Kitchen Garden.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 102, 30 April 1892, Page 3 (Supplement)

Kitchen Garden.

\ The late web weafchor has been splendid \ for carrying on all operations in this de- ! partmonb. It has neither been too web nor too dry, the soil being just in thab state that it could be laboured at any time> J and in a few days afterwards it \vaß ready for either planting or sowing. Scill continue planting and sowing late crops of I vegetables, as the planting and sowing season will be ab an end for a short time in p tho middle of winter. All crops which are I growing, and require tho hill system of I ;cultivation, earth up as they may require 1 it, Those which do best under the flat ;sy3tein, occasionally stir the surface soil J ifceween the rows. Tomatoes will still bo I (giving good returns ; keep down shoots and ',take off'foliage which may bo covering blie ifmit and keeping the sun's rays from Opening it. It is hardly any use to allow ifvuib to set now, as it would have very lifctlo chance of swelling and coming to i maturity beioro tho winter sets in. °AII 1 crops such as pumpkins, marrows, etc., phich are ripe, harvest and tako into some place where they will not bo exposed to the weather, and at the samo time be free from damp. Celery : Still keep earthing up 1 the later-planted crops as they attain

I Buffieienb height. Plant oub another row I bo that ito may come in late in tho spring. I Makeanothersowing of priclclyspinach now. Prick out another batch of lettuce ; sow a patch with seed for later planting. Continue the usual frequent sowing of mustard end cress for salad. Late-planted potatoes Bhould all now bo lifted, dried for a few hours in bhe aun, nnd then housed. All debris of crops should be cleared away oft' the ground, and all vacant pieces manured Bud dug. Those parts not required for pinter crops sow down in green oats. Flower Garden. Ali improvements should now be brought to a close as soon U3 possible, so as to get Everything into good order before the winter sets in. The (lower borders should also now receive the annual manuring and digging, so as to get this work done if possible in dry weather. Recollect while manuring that the more manure you place in the ground the greater will bo the reBults. Ib is almost useless to expecb a good show of flowers unless more lia pub into the ground than is taken Jcut of it). While digging, too, soe that the 'itvork is done a« deep as possible. The deeper the ground is laboured the deeper will the roots of pknts be able to penetrate, thus being with more ease able to withstand our long dry summers. As the digging proceeds all debris of annuals and snoffc soft-wooded plants, which will rob easily, can be dug. down with tho manure. Herbaceous and other plants can bo cut back, so a3 to reduce their dimensions, and allow the work to be done with greater care. Lift all gladiolus bulbs as they ripen. Still continue planting oub spring flowering bulbs and tubers. Cinerarias which have been properly hardened off, plant out co as to get them established and hard before the first frosts. Cyclamens in pots should either now be planted out or re-potted, and again plunged in the border, where they can romain till they begin to flower, when they can be Uken into the house. Dahlias will still give some flowers yet. Chrysanthemums are now nearly over. As they get spent tho tops can be cub back so that they will push out suckers for next season s planting. Tender bedding plants which do not stand our winters should now be lifted and potted off, and plaeedin the house, so as to"keep up a good stock, and that plenty of cuttings may be obtained otf them during the winter and spring. Lawns : Where top-dressing has not as yet been done, the work should be undertaken as Boon as possible and tho grass seed sown. It is almost impossible to expecb to geb up good lawns for next season unless the work is undertaken so early. Preparations ought to be made so thab with eass the broken parts in the walks can be mended. As soon 08 ever the web weather comes the weak BDOts will show, and a good stock of binding gravel should be obtained and placed in A convenient place. When the weak places Show, a few shovelsful can be spread and foiled, causing it to consolidate at once The old proverb will apply here, A stitch jn time saves nine.' Greenhouse. Cinerarias for planting oub in the open Should harden off at once, so thab they may be planted oub early. Tender bedding plants should be lifted, potted oft and ■placed in the house, so thab plenty of •cuttings may be obtainable. Hardy annuals and perennials still sow under glass as space is available. Those which were sown some time ago and have grown to fair size prick oub into boxes, so that ,they in turn may be _taken oub bo geb hardened in the open air. CQrysantbemum Exhibition. - The Chrysanthemum Exhibition, held ■Jasb week in the Choral Hall, was an unqualified success. The blooms staged in most of the classes were fully equal to those exhibited at bhe last Show, and in some instances surpassed any as yeb staged here. ■Many were agreeably surprised ab the •■Bplendid show of flowers, considering the rough, blustering weather which we experienced the week preceding the exhibition, and ib brought out prominently the trouble and care that each grower must ; have taken to have preserved his flowers ;;One of the etrong features of the ■'■Bxhibition was the table decorations Jα the side hall. The tasty manner in which most of them were gofc up commended general admiration This class of ™ork should be encouraged and ,f possible still further developed. The specimens of po chrysanthemums were vastly superior to any" thab have as yet been staged in Auckland. Still for the amount offered in Ses in this clase a great improvement should either take place or they should be r-eX^aturK^^ only astonished by the size of berry Sour and bloom, bub my mind wa-cjmed to the old country when nearly thirty -eat a% Thomoson (of Dalkeith) Mitchell So? iamilton), Palace and Fowler (of Castle Kennedy) were tho great growers in Scotland I was with a somewhat similar qujty of fruib, bub with larger bunches, &x* &&*te*9 wgJl T kii9W{| -genttemw

carried off many prizes 'and obtained throughout the world a name as aubhoribies on grapo-growing. The late Show, I hope, was as great a success financially as it was last season, and that the Hon. Secretary, E. A. Dewes, Esquire (to whom the success is mainly due), wilr be able to face the annual meeting with as good a balanre-sheet. Ib 13 only through sound finances that these splendid exhibitions can be carried to a successful issue. « Camellia Show. The Committee of the above are issuing their schedule for the next exhibition, which is to be held in the Newmarket Hall on the 27th of August next, thus giving nearly four monbhs for intending growers to geb up exhibits. The Show is placed at a date which will make it about a forbnighb earlier than last season. There are also some additions made to the schedule, which should cause a few more to come forward to compete. Anyone who may want a schedule should make application toeibher thoCommibbee (Messrs W. Mclndoe and J. W. Tibba) or bo the Honorary Secretary, box 327, Post Office.