THE GARDEN.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 466, 26 April 1890, Page 3

THE GARDEN.

(By Hortus.) Hardy Annuals. Tho late heavy rains will have had the effect of starting into growth a large number of annual seeds which were shed from the old plants during the last season. Now, a. few of all the hardy ones should be lifted, and pricked out into a bed where they should be allowed to grow till the flower borders receive the annual autumn digging and manuring. Then they can be re-transplanted into the borders where they are to flower. By following the above practice those plants will grow considerably during the winter, and the plants will flower early in the spring. In nearly every garden there are thousands of- seedlings which could be made use of every season which, as a rule, are simply dug down every autumn. ' . The continuous wet weather will have, almost put an end to all outdoor operations till the soil becomes dry again. The growth of grass on the lawns is now very strong and will greatly increase the usual autumn work to keep it under. Where topdressing of lawns is required the work if possible should be undertaken whenever the surface is sufficiently hard to wheel over. Before the top-dressing soil is applied the grass' should be cut as short as possible, then the materials should be spread over the surface and well worked into the old grass. New grass seed should also be sown so as to give a thicker sole. After sowing and raking in the grass seed, a heavy roller should be passed over it bo as to compress everything level. I would remind my readers that lawns topdressed early will get well established before the winter sets in, and will give a far better sole of grass for next season. Old lawns that are nob to be dressed, should be heavily rolled so as to compress the soil, which in the case of retentive soils must have swollen considerably during the web weather. Kitchen Garden. In the kitchen garden little will hav been done for at least a fortnight back. Cabbagesandcauliflowers planted before the vain will have got well established. Tho earlier planted crops of the above should now be growing strongly, and whenever the soil is in a fit state to work, they should bo hoed up at once. If allowed to grow too lanky before being hoed, they are liable to get blown over with the first high wind. Celery, also, should be attended to. Earthing up should be undertaken when the soil is in a suitable state. Tomato plants are now putting on plenty of fresh growth, and pinching back of shoots will need to be regularly attended to in order to expose the fruit to the rays of the sun, sothatitmay geba better chance of swelling and ripening. All fruit, as it begins to show signs of colouring, should be picked off, as it will ripen just as well in the house as on the plant. Strawberry Plants. During the late moist weather the strawberry runners should have made good roots, especially those which were cut off .the parent plants and dibbled out in a prepared bed as recommended daring the dry weather. When the soil is in a fib state to work these should be planted out in their permanent positions at once. Of course I would only recommend this where it is only a few hundred or less which. are annually planted, as the growers can, if dry weather sets in, give a little extra labour in watering till they become permanently established. Anyone who has given this early planting a fair trial will always adopt it, as plants get well established before winter and are strong enough to begin fruiting early in the spring, and should give quite a third mere fruit than those which were late planted. All old strawberry plants which have fruited for two years in succession should be dug or trenched into the ground. The soil should also be well manured while being wrought, as strawberries are a very exhaustive crop. The piece of ground on which strawberries have been grown for two years should at least be cropped with other crops for two y6ars before strawberries are planted thereon again.