The Garden.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 467, 30 April 1890, Page 5

The Garden.

(By HORTIS.) Kitchen Garden. Everyone possessed of a garden would feel a certain amount of relief when the ! long-continued spoil of wet weather broke up during the latter portion of last week, 1 all work having come to a standstill. Now 1 that more genial weather has set in, work suited to the season should be undertaken with vigour before the next spell of wet weather begins. Sow another small patch of cabbages and cauliflowers; dibble out another few rows of each. Earth up the plants that are advancing in growth ; nob much fear of the cabbage fly doing much . injury now. Tomatoes : Strip off a large quantity of the foliage, so that the sun’s rays may have a freer access to the fruit to ripen it. It is of very little use allowing the plants to make fresh shoots, as these now ab this season will havo very little chance of producing flowers and maturing the fruit, so keep all new growth under, unless where a few cuttings are required, then a few shoots can be allowed to grow. Make another sowing of carrots and turnips, and thin out those that i may be advancing in growth. Prickly spinach: Make other sowings for winter use, and those which are advancing thin out as required, using the thinnings. Mustard cress and radishes : Still sow frequently, so as to always be able to obtain young, fresh plants for salid. Lettuce : Prick out another batch, tie up advancing plants for blanching. Pumpkins, pie-melons, etc., when ripe, should be stored in a dry place for winter use. Thin out all vegetable seedlings which have got fairly established ; never allow them to get tall and

lanky before thinning. Celery : Earth up the later-planted crops as they may require it. All haulms of spent vegetable crops should be cleared off the ground as soon as the crop is spent; such should be placed on a rot heap in layers, to rot; each layer should be well sprinkled with salt and lime so as to kill all insect life. If more caro were taken to kill the larvae left on the debris of vegetables by the insects, there would not be so much trouble in keeping insects under. Continue the digging and trenching of all vacant pieces of ground. See thab plenty of manure is put in as the work proceeds. Every piece of ground not wanted for winter crop should be sown down in green stuff; oats is the best. This green stuff, if nob required for green feed, is one of the best manures which can be dug down into the ground. The Flower Garden. At this period of the season all mixed flower borders should receive a thorough overhaul, especially if the soil composing them be of a stiff, retentive nature. Soils of this class should always be laboured while in a comparatively dry state, and it is almost impossible to obtain them in such a state during the winter, thus before the soaking rains of winter set in they should be dug and manured. The firet thing to do is to go all over the border and pick out all hardy seedling annuals, etc., which may be required. These should be pricked out in a bed of good soil so that they may be ab hand if required. The next operation should be to thoroughly clean off all debris of spent plants, at the same time reducing or cutting back all geraniums, pelargoniums, etc. Those, especially where they have been a number of years in the same position, should be removed, and young plants should be planted to take their place. Herbaceous, etc., plants should also be considerably reduced. All dead or deca3'ing branches should be cut out. As the clearing proceeds all dormant bulbs or tubers which are to remain all winter in the ground should be marked so that their whereabouts can ab all times be ascertained. All bulbs, sucb as gladiolus, which have ripened, should be lifted, dried, and stored past for the winter. After the clearing work is completed, well rotted manure should be wheeled and left in convenient spots over the borders. Recollect that most of the success displayed in our gardensaround Auckland is due solely 1 to the quantity of manure placed in the

soil. After the manure an opening should be made, and a quantity of manure placed in the opening; the next spitof soil is placed on top of the manure, leaving another opening for the manure, continuing this till the whole border is dug. While digging the borders, a little well-rotted manure should be placed around each clump of spring flowering bulbs or tubers which may be coming through the soil. Lilium bulbs, etc., which at present are just ripening off, their flowering stalks should also be liberally treated to manure. It should be placed on top of the bulbs. Ib will Boon rob, and the flower stalks will come through it with vigour next spring. Dahlias and chrysanthemums will, during the balance of the season, give good flowers it still occasionally fed with liquid manure. Camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons, bouvardias, etc.: On these we principally depend for our winter andearlyspringflowers,andto improve these flowers each plant should be liberally mulched with manure. Cyclems out in the open border should also be liberally treated. Do not interfere with their roots; simply take away the soil from about the cone and mulch with cow manure if ib can be obtained. All winter spring bulbs and tubers, such as ixias, ranunculas, anemones, etc., if nob already planted, should be pub out at once. Lawns should receive a top dressing of good soil as soon as possible now. Lawns much in use are frequently cut up and the grass gets partly killed out, soon geb into bad order, and to keep them in good order an annual topdressing of good soil is required. Walks : For all weak spots have same re-gravelled before the winter sets in.