OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2308, 26 May 1898, Page 8

OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK.

Flower'Gabden. —The most perfect neatness should now prevail throughout this department, to compensate iv some measure for the absence of more brilliant attractions.- Remove all'fallen leaves, and slightly fork over or rake the borders. Let the walks be put ia perfect trim; gravel sparingly wherever . necessary. Should rain •water accumulate, the defect -roust be at once Temedied by introducing a new drain or by filling up the low patches with gravel. Nothing impairs bo much the usefulness or beauty of,a garden at this sessoa as damp and dirty walks. If the turf Is wet in any part of the pleasure ground there could be rlo better time at which to cut drains and make tho requisite improvements. The drains should be made at the gieatesfc possible distance from trees, so as to prevent chokipsr, and where the proximity of the trees is unavoidable, fill the drains with broken rubble to within, 12in or 15in of the surface, thereby securing a.passage for the water even if the roots of the trees enter the drains. Mu' filling the'latter with' Boil, let it be well consolidated to prevent any Ricking afterwards. Every exertion should now be mads to promote the woik of the coming year. The making of composts of every,kind should be particularly attended to, as.in^them lia the great gecret of succeß&fulgardening. Wat.erin?, shading, tying—in f.»ct,' care of everY description—are all" comparatively worthless if the soil of the plants is not made to suit their requirements. It is, therefore, most desirable that turf sods, leaf mould, cow manure, horse dropping.", oto , should all be provided. Have them of the bra* description, and if possible 5--e.op under coys*-. PauiT Oarden.—li it is intended to graft apple or pear trees next August the scioi.s should now be selected before the trees -are prui.ed and laid into moist'soil behind a south wall. The selection ought to be on'v from lha best vasictie-i —bearing In mind the importance of having ihem well suited to local peculiarities of soil and climate. Above all, let the scions be obtained from trees which are perfectly free from disease ; American blight aad similar pests are certaia to be transmitted to the young fruit trees. Plant cuttings of gooseberries and currants in nurseiy rows. Before the cutiing3 are inserted pick away all the embryo buds from the part to be placed in the ground, Actively proceed with tho retraining of tbe fruit trees against the walls; let the covering be immediately applied, according as- any part of the operation is completed, as shading is as necessary during the next two months as shelter will be aftei wards. Kitcjien Gardes.—Before the general trenching and manuring of vacant ground ia begun it is advisable to determine the rotation of crops which, it is proposed to pursue in tho ensuing summer in -order that tho?e operations may be carried out accordingly. One of the first principles to be acted on ia that two annual crops should not be 'successively giown.in lap same ground. An''ether commendable variation is that cropa liable to be attacked by tlxe-same kind of insects should not succeed, each, o^her for." a lengthened period, aa they w< nld be thereby.'enormously multiplied," having the class of food which they relish most to maintain them. It is important that the manuring as well as the depth of .the trenching should be regulated by the requirements of the crops. It is further desirable that the~! rotation should be so arranged Ihat the ground need not be trenched to tlie same depth in two consecutive seasons, so that different parts of t,he soil may be brought to the surface at each trenching. The perennial or permanent crops will, of course, form a class by_ themselves, ks they do not lequire a, cbange of situation for seveial years; but when a change is deemed judicious the ground from which the crops are removed will fall into the ordinary rotation in the way of a regular exchange. Let the trenching of vacant groundbe nei formed with all convenient despatch, except during the prevalence of frost. The clods, if turned up in a frczsn state, thaw very slowly ; Ihe loosening of the soil, by creating non-con-ducting cavities, checks tho progress of heat either upwards or downwards. Tender kitchen garden crops in need of protection can be Efficiently secured by having.a number of evergreen branches placed over them. It has been stated that if runner beans are simply cut down ftcd ihe r<?ots left In tbe ground, an earlier and more plentiful supply of pods will be the result. Greenhouse.—Of all other operations, watering requires the most careful attention at this , season. Never water until the soil immediately beneath the surface is dry enough to warrant a full supply. Let not the slightest symptom of Bourness in the surface of the soil escape detection. The existence of worms will render fre,'quent examinations" on this head necessary. If 'the pots were not carefully drained in the first instance, the constant waterings have probably washed down particles of soil, sealing up tho cavities that are so indispensable to secure a free passage for the water. Stagnation is certain to destroy the vitality of tender-rooted plants at this seasou, and if water is altogether withheld, or if the dribbling system is tried, the result in the majority of cases will be similar. Keep tho house as dry as- tlie state of the external atmosphere will warrant.