THE GARDEN. (By Hortus.)

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 366, 8 May 1889, Page 3

THE GARDEN. (By Hortus.)

Kitchen Garden. The fovr showers we received at the end of last week will have assisted in promoting a little growth in such autumn vegetables as were either planted or sown early. Continue the trenching and digging of pieces of ground which may become vacant. Leave the soil in a rough "state. The sun'p rays and atmospheric action will soon pulverise and sweeten it, thus with ease getting it into a good working state tor later planting or sowing. Pieces of ground not wanted for winter crops should be sown down in oats, even if not required for green feed, where it will act as a splendid manure, especially if dug down when about from one to two feet. Plant a few more rows of cabbage and cauliflower. Earth up the growing crops as they may require. Continue the fortnightly sowing of mustard cress and radishes ; use water freely till the wet season sets in. Lettuce : Prick out another patch ; tie up advance heads for blanching; sow another small patch of seed. Celery : Still another row of this excellent vegetable could be planted for late spring use. Earth up such plants as may require it, and still give plenty of liquid manure so as to promote a strong succulent growth. Melons still unripened : Try and raise them above the foliage so that each of the fruit may receive the full benefit of the sun's rays. Tomatoes: Do not allow any fresh shoots to grow ; pick off as they make their appearance. Keep the fruit exposed as much as possible to the suns rays. Any fruit nearly ripened should be picked off and placed where the suns | rays will get at them. They will ripen just as well off the plant as on it. At the same ] time the plucking off will cause the plants to still further develop the fruit left. Carrots and turnips : Sow the main winter crops. Make a large sowing of winter spinage ; the prickly is the best. Leaks : Give plenty of liquid manure. Freely use the hoe between the rows of growing crops. It not only keeps weeds under, but promotes a quicker growth. Clear away all debris of spent crops to the rubbish heap, j Keep all weeds under, and if possible never allow them to get beyond the ?eedling

stage. Flower Garden. Operations in this department must be pushed on with vigour before the wet weather sets in. Mixed flower borders should receive the usual autumn overhaul. Plenty of well-rotted manure should be wheeled over the ground and dug in. While the digging is proceeding all plants such as the scarlet geraniums, etc., should be pruned back, at the same time digging into the soil all debris of plants, which will rot during the winter. The debris will make a good addition to the manure. Dahlias will now be nearly over the season. Leave the tubers untouched, so that they may ripen off slowly. Chrysanthemums will still be making a grand display. Water occasionally with liquid manure. Early-planted winter and spring flowering bulb 3 and tubers will now be making their appearance. Stir the surface soil about them and water with liquid manure. Plant out the later flowering bulbs and tubers. It is better to give them a chance to get started before the heavy wet rains set in. Recollect while planting bulbs and tubers that they are improved by wood ashes mixed with the soil, or even scattered on the surface. The chemicals contained in them would be washed down to the roots. After the borders have been dug, small patches of hardy annuals can be sown for early spring flowering. Lawns: This is the best season ot the year to give a thorough dressing to the lawns whei*e the grass has got very bad. A heavy dressing of good rich soil should be given, and fresh grass seed sown. Where the lawns are in fairly good condition, a very light dressing will do. Whenever the seed is sown the ground should be rolled heavily. Lawns thoroughly dealt with during the next fortnight will do much better than those leffc till after the cold, web weather sets in.

Greenhouse. Shading should now be dispensed withWater to most plants should also be applied more sparingly. Give more attention to sach winter flowering plants a3 cineraries, and calceolarias. See to the re-potting as they require more pot room. Cactus plants should be kept pretty dry now for the winter. The epiphyllum varieties will now be coming into flower. Give them a more liberal supply of water. Camel'ias in pot should be removed from summer quarters in the house for early flowering. Give all plants in the house a thoiough overhaul, so as to clean them of all dead or dying debris and also insects. Keep up a free circulation of air.

Newmarket Chrysanthemum Show. The above show was held in Newmarket last Saturday, and was a real treat to all true lovers of flower?. Ido not think that in the Southern Hemisphere there has ever been collected together such a grand display of cut chrysanthemum flowers. Some of the blooms were really magnificent, and showed that considerable skill and patience had been taken by the exhibitors in staging them in the manner they did. There were also staged some splendid single dahlias and cacti which were universally admired. Taking the late show as a whole, I do not think that any exhibition ever held in Auckland has been of such educational value as it, nor do I think as .much genuine pleasure and interest has been taken in any by the visitors. The three gentlemen who were responsible for the whole undertaking could not have been better rewarded than they were by the liberal patronage that was awarded. For years I have held the opinion that until the ladies of Auckland take an interest in the flower shows it would be useless fco try and carry on giving exhibitions without them. Last Saturday the ladies mustered in foice, and by their presence helped much towards the general success. I only hope that nothing will intervene to keep the same Committee from trying to promote other shows on the same lines as the last. Of course it may be possible in the future to give money prizes, but until such can be safely done contributors should be satisfied with cerbificabes. Every true gardener should do all in his power to help on such exhibitions, as every fresh individual who is induced to take an interest in horticultural pursuits wili greatly promote the interests of those who are trying to make their living from the produce of the soil.

A good old dame having complained of being unable to tell her mince pies from her apple ditto, without testing, was advised to mark them. She did so, and complacently announced: "This I've marked T. M. — 'tie mince, and that I've marked T. M. — 'taint mince." ■ Two men were disputing in a " pub." as to whether Abel killed Cain or Cain killed Abel ; they agreed to refer it to the landlord, who, on being asked the question, replied :—"lf: — "If you'll ask me ony question about 'ose racing, coursing, or rowing, I'll answer yer : but I know nowt about these fighting men." Ed (to Ada in her ball costucne) — What a lovely girl you are ! Ada (simply) — You ought to see me when I'm dressed !