Seasonable Hints.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 404, 21 September 1889, Page 6

Seasonable Hints.

The weather for the last week or so has been splendid for growing, frequent showers with intervals of fine bright sunshine. This \ has made a marked forwaid growth on many plants. Where due attention has been given to digging and manuring, most early spring flowering plants show a strong green succulont growth, giving every indication of a successful flowering season. Early spring flowering bulbs, such as ixias, spirixias, etc., are beginning to show flower spikes. The surface soil should be stirred abouc them occasionally, so as to keep the ground free and open. Lilium bulbs are now beginning to push their shoots through the soil. If they were neglected by not giving sufficient manure to them during the winter they should now be well mulched by well-rotted manure. The lilium produces a large number 1 * of roots on the shoots just at the base above the bulb, and when manure is used as a mulch those roots will derive much nutriment from it, to the benefit of the flowers. Camellias are as yet giving their glorious harvest of flowers ; as soon as this flowering period is past, give whatever slight pruning may be required, and dig around each plant, at the same time giving plenty of manure, as the camellia likes to be generously treated. Azaleas : The best of these is still to come. Stir the surface soil and give liquid manure. Anemones, cyclamens, and ranunculi are now showing their many-coloured flowers to perfection. To prolong the flowering period give liquid manure frequently. These bulbs and tubers promise in the near future to be the most popular favourites for winter and spring flowers. Cinerarias out in the open insomefavouredsituationsarenowfullyout; in more backward situations they are juet beginning to show flowers and flowering stalks. To get them into perfection liberal treatment is advisable. Stir the soil frequently about the plants. Anyone who saw the pot cineraries and cut blooms exhibited at the Newmarket Show will understand what an amount of pleasure may be obtained from a varied collection of the above in the flower borders. Auriculus and polyanthus are also beginning to show flowers. Many a time I have thought that our amateurs have not in the past given sufficient attention to this classof spring flowers, but I hope to see this remedied in the future. They require but little attention if the soil is good. Hardy annuals and other small plants are now suffering from the ravages of an army of slugs and snails, which the* recent fine weather has brought into renewed activity. A constant warfare muse be kept up with them till hot weather sets in, so that ftany of the best of our annual plants may be allowed to live. Thousands of young seedlings are lost every season through those pests ; just as they come through the soil they are eaten up, many growers thinking the loss of the plants is caused by bad seed, as they disappear before they are seen. Dusting lime over the seedlings after dark is one of the easiest means of keeping them in check.