IN THE GARDEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1926, Page 10

IN THE GARDEN.

THE WEEK’S WORK. MANY THINGS TO BE DONE. AMONG THE VEGETABLES. Weed and thin the onion crop, taking care not to damage the plant© with the hoe. Hand-weeing should ba resorted to elose to the rows. A light dressing of nitrate of soda, about loz to three or four yards of row, will be beneficial if the crop is *t all backward. Crops of beet, carrots, and parsnips should be thinned and weeded. The sooner thinning is done the better for all crops, but it is especially necessary for root crops, as when left the roots become distorted and spoilt. Keep asparagus cut cleanly. Large and small should be kept cut for another week or so, when cutting should cease and the subsequent growths be allowed to mature to build up the crowns for next season. Keep asparagus beds free from weeds and young seedling plants. Continue the planting of cabbage and cauliflower. These should be planted in good strong ground which was well limed last autumn, and which has since been well enriched with manure. These crops should not be grown in the same ground two seasons in succession, as this is liable to cause clubroot. Brussels sprouts, savoys, and broccoli may be planted as soon as avitable. These plants do best in a fairly firm soil, not too rich. If the soil is too rich, loose, rank growth is likely to result, which will not stand the winter to well. Swedes, turnips, and beet may be sown. Small sowings at intervals give the best results. Pumpkins and vegetable marrows may be sown. Those sown earlier, if in exposed positions, should have some protection from rough weather. Where earlier planted tomatoes have been destroyed they should be replaced. Keep the plants tied to the stakes and suppress all side-lateral growths as soon as they appear. These may be rubbed off quite easily when young. Make suecessional sowings of peas and French and butter beans. It is particularly important that the ground for these should be deeply worked at this season, as in a shallow soil they will have no ehanee during the dry weather. The same applies to runner beans, but as these are perennial and may remain for three or four years in the one position the ground should be thoroughly worked before sowing. Provide supports for runner beans before t’ -y grow too tall—the sooner the stakes are in position the better.

Earth up potatoes as they require it. also peas before staking. Frequent loosening of the surface soil is particularly necessary during periods of heavy rain, when the surface gets beaten down and caked. Destroy all rubbish either by burning or burying. Rubbish heaps provide harbour fqy all sorts of pests and diseases. IN THE FLOWER GARDEN. Pick off all spent blooms among rases. Thin out superfluous growths, especially those which tend to crowd the centre of the bushes. At the first sign of aphis, spray with Black Leaf 40 Or other approved insecticide. Carnations require disbudding to produce good blooms. One bud only should ba left for each stalk. Keep the blooms off the ground by means pf stakes or wire supports. Aphides attack these plants and should be destroyed by spraying. A teaspoonful of superphosphates sprinkled around each plant and pricked in with a fork lightly will help th© plants. This is the time to plant dahlias, which are autumn-flowering’ subjects. Good strong stakes should be driven in when planting, as if done later damage results to the new roots. Allow sufficient space between the plants for full development. Chrysanthemums should be in their flowering* quarters. If not yet completed, get them out without delay. The ground should be made very firm around the plants. Thin out the growth of perennial phloxes, Michaelmas daisies, and other herbaceous plants of similar growth. Four or fiv. of the strongest growths are ample for each clump, al] others being pulled out. Better results in every way will be obtained by this somewhat drastic treatment. Delphiniums are sending up flowering stems. These are very easily ■ broken off unless supported and should therefo-e be staked early. | Gladiolus also require staking to pre- ■ vent the flowering spikee being broken down by wind. Spring-flowering bulbs, such as narcissi, tulips, hyacinths, etc., may be lifted as soon as th© foliage has started to die down. Tulips and hyacinths are better if lifted before the foliage entirely disappears. The bulbs after lifting should be spread out on a bench in a dry airy shed to dry, after which they may be cleaned off and stored away until planting time. No bulbs should l>e lifted until the foliage shows signs of dying-off naturally. As the land is cleared it may be dug over and replanted, or, better still, where space permits, a green crop may be sown for digging in in the autumn. New beds of violets may still be made moist during dry weather until they take root. Old violet borders require weeding, and the runners to be removed. If neglected, the beds be-