THE GARDEN.

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 488, 12 July 1890, Page 6

THE GARDEN.

(By Hortijs.) Kitchen Garden. Whenever the soil is in a fit state to work, all vacant pieces of ground should be dug and manured. While digging leave it in a rough state till it is required for cropping ; the action of the atmosphere and sun will soon bring it into a fine state. As it is required for either sowing or planting out crops, a slight forking will bring it into a good state.' A few cabbage and cauliflower plants can bo planted out and earthed up as they advance in growth. One row of parsnips should be sown now. On light dry sandy or light volcanic soil a few rows of early potatoes should now be planted. On heavy clayey or on web retentive soils the planting should be deferred for a few weeks yet. Potatoes planted during the autumn should be earthed up. One row of peas should also bo sown, in fact a short row of these can now be sown about every fortnight or three weeks so as to keep up a succession. Mustard cress and radishes set successionally in warm situations. As lettuce advances tho plants should be tied up for blanching, and a few more plants should be pricked out for sucsession ; also sow another patch of seed for spring pricking out. Late autumn sown crops should now be well through the ground, and the hoe should be frequently run through between the rows so as to keep weeds under, while this will ako keep the surface soil loose and free. Look well after vegetable seeds coming through the soil, as slugs are now very plentiful; dust, the rows with lime frequently after dark in the evenings. Flower Garden.

Every endeavour should be made to ge all planting of shrubs or other hard-wooded plants finished this month if possible. By the end of this month many plants will be beginning to feel the advance of spring. The sap will soon be active, and it is as well that all planting is finished before this takes place if possible. Many of the winter and spring flowering bulbs and tubers will be making good progress ; in fact, in good situations where they obtain plenty of sun, some of them, such as anemones and cyclamens, will be in flower. The soil about these should never be allowed to get cracked ; it should be frequently stirred about the plants, liquid manure should also be frequently given, especially where they are growing on poor soils. Cinerarias .out in the open will also bogrowing a little; they also should get a little stimulant occasionally. The best means to obtain good plants is to keep them always on the move. Hardy bedding /plants which were struck from cuttings out in the open last autumn can now be planted out whenever the soil is dry enough. Never plant out when tho soil is wet or adhesive. Hardy annuals raised under glass should bo hardened oil and planted out as early as possible. Camellias and rhododendrons : Stir the surface soil and give liquid manure occasionally; it will improve the quality of the flowers. Gladiolus: Plant out a few bulbs now and then so as to obtain early flowers. The bulk of these should not be planted out till about the end of August or beginning of September. All weeds in the beds or borders should be kept under as much as possible during the winter months. Never allow them to grow strong, as this will simply increase the work of the place twofold in the spring, as they will then need to be taken away fi-om the borders. Whenever the surfaco of the border is comparatively dry hoe all over. If this doss not kill the weeds it will give them a severe check, and keep them from growing till they can be effectually got rid of in the spring Grass will not now be growing very strong, still it is better to keep it very short and roll frequently so as to compress all swellings which may have taken place through the moist weather. Walks should, where possible, be raked about once a week. This will have a tendency to kill all seed weeds as they germinate. Tidy, well-kept walks are ono of the great attractions of the garden during the winter months. Greenhouse. Most of the summer stock plants will now be dormant. Give very little water until such time a 3 they begin to start into new growth again. The calceolarias and cinerarias will be growing strongly. Repot into larger pots as soon as the present pots get fairly filled with roots ; keep near the glass, and see that they get plenty of room to freely develop their foliage. When placed closely together they are apt to get drawn. A few liliums and amaryilus should now be potted off and placed under glass, so that they maj r flower early. Give plenty of air on all bright, sunny days, closings up the house early in the afternoon.