THE GARDEN.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 183, 18 December 1886, Page 6

THE GARDEN.

Kitchen Garden. Every advantage should be fcakon of whatever wot or moist weathor we may now get for planting out any late crops of vegetables, so as to get them well established before the hot, dry January season sets in, Celery: The main crop, if notalreaoly planted, should be put out at once ; give plenty of water after planting',; earth up, if necessary, the early planted crops make one or two moie trenches for planting the late crop either at the end of this or the beg<nning of next month. Peas : The usual fortnightly sowing ; earth up those that are advancing in growth, aiako the tall-grow-ing varieties ; make another sowing of broad beans for autumn use, Sow a email row of French beans fortnightly, the running varieties about once a «eek; earth up and stake as may be required. Leeks : Plant out at once the main crop in deep, rich soil Where largo plants are wanted it 13 better to make trenches the same as for celery, watering and earthing up in tho satne manner. Prepare a large break of rich well-manured trround for planting out the crop of broccoli. Brua I feels sprouts, kale and drumhead cabbage ! at the end of this or beginning of next I month. The breaks from which the debris i of early potatoes, peas, etc., have been cleared off is the beet if ready and well manured. Continue tlu- thinning out of all crops of vegetables as soon a=< they become large enough. Where it is possible to obtain materials, mulch between toe rowe Early plan ted cucumbeis, marrowy etc., pinch bnck and regulate. T^nifttoQd begin to tie up to the trellis> and pinch back. Give the above occasionally liquid manure. Stir the surface soil frequently between the rows of growing crops. The slugs are still doing damage to young seedling crops. Keep a look out for them. Flower Garden. The season is beginning to get hot - d dry, co all planting out should be finis -1 at once. Constant attention must be £ri\ on to tht pinching and pegging down of bed ding plants co us to get tho ground pioporJy covered. Pinching will «il*o give the plants a more bushy habit and increase the number of flowers. If possible, give the beds plenty of water where the soih are light and dry. Mulching with ehort or stable litter will be oi gieai assistance to tne plant. In the mixed borders many of the stiong giowing plants will require to be etaksd and tied up at the samo time. Pinch back or out out all rank or stni^loy fchoots, which may be ehowy ; keeping them 3S much as possible in their natural 3hape?, and not allowing them te encroach on the adjacent plants. Shrubs in thy pleasure ground and y ild also requiie attention, regulating their growth Lli'iubeis train and regulate to their dnieiant supports. Lift all early flowering opiin^ bulb? a° they ripen off their foliage, bat not till the haulm is properly ripe, as lone; a? it is gioen it 13 ?till supplying nourishment to the buib. Roses : Pick off all llov-ei 1 - as they fade, never allow them to u'pen seed pede ; still givo liquid manure. Thin out late sown annual?, only allowing two or three plants to each patch Frequently stir the surface soil in the holders with a hoe, thua keeping weeus under, also promoting a better growth in the plants. Lrwnsl keep the grass <*hort and roll frequently. Alcny oi tha different greenhouse plants will be better of an occasional wuterir.g with liquid manure. Some- ehould always be kept on hand Take a bex or ban el and pufc a few shovelfuls of nbw manure, and fill up with I water. Stir this up, then let It tattle for I about 24 houre, then strain off, and it is ready for uae. Re- pot such plants) a 9 may require more roofc room. Sha.le the house during middle of the aay. Syringe all plants not flowering when shutting up the houde in the evening. Destruction of the Aphides. The mansacre of the aphides by the allied forces of ladybirds, syrpb.ua larvie, etc, in progress in the State University orchard, has continued vigorously, and will not i-top until the last aphis is wiped out of existance. We have watched the trees from day to day. On the tv.o trees of yellow gare, where the contest between appetite and fecuadity bogan, thoro ha<; been a steady diminution of the aphis. We h.tve seen as many aa twelve ladybirds at work on the under side of a single loaf They make dean -work, either moving absent across the leaf or being arranged around the outer edge, and eating towards the cent c. They do not run about and pick up hore and there, but go forward slowly, tho in<!«d of aphis before them, tho ckan surface of tha leaf behind. They spare neither sox nor oge but advance, reientßsn as fate. Tha aggregate force of ladybirds in the orchard has greatly increased by accessions on the wing siuce last week Tho oatei'3 are still tho porfi-cfc inspcts (ladybirds), and wo can fully approve the remark made by Mr Klco in his recent bulletin on the woolly aphis concerning tho appelito of the perlect insect being generally underestimated. Most of the plum trees have now bocouae covered wil ii them, searching high and low for aphis colonies. Other explorers went into ciab-apple trees adjoining and found, in two treoa of transcendent crab, colonies of woolly aphis looking almost like patche3 of cotton. Along some of thirf year's wood tho cotton was mailed at. the bueo of every leaf stem, and the trees were a sorry sight. Within four dayn after tha ladybirds took a good hold on tho woolly aphis, tboro was not a vestige of thorn remaining except here and there on the leaves where Individuals had escaped the jawa of the beetles and fallen from the clusters. Thero la no doubt that enough ladybirds will make perfect work on the woolly aphia on the branches. The question now seems to be, where will the larval descendants of this vast army of ladybirds find feed ? The present generation birds fail to exhaust the supply of aphis. The larvje coon to appear will not have wings ; they cannot go in search of food.

