The Garden

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 455, 19 March 1890, Page 5

The Garden

(Br HOItI'IS.) GENERAL REMARKS. This season is one of the driest which we have experienced for many years, and has told severely on nearly all manner of garden produce, nearly all growth having come to an end. Rain is anxiously looked for by nearly all, so that a number of tho usual autumn operations in tho garden ipav be undertaken with success. Although the" dry weather causes many things to suffer badly, still advantage can, or should, be taken of it to. advance many garden operations. For instance, all new work, such as making gardens, or altering the formation of old places, should be pushed forward with vigour. During dry weather is the best time for such work. The sou may be a little harder to break up, but the little extra labour entailed will be amply repaid by the extra benefits to the soil. The soil, as it is broken up, will get thoroughly aerated and charged with a large amount of plant food from the atmosphere. The sun’s rays will also penetrate every particle, and when the first shower of rain come 3 it can with ease be broken and pulverised to suit either crops or grass if it be new lawns. Again, look with ivhat ease (if tho formation is to be altered) the soil can be transported from one position to another. In wet or moist weather it takes at least one-third more labour to move soil. The track is usually much heavier, and the soil, being charged with moisture, weighs much more, thus increasing the co3t of removal. Not only does it pay to do all new work during dry weather, but a great deal can also be done in the kitchen garden in dry weather. It is the best weather of all for either digging or trenching, and manuring the ground. Thus every vacant break of ground should be turned over and heavily manured. Where the manure is new or green, it should be put down under the surface, at such a depth that it will not interfere with the breaking up and pulverising of the soil lor any autumn crop which may be either planted or sown. Where old or well-rotted manure is used it can be kept nearer the surface, us a few weeks of this weather will bring it into such a state that it will easily break up and mix with the surface soil, where the foots of the crops will at once find it. Any permanent plants which show signs of suffering from the dry weather should have a couple of buckets of clean water poured oyer them in the evening. This will revive them and perhaps carry them on till we receive the usual autumn rains about the end of this month. All waste water and slops from the house should be used for a like purpose, only it should be placed on the soil above the roots, and not on the foliage, as some of the ingredients contained in the water mav have a scorching effect on the foliage. The accumulation of rubbish on the rot heap can also be turned over ; if turned over now it will rob quicker, and will be better adapted to digging into the soil for crops during 1 the wirtter* W henever there is a heap of'soil for top-dressing, the tennis court this winter should also be turned over so that it may be properly sweetened before it is wanted for use.