Kitchen Garden.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 265, 14 November 1885, Page 4

Kitchen Garden.

Tins out all vogotable crops that aro too thick in tho rows ; givo Huiliciorit spaco to each plant to fully develop. Overcrowding deteriorates the results of a crop. Continue tho tfuccossional rowing of peas and running boons : earth up thoso crops which have attained sufficient sizo. Finish planting out of cucumbors, melon?, tomatoos, pumpkins, etc. ; give them a good soaking of water immediately after planting, so as to properly settle tho soil about thorn. Thin out thoso that wore sown in tho bill; givo an occasional dusting of lime, bo as to keep tho slugs off them till thoy get established The main crop of unions should now bo largo enough for thinriingl out. Leave tho plants about six inches apart in row. Whero a largo'enough breadth has not boen sawn, transplant tho thinnings which will mako as good bulbs an thoso loft on tho rows. Plant another row of cabbago and cauliflowor, inserting thoir roots in a thick pasto mado of cowdung and water. Boforo doing so, earth up thoso crops that aro growing. Colery : Proparo Mid plant out ono trench for oarly use; and also one row of koks, putting plenty of manuro in tho bottom of each trench. Make the usual towing of mustard, cross, and radishes. Prick out a few moro lottuco ; tie up a fow moro of tho advanco crop for blanching ; sow another pinch of scod for lator pricking out. All crops aro now making vigorous growth, and on poor soils thoy should havo gomo assistance with liquid manuro, or guano should bo dusted botwoen the rows whilo it is raining. Frequently stirring l-ho 'urfaoo soil with a boo is of groat assistance. Koop woods under at this period, novor allowing them to seed. Whero sood is allowod to ripen it is only increasing tho labours of tho place a hundredfold.

Flower Garden,

Finish sowing annual aoed now. Thin out tho plants of thoso sown oarly in tho season, only allowing threo or four plants in each patch. All bedding plants should now bo out ill thoir pormanont quarters. See to the lilling up of all blanks caused by tho ravages of tho slugs, etc. Attend to the pinching and pegging down of such varieties a« wore planted out oarly. Those that aro showing signs of woak growth, wator with liquid manuro, so as to give thorn a good start boforetho dry Reason sots in. Gladiolinu showing flower spikes should bo staked and given liquid manuro ; it will strengthen tho colour of tho llowors. [loses should now bo showing plenty of lloworp, and where particularly good flowors are wanted thoy should get liquid manure ; nip oil' most of tho buds on each shoot, fo that the strength of tho plant may bo sent on to only a few (lowers, and whonevor a llowor is past its beet, nip it oil', co that it is not allowed to form sood pods. Proparo pliiccu for planting out tho dahlias ; dig a pretty deep hoio, put about a half barrow-load of manuro in oach hole, cover slightly with soil, and plant out Iho young plants, giving a good watoring after plauting. Kun the hoe over tho borders; and beds, to that all woods may be pulled up as thoy como through tho ground Tho gva,fs on the lawn should bo kept vory short, and rolled whonovor thoro is any rain. Walks should bo r iked once a week, so as to keep them in f»oxl order.

Grocuhouso,

Give ltboral supplies ot wator to nil quick growing plants, and occasionally liquid manure. Givo plenty of air and shade during tho hottost part of tho day.

Horticultural Show. Tho Auckland Gardeners' Horticultural Socioty hold their annual Spring Show ori tho 20th and 21st inst, Friday and Saturday of noxt weok. In tho pot plant dopart mont it is o.xpocted that some of tho spocimetis will excel anything that has ever been stagod at any spring show in this part of tho colony. Tho cut flowors, fruit and vogotablo departments will also bo well reprosonted, especially if tho weather will only continue genial during the ensuing week. Most of tho intending cempotitors in oacL class aro reticent about what they intond to exhibit, but from gonoral indications thoy aro confident that it will take somothing oxtra good to wrest tho first honours from thorn in special lines. The Committee of tho Socioty have done thoir utmost to mako this show the most successful spring show over hold in Auckland, but all thoir labours will go almost for nought if tho public do not cjmo forward lo aßeist thorn by thoir countouauco and by paying a " colonial Robert " at tho door,

Drying Plants.

