Kitchen Garden.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 149, 23 June 1894, Page 11

Kitchen Garden.

f ifojHjH&the last week or ao we have had a Pitt proportion of cold, web, blustering I weather, which wiH have retarded operaI flonl ionsiderably. The soil has now' gob I «j thoroughly saturated with water thab it lould (Jo ib a gre&b injury to labour, ib till ■8 receive a few ttnfe clays. When the ■either takes up a littlo, manuring and fleeing of all vacant pieces of ground can Jaip PO proceeded with. The differepb am of soil should be aimply turned over Jod lefb unbroken, and, above everything, »to1(5 treading upon it till the soil has had jfaato dry and sweeten The above regjaik* will apply n»ore particularly to stiff, (fedi retentive soil, as these soils, if MMible, should never be touched during jlie winter or while in a web state. On all jjght, dry soil, garden operations can be jarrjed Pn aa usual, after one OF two dry daysCabbage : When the soil ia dry enough a Jew roora plants can be pub out. Earth up ill thpee previously planted which have grown 30 that they now require the extra inppprb of soil about them. Celery: Continue earthing uptnediffer(Dt props as they require ib. Whpn earthJn"i always leave about nine inches of foliage above the ground. Thin out all late-sown autumn crops, inch as spinach, carrots, turnips, onions, tic. Never allow young seedling plants to jraw one another up before thinning. (Whenever the soil ia in a favourable condition between the rows, ib should foe broken «p With the hoe ; this will not only |eep weeds under,' bub will also greatly latist the young plants in the earlier stages (f their growth. ffhe debris of all vegetable crops should be continually gathered and cleared away iff the ground, as ib provides hiding and breeding places for snails and slugs, which will do much bo destroy other crops.' The jubbiah should be placed in a heap and a good dusting of ealb and lime given so as bo kill fcbo peats. i All seedling crops must also be frequently gloated with lime so as to keep slugß in (beck till the young plants get well asbabliahed. FIjOWEB GAEDEN. The wet state of the coil will have almosb pub an end to all operations in this department, ntill whenever a fine day comes endeavours musfc bo made to get all work forflrard. Hardy annuals and perennials : Phmt out «n all favourable occasions, the sooner they are planted the better and stronger they Will Power. Spring flowering bulbs and, tubers are now beginning to show flower buds. On jioor soils a little liquid manure will greatly assist fchena. The soil aboub them should iko be frequently stirred so as to keep it tree and loose, only doing this while the soil )s comparatively dry, Continue bhe lifting and transplanting of all shrubs, plants, trees, etc, which 4b is iesirable to change the quarters of. The looner all are planted the better for them, M they will geb welj-eatablished before the dry weather sets in, Whenever the soil gets'a little dry,, the manuring and digging of all the beds and lorders should be continued and completed is Boon as possible. Recollect thab in manuring ib is scarcely possible to place too muoh in the ground. C&fnellia.H: These are now flowering. Mulch with well-rotted manure. Stir the surface of the soil before applying it. Continue the lifting, subdividing, rearranging, etc., of all herbaceous plants, Jakiqg care to plant the small-growing ones Ib th.c front of the borders, and the tallgrowing ones at) the back, These also will "jequiro plenty of manure bo be placed about their roots. Gladioli: A few of the second quality of Jralba can now be planted. Those will proInde lowers early in the spring. Cioerariaw and cyclamen are now growing freely, On poor soil they will be the better of a little liquid manure occasionilly. The soil should also bs kept free and Jpen about the plants. Continue every week collecting the dead leaves from the trees and shruba. Nothing Will mar the beauty of a place more than ft Jitter of dead leaves all about. Lawns: The grass on old establshed lawns should be kept quite short. On new lawns the young grass should be allowed to *row tp three or fourinohes in heighb, so as to allow of greater root action till bho grass gets well eabablished, when it can be kept ihori bo as to make it stool better. New young grass cub whenever the machine will Batch it does nob get time to get well looted, and through this cause a large number of plants die oub whenever the dry Weather sets in. Continue paring the grass edgings where Jequired, Re-turf such edgings which from ireqnenb paring are leaving the walks too ■road. Continue spreading a little gravel over weak places in the walks. Put tho roller OTer those parts, so aa to cause the new pavel to bind with tbo old at once. GSEENHOUSE. U nob already done, the house should ab flnca receive a thorough cleaning to eradiate all inaeob pests. Hardy annuals and perennials : Continue Jrlcking out as they can be handled, "hose already established in boxes take Jib into the open so as to geb them aardened off. Now is the time for sowing what are termed half-bardy annuals under I'asg. Ib js no uao sowing oub in the open M the slugs will geb them as the plants »oae through bhe soil. Calceolarias and cinerarias which are advanced pob off now into their flowering pot 3 •ad keep near the glass. Give plenty of •iron all good days. Continue watering •nly in the mornings. Celery. The regular or frequent use of celery is Wleged to be an excellent preventafiive of Iheuraatism, as well as a specific for certain Servous complaints. Nob a few people who toake a practice of eating celery as a ealad, *r drinking celery broth, are prepared to •tate thab thpy derive great advaptages from the vegetable, and would nob be withWbitupon any consideration. The opinions »f these celery enthusiasts are confirmed by Joe following extract from the ' Journal of Chemistry' :—' The habitual daily use of wu'a vegetable is much mbre beneficial to a *an than mosb people are aware of. A "rlter who is familiar with its virtues says: ■*"' I have known many men and women, *ho, from various causes had become so touch affected by nervousness that when •hey stretched oub their hands they shook H*e aapen leaves on a windy day, and by a moderate daily use of the blanched foot•talks of celery aa a salad, they became aa

strong and steady in limb as other people. I have known others bo nervous that the leaat annoyance put them in a state of agitation, and they were in consbanb perplexity and fear, who were also effectually cared by a moderate daily use of celery aa a aalad at meal time. I hay- >.noWn others tp be cured of palpitation of the heart. Everybody engaged in labour weakening to tho nerves should use celery daily in the season, and onions in its stead when nob in season." To this we may add that a proi minenb New York druggist draws in winter from his soda fountain a hob 'extract of celery, mixed with Liebig's meat extract, under the name of ox-celery. Ib is a nourishing drink 8b lunch time, far hotter than coffee or tea, and is doing a greab deal in bhe neighbourhood to promote temperance. We give celery almost daily to our canary birdi, and ib cures them of fits ; they are little animals with very delicate nerves, easily frightened, and therefore they need such remedy very much, and the relish with which they take ib is. a proof that) their instinct guides them to eat what jib. good for them.'