Calendar of Garden Operations, June 29.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 381, 3 July 1889, Page 5

Calendar of Garden Operations, June 29.

Kitchen Garden. > , ; For the past few weeks we ' have b een having a taste of wet, wintry weather, and operation's in this department > will have been muchdelayed in consequence;'especially in wet, cold, clayey soils. Whenever there are a few. tine days every endeavour should be' made to bring up all work to date. Vacant pieces of ground should be manured and dug, but avoid breaking it up. Leave it rough, just as it is turned over, and above all do not tread upon it, as this will only have the effect of pressing the particles closer together like putty, thereby doing more injury than l good. The?e remarks apply especially to stiff, wefc, retentive soils. On all light, dry soils operations can be carried on whenever the weather is tine enough. On those continue the planting out of small lots of cabbage and cauliflower. Earth up the crops, that are advancing so that the strong winds do not blow them on their sides ; earthing up is a great support. Lettuce: Tie up more 'of the advanced plants for blanching ; prick out another small bed for succession ; sow another pinch of seed. Attend to the usual fortnightly sowings of mustard, cress and radishes for saladings. Celery : The very late crops can still be earthed ; there is plenty of time for blanching ; don'b cover the foliage too much : leave it about eight inches above the surface. Thin out all late sown autumn crops such aa'spinage, turnips, carrots, onions, etc. ; never let the young plants get drawn by being too thick in the seed row. Parsley sown late in the autumn can be transplanted. Earth up all crops that require the hill system of cultivation. With thode that require the flat system, hoe frequently between the rows 30 a's to keep weeds in check and allow of a freer access of the sun's rays to the roots. The above should only be done while the soil is in a comparatively dry state. Debris of vegetable or large weeds should be collected weekly and conveyed to the rot heap ; dust with salt and lime so as to kill slugs and other insects which may be harbouring therein. All green crops which were sown with the object of digging back into the soil should be dug down when they attain the height of about eighteen inches. When about this height theplants are soft and succulent, and will rot quickly and not interfere with the ordinary working of the soil for other crops. Green crop forms one of the best manures that can be applied to the soil, a3 it returns to it all that other crops require for their nourishment. Great attention must be paid to all seedling crops coming through the soil, asslugs are now very plentiful and ravenous. The best way to keep them in check is to frequently dust shell-lime over them after dark while they are out feeding. To trap them, place pieces of slate or board about the plants or vegetables early in the morning. The slugs will get under these to hide, and every day thousands can with ease be killed.

Flower Garden. It would be almost impossible to do much in this department during the late prevalent wet weather, still every opportunity must be taken to push work on every favourable occasion. All improvements in new formation, design or planting should be pushed on with vigour, as the earlier shrubs, trees, etc., are planted, the better they will succeed next season. Whenever the soil is sufficiently dry stir the surface soil about the early spring flowering bulbs or tubers. Most of these should be making strong growth, and in many instances anemones will be showing flower. Give liquid manure occcasionally ; it will stiengthen the plants and prolong the flowering period. In the mixed flower borders take every opportunity of planting out hardy flowering plants ; if plantednow it will lighten the labour when the busy spring season sots in. Hardy annual seeds can also be sown whenever the soil is in a dry state ; if sown now they will flower much earlier than late spring sown ones. When sowing in stiff retentive soil it is always better to take out a few handfuls of the soil and replace with a light, rich, sandy soil, sowing the seed in this, it will germinate! quicker, and the little rootlets will find congenial soil to work upon until they have attained sufficient strength to wifch greater ease enter bhe more uncongenial soils. A batch of gladiolus bulbs can now be put out with the object of procuring early flowers ; defer planting the best varieties till August ; only second-class varieties should be put out at present.

Clippings. j RICINUS COMMUNIS A REMEDY AGAINST Flies.— -A contributor to the " Bullotin de la Society d'Horfciculture d'Orleans " states that the castor-oil plant is an excellent remedy against Hies in dwelling rooms. Flies that alight on theleavss and suck the | sap fall down dead, their bodies changing to white. Rooms in which flies are very numerous are by this means coon freed of them. The New Afghax Yixrxnv Rose.— This rose, which has already been mentioned in our columns, has been raised at Kew from seeds brought home by Dr. Aitchison, and there will, therefore, be an opportunity. of judging of its value as an ornamental plant. Dr. Aitchison states that it is one of the commonest bushes between HabibkaUa and Alikhel, forming with Amygdalus eburnea the greater part of the scrub on the, stony ridges of the Hariab district. Weight and Size oh the Leaves and Flowers of Victoria Rkuia. — Paul Marcoy, a plant collector, found, as we learn from the " Wiener Illustrirte Garten zeitung," a gigantic specimen of the great water lily in the inky black water of Lake Nnna in Peru. One of the leaves measured 24ft 9in and 3 lines in circumference, and weighed between 13lb and 141b. A flower measured 4ft 2in in circumference ; the outer petals were 9in long ; the weight of the flower was 3Alb : and that of a bud 2|lb. To Protect Peas i-rom Mice. — The late Mr Fish gave the following .directions for using red lead and the result : — Cover peas and beans with an incrustation of red lead in powder., For this purpose the peas are slightly damped, and a little of the, powder, sprinkled over them, and the seeds well stirred together, with a stick until all are covered. Very little lead goes a great way, , a pinch or two woulii do for a sowing of small seeds. It is as well to- have, a pot or saucer, for the purpose, and then less \yill be wanted each time, in succession. ' Seeds^ treated as above may be turned. , up with bill,,nose, and claws, but are not taken, aud, the turning ; up is^ soon let alone.' Neither birds.nor four-footed depredators, seem to partake of Beeds so treated! —From 4 ' The Gardener's Yearbook.' " , l j' ; „

' Ab the theatre.— Blobson (rising' ex- ! ■citedly) : ' Down with that red-umbrella in' tho front!' Mrs' Blobson (drawing back) : ' For mercy's sake* hush up ! '• That' ain't an umbrella ; it's a new spring- hat!" v'u ' ' Pitch yout voice irv a' low. key. ?i says { a' writer on etiquette. We presume etiquette can be temporarily, dispensed with when tryin j^9 w ake the cliildi en in the mornms, y . *4^- .w. \>^ • .. , jo.