It is a profitable occupation for soino member of tho family to gain a knowlodgo of botany. Too materials for its study !io at ovovy oiio's door, and tho exponse.nnd work attending the preparation of an herbarium v very slight. Tho study of any branch of natural history cultivates a habit of observation, and it seldom fails to roturn v good deal of valuable information. Lor the influence which such studies always oxort upon tho minds and habits of thonght of young people they are always to be encouraged, if tho inclination toward them naturally oxiete. Botany ia easiest studied bocause its objocts are everywhere and aro easily preserved, A most valuable aid to the botanist is an herbarium, not merely a collection of pretty flowers artistically pasted in a book, but good ample dpocimens of all the plants in one's neighbourhood, whether handsome or homely. The pressing of plants for beauty alone ia seldom an educator. Tho object of an herbarium ia to cultivate observation and to preserve a record of the life histories and distinguishing attributes of plants. The practice of prossing plants forpurolydecorativo purposes in the parlour is not to bo discouraged, of courso. It U well to cultivate a taste for tho beautiful, wherever it is fonnd, but to dry a few pretty flowers, to paste them in a scrap-book, aud then to call them an herbiuium, is a degrading of the scientific uses of collections which are properly designated as herbaria An herbarium is never made for beauty ;it ia made for study. Botany is often brought into dierepute by tho "herbarium" of a school girl, Tho genuine herbarium and the truo, systematic work of the botanist aro too often associated in the public mind with the simple idea of " driod poties." For ornamental or for scientific purposes, however, plants aredriedin thesamemanne:*, and, leaving the distinctions of tho two purposes, wo may raeot on the common ground of discussion of the means of preserving plants. To tho botanist, a properly dried specimen is scarcely inferior to a live specimon for systematic study, In some casos it is even better. For ornament dried plants a characteristic boauty. They may bo arranged in bouquets, or on some suitablo background in imitation of a painting, and thon bo framed. Select plants which aro not wet, and before they wilt place them between drier 3. These driers are large blotting papers about ten by sixteen inches. Some of the more porous kinds of carpet paper, which may bo procured at dry goods or carpet stores, make excellent driers. If the plants are not fleshy, and if set in the sun while pressing, ordinary news papers may be used. The plants should not be laid in looao between the blotter*, for as the driera are changed (he upecimeni' could not be moved without damaging them. It ia therefore necessary to lay them between the folded leaves of thin manilla paper such

Os U u=od at tea storos. The thinnest sort should be selected. It may bo procured of mostgrocersor storekeepers. Theapecimons can then bOßhiftcd from one drier to another with no inconvenience. One or two driers should bo placed above each shoot of speci men?, and on the top of the pilo aboard and heavy weight should be placed. A pile of twenty or thirty driers may bo made with convenience. It is desirable to set the wholo pre« or pilo in the sun, it the weather is clear and warm. Tho dricis will usually need to bo changed every day. When the plaats are eulficiently dry to be taken out they will not feel moiet to tho finger*. If the epeeimon breaks upon boing quickly bent, it is another test of dryness. Dried plants are frequont y subject to attack by a minute brown beetle. In such cases the specimens muse be dipped in a solution of corrosive sublimate in alcohol, and again laid botweon driors for a day or so. 'Ihe length ot time required for tho drying of plants varies much, from foui days to ten days being the average, depending upon tho kind of plant and tho humidity of the atmosphere. Some lleshy plants and most orchids require a groater length of time. The etoms of cacti and othor fleshy plants should be split before drying. It is also deeirablo to boil such plants before putting them in tho press. They then dry splendidly, ahoy contain ho much moisture that they Will often grow in tho press if this precaution is not taken. It is aIBO necessary to boil spocimona of firs and spruces to kcop tho loaves from falling oil' Yory lnrgo plants aro ofton diihcultto dry satisfactorily. Loaves which aro largor than tlio driors may bo folded, or they may bo cut in two lengthwise and one-half dried. This half will illustrate all thocharactors of a symmetrical leaf. Very large Ilowors, liko sunflowers, may bo similarly treated. In most such cases, however, smaller leaves or flowora may bo selected, which will illustrate the plants as well. Of large plantsonly asoction of tho stem can be preserved. Tho label must toll its size. Many plants, as orchids and some willows, always discolour in drying, and pomoentirelyloso their colour.—"American Cultivator."