HINTS FOR THE AMATEUR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 June 1939, Page 5

HINTS FOR THE AMATEUR

FRUIT, FLOWERS AND VEGETABLES WORK FOR THE WEEK VEGETABLE GARDEN. Hoe cr fork between the crops of winter greens and remove all decaying leaves. Plant out more Cabbage and Cauliflower when the soil is dry enough to work. Plant out Shallots, Potato Onions, and sow Onion seed for later crops. Where the garden lies wet the opportunity should be taken to drain It. Plant crops in raised beds tb counteract wet soil. Transplanted winter lettuce will heed frequent hoeing to keep down the weeds and aerate the soil. Get in an order for early seed potatoes and set them on end in trays to sprout. A few autumn-planted cabbages always die out; make good the blanks from the nursery bed. Burning rubbish gets rid of pests, but we also have to consider the replenishment of humus supplies in the soil. x FLOWER GARDEN. Canterbury bells should be planted in their flowering positions at once of the spikes will be small; , Any lawh repairs should be attended to now the soil is moist; this is a good time to remove large-leaved weeds by hand. Sweet peas are soon damaged by slugs while they are yobhg and tender, niake a practice of huhtihg for them. Take every, opportunity of fine weather to plant out annuals for spring bloom. Stocks, Iceland Poppies, Primulas, Nemfisia, Calendula, Violas, Pansies, L'haria and Silene can be planted now. Weed and lightly fork between the bulbs showing through the soil. ERUIT GARDEN. The pruning of fruit trees cah commence as soon as the foliage has falleri; commence with the stone fruits. After the GOdSebdf’Fies and C’urrarits are pruned, give a good dressing of manure and fork it in. Dd not dig between the Raspberries and Loganberries, as these are very shallow rooted; Use a digging fork only to stir in any manure. When ndw trees arrive for planting, cover the roots with earth until planting time; if the roots are dry, soak with water. Remove the sucker growths from all kinds of grafted fruit trees, especially from vines grafted on blight-proof stocks. The earlier the vihes are pruned the better after the leaf has fallen; > cleanse the rods with a good insecticide and wash down the house. Do not tie up newly-planted fruit trees to stakes tightly; wait uhtil the soil settles.