Gardening Notes.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2643, 9 July 1887, Page 3

Gardening Notes.

.One of thelnost wholesome' atid-usef. ful of|ardet?miit| is t^'a-Toruatoj,nfid' it is one of the most m'ojihc,' The. so-, ..called varieties, lMv in; .cultivation- are. - many in nutalter, but amongst them all, the old large red-fruited t6m'ato ; is;' .if saved from well-selected, stock, still hard to beat. This is proved by; the fast that in Eugland the' largo open fcfemarket growers,'uhnost' to a..miin, mik hard and fast to; ili because not only is it (when well/ripehed) of good fluvor, but it is nipst-prolific in its production of fruit,, j&sowing,-the followiog is a good ro.iitiue to adopt. In early spring seeds brqarcast in a frame set oh -a'shftllow bed of fer-. mentiug malerfal/covemi by, say, six inches of light, sandy soil. IfHhc weather should "be cold the /frame should he nights wiih:.;riiftts : or bags, placed oveY'the lights, to be ; removed in the morning, when a little (ir should be given."' ; As soon as posible, after thVaeed. has' germinated, be plants should .be'thinned-but, as it is of gieat • importance that theyshould be kepti'as strong, healthy, and stubby '.'as', possible, When the plants are! about two. , inches high, prick llieiii off into tho beds' where lhey' ate to be fruited. Tho. warmest mid most sheltered spots in the- garden should be selected for tho earliest crops." Three feet apart every way is a good distance to plant them, and it goes without saying that the soil' should have been well. enriched' with and deeply dug. Put a good wMohipg of decayed manure over the wis, and in dry weather water liberally. Stakes or trollisses about three or four feet high will be-required': to support tho plants as they advance in growth, and the .shoots thould be tied as much as poesiblo on tho north side. A most important mailer ia tomato i ■culture is attention to the timely stop-! piog.of the lateral growths. If this is J neglected tho chances of success are small iudced, : T|ie main 'stems should t« trained thiuly, and be few in number, und if the amount of loliiige be too great, reduce it by tlio entire reiuovul of wine leaves and. the partial removal of.--a. few- '.Diore, retaining, however, sufficient lt'afago to enable-' the plant to properly perforin its functions,' and net as a smidofe the>.fruits when they are swellifig,;When the lruitif fully grown and-begins: to change color, it may bo fully to .the'sun's rays,-.and produced, and '4ff the sale valu'O;..much increased/ \ iiColor in-aluiost all fruits ;has great in the' market, Pick', the ripe fruit twice a week. -Should; frost occur early,iu the .autumn, it is better-, to pick all £he fruits'and spread theui but in Mfme'position where the/ can get plenty, of light",'and the majority of thovfruit will generally tutii'Vich anil become saleable..'.. -. the present is'a very good time-' to potonfernsof almost all kinds!' the difiere.uti. of' Maiden -hair, are just starting into fresh growth, arid,, if placed in fresh. materia!, will root into it, and' grow away freely at ohce,; particularly if tbey can be kept .'somewhat, warm aud dote for a short' timei'afterwards, Small, well-rooted plants, iu three or four, inch' pots should be placed in pots of five or even six inches, if very vigprous, whilo large, old plants that, have attained to an inconvenient size, phould. be .pulled to pieces, and each twn" sHould lie potted singly into aH'sizedpot, At the same time .puld be romembered that seedling ferns are invariably more vigorous than divided plants, and should at all tinies'receive the preference. It' is-a good plan, to take advantage .of any tipe fronds atihis season, rubbing, the Spores' that; usually.. abound on tho jtidersidointpa finely sifted surface ■of. sandy peat or loam, kept constantly isoist.' TJnder favorable circumstances the young plants will appear 'by Irondreds in, .tho course of a few weeks, and should bo picked off as soon as they i can be.limdlc'd'3'nd subsequently pottjed on as-required. Shift a few -of- the Wrongest and most forward plants of Petunias, Helio-'-irojiiji,. ic., i iio\v / in small pots into tho .•.five or six. inch size for early bloom. . advancing towards Abloom -pieiity• of .water and.litjuid manure, and keep,herbaceous calceo,;'v.lari()U((y.»)oißt and c 001,.. -Tlioshrubby■kinds for. pot' work "should be lifted and : .ipolted;frbm.the cold : frame in;which : d^^were''sß , uck; ' ...> ... •■