The Garden. (By Hortis in "Auckland Star.")

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 413, 23 October 1889, Page 6

The Garden. (By Hortis in "Auckland Star.")

Tho Balsam. This is one of tho best of our summer annuals, and to have it in perfection during fhe summer months, seed should be sown in small patches throughout the flower borders during the next few weeks. To obtain plants in succession, small patches should be sown afterwards weekly up till near the middle of December. When sowing, sow thinly, so that, when thinning out the seedlings, they can be transplanted. It is almost impossible to tell what colour the flowers will be till they come into flower, so in thinning it is better to leave only one plant in each place. When three or four are left together, it not infrequently happens that the different shades of colour do not harmonise well, and this should be avoided. Seedlings grown out in the open transplant with perfect ease if moved when only a few' inches in height. If the weather be hot and dry when they are moved, give plenty of water. To grow balsams well, they require a deep, rich soil, and plenty of water during the summer. In Auckland now, in the seedsmen's, splendid strains of double varieties can be obtained. Balsams will, in a small space, give as much flower and as many shades of colour as any of the many different annuals that are grown here.

Cucumbers, Melons. Tomatoes, Etc. All plants of cucumbers, melons, tomatoes and pumpkins that have been raised under glass should now be hardened off and planted out,. Tomatoes should be planted in rows about six feeb apart, with a Uke distance between the rows. This distance, apart between the rows will give plenty of room for the trellus for training, and admit plenty of &un and air between the rows — a great consideiation when the crop is ripening. Cucumbers and melons should also be planted about six feet apart, as this will (i'ivo plenty of room for the vines to travel. Pumpkins and marrows should be planted at least eight feet apart, as these plants while growing 1 occupy a much greater 3pace. Where each of the above is to bo planted a pit should be dug at lea&t thiee feet in diameter, and about two feet deep. As the pit is being hlled up again about a barrow load of wellrotted manure should be mixed up with the soil. This will leave a slight; hill over the pit, and on the top of tho hill the plants ought to be planted. If the feoil be dry while planting give sufficient water to settle it about the roots of the plants. Afterwards, so as to protect the plant? from the sun's rays and cold cutting winds till the roots get well established, cover up the plants with an old Newspaper. To do so get a few long thin twigs, or branches, and make a bow over the plants by placing the ends of the twigs in the ground," then place an old newspaper over the twigs with the edges on the ground ; a few handfuls of soil placed on the edges will keep tho paper in position. This will stand the weather for a week or so, and that, will be all that is wanted, as by that time the roots will be beginning to act. The paper will also be a protection from the slugs till the plants become hard enough to resist their attacks.

Mulching. This is a term that is used for the spreading of various materials on tho surface of the ground so as to protect the roots of plants from the effect of the sun's rays. These materials also prevent or retard fche natural evaporation of the moisture from the soil during: excessively dry weather. The substances generally used for this purpose are stable litter, cow manure, recentlycut lawn grass, long etraw, sawdust, tan bark, or any other other light material that will prevent the power of the sun's rays from easily penetrating the ground. The best time of the year for applying a mulch ing to newly- planted trees, ehrubs, etc., is just at that period of the season when the frequent showery weather of spring is changing to fche dry hot weather of early summer. As long as the rainy weather lasts mulching is of very little use, in fact, it is injurious, as it will, in the early part of the season, keep the underneath soil too cool and damp, and is apt to make it sour and pasty. If applied just at- the change of season is taking place the soil will be moderately warm and moist ; it will then be of great advantage, as it will keep the ground from getting too warm, and at the same time it will greatly retard the moisture already in the ground from getting rapidly evaporated. When a piece of ground or a plant is \ to be mulched, the surface should be forked or broken up to a depth of three or four inches, as the broken soil will assist the action of the mulching materials. When applying the mulching materials they should be spread for at least a foot or two beyond wh^ere the roots of the plants have, or will, spread during the incoming season. The materiolsjshould also be placed three or four inches thick, so that when they settle down there will be a good coating oi them over the soil. In hot clinriates those who may cultivate the soil mußt take lessons from nature, and nature provides natural mulch. The fern, scrub, and forests provide bheir own mulch in tho form of lea\es and decayed stems, which soon accumulate in a mass that very effectually prevents the sun's rays from having too great an effect on the surface soil. The leaves and decayed branches are the protecting mulch or covering provided by nature for fche protection of fche surface roots. Cultivators, to be mere successful, must in some measure try to imitate nature in this respect, and, if possible while mulching, use materials which in time will provide plant food for fche next season, when ifc will be rotted and can then be worked infco fche soil. Nofc only should fruifc fcrees and shrubs be mulched, bufc all' summer garden crops will be greatly benefited by mulching, although in most instances tho mulching of crops cannot take place early in the season, as they as a rule are nofc quite sufficiently advanced. Bufc when crops are thinned out and have become well established, mulching materials should be placed between fche rows. The advantages to be obtained by fche mulch are — first, a greater rapidity of growth : second, lessening of the cost and trouble of watering during fche summer ; third, keeping weeds under and saving the labour in eradicating, them ; fourth, summer crops which have been properly mulched will yield on an- average double those .that are unmulched. Fruifc trees and ehrubß | should now be mulched as soon as materials come to hand. All fruifc trees and shrubs that have been mulched during the summer, should in fche late autumn have fche mulch ! either removed or dug infco the soil, which is better. If left on the surface during fche winter it is apt to become injurious, for ground covered up would soon lose its elasticity and become sour. Where the mulch is dug into the soil it will assist in keeping it free and open during the winter, and before the eumt/ier comes in will bo supplying food to the trees and plants, the roots of which were covered the preceding season. In many gardens che strawberry will now be showing its ' fine clusters of fruit, ;,and in order to be able to get fche fruit when ripe, in a sound

cjlean condition, the plants should ,be mulched at" orico. Not only will the fruit be clean, but the fruiting season will be prolonged by keeping the' roots of the plants in a moist condition for a few weeks longer. Everyone knows how sensitive the strawberry is to dry or moist weather, and every endeavour should be made to keep their roots moist for as long a period as possible so as to prolong the cropping. -