What they may do may be imagined from the behaviour of porno which \ee hatched out. in confinement ; the drat from the eggs were dining upon their belated brothers. Lack of food thus brings in starvation, and its attendant cannibalism, and thus the ladybirds which are legion in one generation may be few iv the succeeding one. We shall watch the matter farther. — "Rural Press.'"

CABLEGRAMS.

BBITISH <Sc ZFOjR-IEIJIGKIS) .

LoNnoN, December 13. An attempt made to biow up the residence) of the King of Rouoaania by means ot dynamite was partially successful. Five thousand Russian troops will winter at Odeßea. A statement; has boen published that it has been agreed to reduce the British force in Egypt to 5,000 men, and the Egyptian standing army to 10,000. The agreement bofcsveen England and Geunany greatly curtail the Zanzibar territory in favour of Germany Hanlan ie io good condition, and is delighted at Beach accepting his challenge to row on the Nepean rivei . Arab slavers have been captured at Stanley F&lls on the Congo. 1 Mv McArthuv, who supported Mr Gladstone, ba9 been undated, on a scrutiny being taken for the Buckiose division of the East Biding of Yorkshire. He hae been succeeded by Sh Tatton Sykes, Conserva tive. Sir Allan Young is inclined to take the lead of a commercial expedition to the Antarctic. He has boen guaranteed £8,000, the amount to be reduced if the whaling, which it is proposed to undertake, proves successful, LomjoK, December 10 — Mr H. M. Stanley ig about to lead a private expedi tion to the Soudan. Vifmma, Dccamber 13 — The members of the Bulgarian Deputation visiting the Ei/ropean Couit3, to explain the position of affairs in Bulgaria, arc still in this city. They had an irt-r\:e',v with Prince Lobr-noff Rostorotki, the "Russian Ambassador, who informed the deputation that they would not be permitted to enter Ku-siu in furtherance of the objects of their minion. Paris, "December 11.— M, Goblet has succeeded in foi tiling a Cabinet for tho present. He will fcucceed M. do Freycinot as Foreign Societary, (T^nerul Bouljn^er retaining; his position as Minietsr of War, and Admiral , Aubo that of MmpU;r of Marino and tho | Colonies. In the Chamber of Deputies to-J-iy Tvl. do Goblet anuouueed that the new Ministry would follow toe foreign policy of , M. do Fveycinet, bi.r proaii^ed intemul re- i forms. j