HINTS FOR THE AMATEUR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 February 1939, Page 3

HINTS FOR THE AMATEUR

FRUIT, FLOWERS AND VEGETABLES

WORK FOR THE WEEK

VEGETABLE GARDEN. Plant out cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and other winter greens. Make sowings of cabbage and cauliflower for late winter and springsupply. Onions should be lifted as they mature. Once the tops have begun to die off, even if it is mildew, and. the bulbs are small, they should be lifted to prevent a second growth. Make plantings of leeks and celery; shallow trenches only are necessary; if the rows are kept far enough apart soil for blanching can be drawn up from the sides. Mildew is appearing among the late peas and spraying will be advisablle; one ounce of liver of sulphur in three gallons of water. Sow turnips, swedes, spinach and short carrots. Sow a pinch of the red cabbage for pickling purposes. Sow down vacant plots withygreen crops for digging in later. Clear away all spent crops and either burn or bury the rubbish. Sowings of dwarf beans can be made to suit the needs of the house. A sowing of dwarf peas can be made. Choose a well-worked piece of ground; a plot that has carried a crop of potatoes and which was recently dug will suit. Keep the pods closely picked off runner beans, and when the vines get nearly to the top of the sticks pinch off the point. FLOWER GARDEN. Sow Icelond poppies, primula, cineraria, calendula, nemesia, pansies, anemone, ranunculus. Prick off annuals as soon as ready. Shade from strong’sunlight will be necessary. Keep dahlias well disbudded if large blooms are'desired. See that the plants are well secured to stakes, or wind and rain will damage the heavy plants. Where black spot has appeared among the roses, collect all the fallen leaves and burn them. Spray the soil around the plants with Bordeaux. Make a sowing of winter|sweet peas without delay either in the open ground or in boxes. Sow anemone and ranunculas in prepared beds. Shade will be required from strong sunlight. Remove all the faded flowers from beds and borders and apply a little fertiliser to stimulate another crop of bloom. Mulch the chrysanthemum bed to retain the moisture. Spray with Bordeaux where there is danger of rust. FRUIT GARDEN. Spray late apples and pears for codlin moth. Collect all fallen fruit and either bury or feed it to fowls or pigs. Peaches and nectarines should be gathered as soon as ready; after which the trees can be given a light summer pruning. Make it a point to carefully collect all fruit showing signs of brown rot and burn them. Dead twigs showing on the trees should also be cut out. .Where the strawberry beds are to be kept for another year, remove all the runners as soon as they appear and keep the beds clean. The new shoots selected ifor loganberry and other bramble fruits should be loosely tied in and the remainder cut out. Autumn-fuiting raspberries should be kept well supplied with moisture. Tomatoes should be sprayed with arsenate of lead to prevent the caterpillar and also the second brood of the stem borer.