THE GARDEN OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2280, 11 November 1897, Page 8

THE GARDEN

OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK

Kitchen Garden. — The young plants of cabbages, cauliflowers, Brussels sprout?, savoys, lettuces, and leeks, the seeds of which were sown in August or September, should now he pricked out in beds. This work ia but seldom done, the plants being put out peimanently direct from the seed bed*, and are frequently quite unfit, being weak and lanky, aud a considerable percentage either f»il altogether or do not make much progress. If the plants are pricked out they become stocky and strong, and what is of more importance they transplant well, having good balls-of earth adhering to the roots when lifted. Ranks of peas which have been staked should be mulched with rotted dung to stimulate growth and to regain' ruoisture 'found the roots. It is a good ptaa to nip the points of the haulm of peas in flower, as it hastens the swelling of the pods. Beans at 3 similar stage of growth should also l>e topped. Iteniove the flower stalks from rhubarb, as they weaken the plants. Make another sowing of' turnips, autumn giant cauliflowers, Ileartwell marrow, and Wheeler's imperial cabbages for autumn and vrinter use, also of dwarf curled savoys. Sow Canad an wonder dwarf bexns for main crop, and protect early sowing? from frost. Prick out young celery plants in 2iu of fine soil ■which has been placed over 2in of spent manure on a hatd suiface out cf doors, and water and shade the plants till they are established.

Flower Garden.— Excepting heliotropes and tricolour pelargoniums, it will now be quite safe to pl»nt out bedding stuff, and the work should tie proceeded with actively. To give variety to the bedding arrangements, small shrubs, yuccas, dracsenas, grevillea*, and abutilons of the dwarf class should be freely used, and tke sedums should \>o employed as surfacing plants round the tricolour pelargoniums. Arabis, aubiietias, myosotis, and, other early spring-flowei'isg plants should bave the old flower stems removed, as they give an untidy appeal ance to the borders. In dull,, showei y weather till up vacant spots ■with astern, stocks, everlastings, cinerarias, and Phlox drummondi. Sow patches of mignonette, tweet pfcas, and portulaca. Mowing must be persisted in, as the bottom grasses soon get smothered and die, leaving a patchy lawn for the senson.

Fruit Garden.— Young trees should have some attention paid to them early in the season so as to reeulate the shoots and form a proper foundation for the future tree. Young trees should not be allowed lo ovsr-crop. If they are permitted to carry too much fruit the first few years much injury is done to them, as it prevents a proper extension of their growth by causing the trees to form fruit buds and spurs instead of wood ; however desirable the fruit buds may be in older trees, if permitted to form too freely in young trees the result ■is : unsatisfactory, as it checks the frowth of. the branches. Where young trees aye been grafted the stocks should- be carefully gone over and all shoots rubbed out. so as to allow the scion to receive the full support of the sap. When the grafts are growing freely the ties should be gradually loosened, so as to prevent the bandages from cutting into the Ibark. Strawberry plants should be gone over and all runners cut off close as they appear, especially upon newly-planted beds. If a quantity of runners are allowed to grow the plants cannot make strong srowns for another season. White or red currant

bushes should have all side shoots pinched off within two or three leaves from the bate; they will (hen form fruit spurs for another season, and much more fruitful bushes will be formed than when all growth is allowed to remain until the winter pruning.

Vinkry. — Grape vines will require a good deal of attention now in stopping and disbudding, a3 previously advised. As soon as the fruit is set the branches should be thinned out and over-cropping avoided ; as a rule far too inaiiy branches are piodured, and early thinning is advised. In cases where the fruit does nofcstst fieely tap the vine so as to shake the bunches, which will have the effect of raising the pollen, and thus fertilising more freely.

Greenhouse.— Attend to the routine work of training and regulating the growth of pptcimen plants, and endeavour to obtain a freG giowthiu everything. Fuchsias mint be kept moving, the early plants being allowed to bloom. Begonias are comiDg on rapidly, and if a close, moist atmosphere can be obtained for them they will bloom earl/. Calceolarias need daily attention now to keep them clear of fly, which eooii cripples the buds if allowed to get ahead.