HINTS FOR THE AMATEUR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 April 1940, Page 8

HINTS FOR THE AMATEUR

Fruit, Flowers and Vegetables WORK FOR THE WEEK VEGETABLE GARDEN. Earth-up the celery and leeks as required, choosing a time when the soil is dry. Do not leave the debris of exhausted crops on the ground; they are just a harbour for pests. If the debris is not suitable for the compost heap, burn it and use the ashes. Sow winter or prickly spinach, cabbage and cauliflower, short carrots and onions. Plant out cabbage and cauliflower from the earlier sowings in wellmanured ground. Plant out silver beet for winter supply; this is a usefuL'vegetable. Thin out spinach. The plants should stand at least nine inches apart. Sow onion seed for plants for spring planting. Earth up celery and leeks. Choose dry weather for this work. Keep down weeds among growing crops. Thin out recently sown crops of carrots, parsnips, etc. Keep runner beans closely gathered. Upon this depends how long the vines will bear. Gather tomatoes as soon as they begin to change colour and ripen in a warm room. Go over seed potatoes in store; place in boxes in light to prevent the shoots blanching. FLOWER GARDEN. Sow down new lawns when the soil is moist and germination will bo rapid. Plant out the carnations from l layers if they are well rooted. Winter sweet peas making good growth should be well tied up to the stakes; remove the side shoots as they appear. Plant out iceland poppies for winter flower, choosing showery weather. Continue the planting of bulbs, anemones and ranunculus. Lift the gladioli and dry well before storing;; any badly-diseased corms are better burned at once. Rose cuttings put in this monthrwill give good results. Cuttings of lavender inserted now will root and make quite nice plants for putting out in spring. This plant likes a dry, rather poor soil, but full sun. Keep dahlias going by attending to removal of dead blooms, etc. If plants are getting topi heavy thin out some of the growth. Watch the chrysanthemum buds for grubs. Keep the plants securely tied. Continue disbuddin/g. Give liquid manure once a week. FRUIIT GARDEN. The autumn is a good season to attend to the liming of the fruit trees, especially the stone fruits. Owing to the lime content, basic slag is a good manure for autumn application to fruit trees. The white oil spray for scale insects should have been applied by this date, as the young scales are now on the move. Insert any cuttings of the bush fruits where it is desired to increase the stock. A few extra bushes are always handy to replace worn-out or exhausted plants. Any trees that are too vigorous and fail to fruit should be marked down for root pruning in April.