower. Water freely whenever the plants demand it. Give a little liquid manure occasionally. Snails and sluga are now very destructive ob all classes of garden produce, especially on the young and tender seedlings and cuttings, and the ravages committed by them are always done during a wet day and after dark every night. This makes it more difficult to catch and destroy them. Whenever the sun rises they creep into some shady place, where they remain while it is light, ready whenever the shades of evening fall to sally forth again to commit fresh ravages, A good way to trap them is to place between rows of vegetables or towers pieces of boards, elates, old sacking, or anything which will afford shelter. The depredators will creep under the artificial shelter as soon as they are done feeding, and if these places are examined every morning, dozens may be caught and killed. Another method is to dust lime over the ground every evening when they are out feeding. The hot, dry lime soon kills then., but the lime must be used frequently, as when it gets moist the virtue is soon expended, and slugs untouched with it will simply lie quietly under the ground till this virtue is expended and then emerge from their hiding places. Most soils around Auckland are deficient of lime, and ducting with lime will supply the deficiency.

Two ladies got in a horse car and two young men sac near. One man gave his seat at once to the. elderly lady; tne other kept his place. His friend asked him — I disguising it, however, in German — why he did not give his place to the young lady. He anaw-ered in the same language, " Because she is not pretty enough." But,, after a little! reflection, he rose and surrendered his seat. y The lady took it, and thanked him— in German. ,