TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 190, 10 August 1895, Page 3 (Supplement)

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

SOWING PORTULACA AND COCKSCOMB SEED r (Amateur).—Tho best tinrte to sow seed of the above ia about tha beginning to che middle of October. Sow in light, tick sandy soil, in boxes ■ or seed pans, and keep under glass till the plants are well through the soil, when they should be pricked out into other boxes, and grown in them till the young plants are about rrorn one to two inches in height, when they can he placed out in the open. To plant the above out I have found that from the middle of November to the beginning of December is the best time. If you wore to sow yoar seed now, it would most likely perish with the cold. Even if it did grow, tho produce would be weak, puny, worthless plants. Japanese Ibis (8.8.).-Thls is the best time or the year to divide and transplant the above, as the plants are now dormant. To grow those wsll they should hay« deep, rich, moist soil. Plenty of manure should bo dug deeply into the soil in wkich you intend to plant. After tho ground is prepared, divido your old plants with a sharp spade, separating the oroWna and leaving aa much root aa possible to eaoh crown. You should also replant as soon ao possible, so as not to expose the roots long to the air. Tho separated plants Will flower tbo incoming year, but not so strongly ap old plants well established. Xhere is a good number of varieties of the above already imported into Auckland. Ido not know how many, but I think you could get quite a dozen if you left an order with any Auckland seedsman. Weatheb. i During bbc later portion of lasb week and bbc beginning of bhis week, bho weabber has been all that could be desired for pre" paring soil, planting and sowing of early crops. At bhe end of lasb week every nighb we had sharp frosts wibh bright sunshine during bhe day. The frosb ab nighb greably asaißbed in exbracbing superfluous moisture out.of the soil, and brighb sunshine soon evaporated ib. Culbivabors, under those circumstances, oughb bo have baken every advanbage and gob as far forward aa possible with bhe early cropping. While Writing this there is brighb sunshine with a fine warm, searching, drying wind, which is fast bringing all classes of Boil inbo a good state for culbivabion. Ab bhe preaenb bhere is every indication of a good spring, and every advanbage oughb to be baken of it, for fear bhab the dry summer eebs in early. Hints. Early potatoes, immediately bhey appear above ground, slighbly mould. Such trilling abbention during the ensuing week or bwo assists their early growbh maberially. Potatoes, too large for aebs, which require cutting, ahould be divided a few days before planting, and should be laid in a dry place for the wounds to dry. To do this the more effectively it is a good practice to sprinkle dry ashes, lime, etc., over bhe wounds as soon as cub. Spinach seeds sown during bhe nexb two or three months germinate bo quickly, and the young plants run to flower so rapidly, ib is necessary to make very froquent aowinga to insure supplies with any approach to constancy. A moderate-sized row should be sown, therefore, once a week, or at least once a fortnight, and it ia a good plan bo sow it between rows of peaa. The roundseeded variety is moat desirable during bho summer season.

Asparagus rooba should now be planbed. One, two and three-year-old plants should be obtained. The latter are best, because, being larger, they produce blades for outbing of edible size soonesb. The roots Ought nob bo be exposed to bhe air longer than necessary, and should bo planted in rows a foob apart, and five or six inches deep. Either chop open a trench to line slanting downwards wherein bo place the roots, or excavate a brench wide aa a shovel to the necessary depth, and spread bhe roots out Over bhe level bottom. In any case cover the roots with fine, rich mould to bho depth suggested. Another simple plan is to planb aba similar depth, in rows three feet aparb, across a quarber which haa been prepared previously by liberal manuring, deep digging, or brenching, etc. Peas, in all instances where ib ia desirable to maintain uninterrupted succesaional supplies, must have Buccessional sowings made immediately youDg plants from the previous sowing are well through bhe ground, Succeeding sowings to insure this must, however, be of Btmilar varieties, either early or late. Thus, ib is nob enough bo sow a late variety when an early variety comes up, as the latter matures too quickly to allow of the former immediately succeeding ib. As previously advised, sowings of early and late varieties should be made together when the last earlies are sown, and late auccossionals be aown to carry on the nooeasary supplies as soon as the aforesaid late varieties are up. The richer the ground bhe hotter for late or main crop peas. Tall varieties sown now, therefore, succeed well io ; properly prepared trenches, such aa celery dolighbin, the manure being buried densely and deeply, bub with bhe surface soil nob deeper than six or eight inches in bho trenches. Neatly earbh up early rowd, drawing fine soil towards them. Peas require very frequenb abfeontion, in regard to the various stages of growth tboy Comprise. Stick all as soon an they mako a gOod starb for permanenb growth after moulding. In sticking peas, be they of moderate or superior heighb, do nob place tha base of the sticks too closo bo the rowa. Such sticks should be placed sufficiently ! wide aparb to allow of the plants crowing |up en masse between them, givirig them meantime an opportunity to unfold bheir leaves around such as come in their way. When bhe sticks are placed boo close together the haulms have a tendency bo grow oub of tbe sides, and fall over during high wind or rain storms. Weedsshouid be few and indistinguishable after tho fine weather experienced for their deebructiou. If any have neglected bhe necessary timely boelngß, it ia highly important to give them before a lasting moist period sets in, which will induce them to grow mosb vigorously, co as to give endleos trouble in future.

Hoeings are important cultural adjuncts, quite apart from weed deßtrucbion, and it is highly important to well hoe or move bhe ground amongsb growing crops aa soon after rains occur as possible, for the ground works freely. By this simple attention to currenb demands on time, tho work can be done much easier than when surfaces are dry and hard, aparb from the facb bhab weeds in process fii forming will be destroyed as they germinate. Vines in cool greenhouses, etc., will soon be now starting prominently inbo growth, and it is necessary to assist them for a few weeks by syringing them aboub eight a.m. and aboub tour p.m. daily. As boob as bhe young shoobs have grown sufficiently to show unmistakably which are bhe etrongeat, having besb bloom trusses forming, disbud tbem, removing all young growths bodily, except the strongest. If weakly shoots are removed from spurs exhibiting want of vigour bbo r9sulb may be tbab rode will bocome blind or devoid of laberals ab such parts permanently bo tbeir great disfigurement. Such weak, fruitless laterals aa these, ib iB a consolation to know, assist crops by assuring a greater leaf surface.

Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course ofvirtue. -i-ConfuCiue. \

Do what good thou canst unknown, and be not vain of what ought rather to be felt than Been.—William Penrs.

A true repentance shows the evil itself, more bhan bhe external suffering or bbc Shame. — Shabapere.

The true epis Of our times is nob arms arid the man, but tools and the man—an jnfinitoly wider kind of epic.—Carlyle.