THE GARDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 24, 28 January 1910, Page 9

THE GARDEN.

(By HOBTUS.) (Hortos is -willing to answer any (joerles. Correspondents must give their real names and addresses, though not for publication.) NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. Pear Tree (Disappointed). — There may be several reasons for your pear tree failing to fruit. It may have been grafted ou to an unsuitable stock. The soil o* •=imation may not suit the variety. The only thing that I could advise Is that you root mune the tre? this autumn, early In April. This will check the ex- , nberant growth, and give the tree a rest i during the winter months. In root prun-'j ins cut a trench nbout two feet deep nil . round the tree about five feet from the | bole. The trench should be filled in with . good soil only. Next spring, when beginning to flower, mulch, well with litter manure. Kerosene Mixture (X.T.Z.). — The following is the mixture usually -used for killing insect=: — Kerosene, two gallons: common oil soap, one and a-half pounds: water, one gallon. Boil the water and dissolve the soap in the boiling water: lift from the fire and pour into the kerosene. Churn with a stick or board until a cream is formed. Tbis. when cool, should thicken. When wanted for use, take one part of the mixture and mix w-ith sixteen parts of water. Thoroughly spray your trees, drenching every part. HINTS. Beddinir plants will demand a considerable amount of attention for the remainder of the season to maintain, theni in good order. Decaying foliage, old flower trusses, etc., must be removed periodically, rambling petunias, etc., pegged neatly in position, and sundry over-sized leaves upon zonals removed, so as to give a pleasing contour to each individual bed. This work is more economically and .best done in conjunction with machining lawns, clipping grass edgings, walk sweeping, etc. In many instances, flower beds containing such mixtures as variegated pelargoniums and violas, if manured before planting, and supplied with water during the dry weather, will 'have grown too intermixed, and should 'be thinned somewhat by weeding out the longest growths upon the latter. Cineraria seeds sow a first ibateh of in view of growing a lew large early flowering plants. Gladioli should be dug up as soon as the leaves turn yellow, ■wtoie'h occurs sooner or later in accordance with the time when they are planted. Dig up the corim iwith stalks and leaves attached, and lay them in a dry shed until the latter are quite forown, then cu-t them away an inch above the conns, and place the latter in a dry drawer -until the spring. The dwarf er "forms of Gladioli ramosxis subsist well in the ground throughout our winters, therefore need not he disturbed.

Xew strawberry plantations should receive forethought and preparation of the ground to foe planted with the first-root-ed runners. Considering that such plantations are made generally _ for years' fruiting, the beds should be either ■trenched or bastard tresrtiodand libermanured, besides which it is desirable to spread a liberal dressing of halfderomposed manure over the prepared ground and 'fork it in somewhat shallow before planting. Even in instances where plantings are made for one year fruiting only, from exceptionally forward runners, the ground cannot be _ too liberally manured in reason and must bo well worked.

Outdoor Tomatoes.—Whilst supplying them with necessary root <vatering care must be taken not to overdo them by saturating -the ground too frequently and too much. Early morning supplies applied close around the stems -when necessary are to be preferred, because erwning waterings have a Jendency to lower the warmth of the ground. Weak .manurial waterings are desirable oecasionallv, especially if they are planted into good loam, rAt over supplied -with manure. Autumn sown onions, late in bulbing, if at all stiff-npcked and unduly erect, should have their necks twisted sufficiently to make their globular leaves lie over upon the ground. This hastens bulbing and increases the size of the bulbs. Care must be taken not to break the necks. By holding it firmly in the hand, the quick twist and turn over so t>tat they become recumbent is soon learned. Potatoes. —Dig and harvest as soon as the haulms turn yellow and the skins are set. so as to, as far as practicable, secure all before a rainy period occurs. Depend upon it. the quality of the tubers will be better harvested in a dry condition, after the dry weather experienced, than if permitted to lie in the ground until it again becomes moistened. Nor need growers be unduly concerned about the skins being set so very firmly; once the haulm assumes a ripening tint, when the tuhers cease swelling, will ever be the best time to dig and harvest the crop. Turnips.—For Autumn and Winter Crops.—ln February or in early March, prepare for «owing such as the Red American, or any of the yellow varietdes, on a good rich friable soil, well manured and dug, by drawing drills fifteen inches apart, and nearly half an inch deep. Choose moist weather, and sow the seed immediately after the ground is dug. Cover the seed firmly with, the rake. When the plants are ready to handle, I thin them out nine to twelve inches apart. Keep the ground loose in their growing season, and if the crop is not very progressive, or likely to be attacked with blight, give a good watering with diluted liquid guano; or if the planation is too large for watering it, sprinkle a little guano over the ground in showery weather, so that the rains may wash it to the roots. In September and October make two large sowings of all the commendable white sorts, by selecting a low open situation, where the soil is well enriched and deeply dug. In order to keep lip successional crops, make other sowings, as directed. Cabbage, etc.—Soil and Situation.—No vegetable is more deserving of the best soil in the garden than the cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli. Select a piece of good rich soil, moist, yet well drained, and on which a previous crop has been abundantly manured. Eepeat the operar tion of manuring now, and dig two spades deep. Choose a low part of the garden, not subjected to hot winds, for summer crops, and a higher or warmer part for those of winter.