THE GARDEN. Kitchen Garden.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 248, 21 March 1888, Page 6

THE GARDEN. Kitchen Garden.

Evi:ry advantage should have been taken to plant and sow the early and late "winter vegetables immediately after the heavy rain which fell during the latter portion ot last week. The ground was saturated to a considerable depth, and will be able to retain it for some considerable time. Cabbages and caulifloweis : Continue planting for succession : fork between the rows of advancing crop?, and earth up ; sow another patch of seed for later planting. Tomatoes : Continue the pinching back of supeifluous shoot/?, tie up fruiting brandies, thin out supeifluous foliage so that the rays of the sun may ripen tho fruit better. Give liquid manure occasionally, as the tomato is a gross feeder. Onions : All crops ehould be stored past now. Sow a small patch of seed so as to have a few for salad during the winter. Onion "round from which the crop has just been taken should be deeply dug, plenty of manure worked into it. and planted immediately with some other crop. Cucumbers, pumpkins, etc. ; Pinch and regulate shoots ; if dry weather sets in give water occasionally. Melons : Expose the fruit as much as possible to the sun's rays ; keep the plants dry. Celery : Continue the tying and earthing up of the early-planted crops as they becomo largo enough. To later-planted crops give plenty of liquid manure. Those who intend to plant a ?mall patch of strawberries could not select a better time than now, if they can procure young plants large enough. Puddle the roots before planting. Water immediately after planting and if the remainder of the autumn set? in dry, water occasionally. Strawberries planted early get well established before winter, and will make splendid plants for fruiting next season. See that the piece of ground they are planted in is well manured. Mustard and cress : Sow now fortnightly for salad ; sow in a moist place, and water occasionally. Lettuce /Sow a small patch of seed. Sow a fresh batch of carrots, turnips, and spinage for winter use. Every vacant piece ; of ground should be dug, trenched, and well manured, leaving the surface rough so as to expose as much soil to the sun's rays as is Avanted for cropping ; it can easily be brought into a good state. Keep weeds under, the late heavy i*ains will cause the seed of weeds to germinate in thousands. Flower Garden. The late heavy rains will have produced fresh vigour in all the autumnal flowering plants. See that dahlias and chrysanthemums are properly staked and tied up so that the wind may not cut and knock them about and spoil the flowers. Give liquid manure occasionally ; it will improve the flowers. All tho mixed flower borders should receive a thorough overhaul. Clear away all debris of spent annuals ; also cut back such herbaceous plants as may require it. After clearing away all debris stir the surface soil to the depth of a few inches. A few of the hardy early flowering annuals can be sown in the positions they are to flower in next spring. Also plant out any well ri pened bulbs of gladiolus. Bedding plants if attended to now, will yefc give a fair show of flowers. Pinch, peg down, and occasionally give liquid manure. All cuttings of bedding plants ought to be taken off and placed in the propagating bed as soon as possible. In strikingcuttings, see that you allow a sufficient margin for casualties. After placing in the bed, see to the shading from the sun's rays, taking the covering off every evening, and replacing them in the morning. Give a alight sprinkling of water over the cuttings every evening, just to keep the soil moist. Grass : The last heavy rains will havo softened the soil ; a heavy roller should therefore be frequently applied in order to reduce any inequalities. Where soil has been procured for top dressing later in the season, the soil should now be turned over, so aa to cefc it into a good state for applying later on. Any new work or alterations should be hurried on quickly, soas to get the soil into a good state for planting and sowinggrass seed early. Sometimes great loss is entailed by allowing new formations to be carried out during the winter. The soil is then in a wet mucky state, and this is most injurious, especially in moist clayey soils ; these in particular should always bo handled in dry weather. See that a fair supply of gravel is obtained and placed in a convenient place for patching weak places in tho walks, which are sure to show early in the winter. Obtaining gravel now will perhaps save more weak places being broken by carting in wet weather. Greenhouse. Give plenty of air and v/ater to oil strong growing plants. Achimines and gloxinias past flowering water sparingly till the foliage decays ; then place under the stage. Old plants of coleus past their best should bo thrown away ; cuttings taken from them and struck now will koop better through the winter than the old plants ; at the same timo you will save considerable space. Chrysanthemums in pots, which are making flower- buds, remove into the house, and give occasional waterings with', liquid manure,,, . This will bring them into' bloom oarlier, Keep a sharp lookout after insects ; as soon as they make their appearance take steps for their destruction.