THE GARDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 59, 8 March 1912, Page 11

THE GARDEN.

(By HORTTJS.) TQ CQPKBSPQNPFSTS. FffiBXCH any of my readers supply, me with the information asked for by F-B-. who writes: "Can you earonsh me with a recipe for keeping French beans fox winter use (Dot pickling them) ? Of course they could 'be kept in brine, but that would make them too tough for cooking, woold it not?"' PEAR <AXD PM73I I have transplanted pear trees at «be beginning of February with sacoess, t&e roots being Kept watered all" rue autumn; the following year they fruited. The >work of transplanting most be done with care. Ths trees most be taken up with large bails of earth attached, the leaves will fall a short time after transplanting, the sap from which will <fesoead at once and make new root fibres. I have never transplanted phmis until the end of April. I would recommend the transplanting of pears and plume at this season only fc-here *hey are sttuated in a position that ■they unfit give place to improve* ments. The end of April is a better 'time. It wonld he better nnt to transplant apple trees till the end of May or beginning of June. SPECIMEN APPLE (CD.).—Red Astracan grease for fruit tree bands dries less quickly by mixing about a fifth or soft soap with the cart-grease. N'ow is the best time to apply greased bands, as the eodlin moth is leaving the fruit. Paris green solution (a quarter of a pound well stirred into sixty gallons of water) eprayed over the trees when they are shedding their flower petals, and three or lour [ times after until the fruit !»• about the I •lie of a walnut. It is too late to use «a« Paris green now, as the fruit is nearly mature. HINTS. Artificial Waiterings may, with the advent of heavy rains, not be further needed. Should the ground, however, no'.. be moistened to the necessary depth, al 1 artificial waterings given in connection i with rains, or qurekly following them, | will be of immense assistance. Grass Seeds, whether for forming nen ! or renovating oid kvwns, succeed best; sown at this time during showery weather. The latter condition is important, a* there i.« little hope of success if thu weather is dry. At the same time, tli« «eeds may be induced to germinate and irow if assisted in the latter case by suffieintly frequent waterings to keep the surface of the ground damp. Winter and Sprang green-house plants should he turned out or doors for five or six weeks after they have made their summer wood. So doing ensures the hardening of the latter, with -the result they will produce more numerous and finer blooms. The pots must be stood upon cinder ash, or a hard base, to prevent worms-entering them and to ensure proper drainage should wet weather. I ensue.

Winter and Spring vegetables should be assisted in the matter of suitable seed sowing and watering an erery practical way. The rains should have induced all to complete liberal sowings of Spinach, lettuce, endive, onions, parsley, carrots and turnips, particularly of the la'tter, which may be sown after crops of potatoes with no other preparation than deeply digging the ground. These may be sown thinly broadcast; the other many geminate better if put into shallow drills.

To Gravel Garden IBaths —Sift tha gravel into two heaps, one of the larger stones, the other of the finer gravel and i sand. Loosen the path with a fork, or, j if neeeesary, a pick. Place on it tho ] larger stones as evenly as possible,! chiefly along the. middle, and if any of them protrude too much, press them in with the foot. Then cover the whole evenly with the fine gravel and sand, take it level, and roll well. The middle should bo slightly, higher thai* She sides, in order to throw off the water. Care of Lawns.—When lawns are kept in good condition, the fresh verdure ot the lava is a source of pleasure and enjoyment almost throughout the whole year. At the same time, a lava may became an eyesore through neglect, and many' ah amateur is harassed at times by the appearance of an inordinate number of weeds or worm-casts. Then i lawns will sometimes get patchy, the j grass refusing to grow in certain places, | while in others it is over-luxuriant. The grasses which should compose the lawn are not the coarse herbage of the field, but those finer growths which form a velvet sward, soft to walk upon, ani pleasing in colour. sut how is this condition to be maintained? Here is a difficulty -which is created fey the fact that the fine grasses will only thrive well in pure air, and plenty of it; they also delight in sunshine and the force of the wind as sweeteners of the surroundings and as aerators down to their very roots. In a confined space between high walls they receive very little of the benefits of any of these life-givers to vegetation, and the consequence is that the fine-leaved species i are the first to die out, and those re- ! maining of a more robust character hang together for a time, when -winter coming on makes the turf like a quagmire—wet, thin, and patchy. The grass cannot endure the close atmosphere and a water-logged soil, and 'if there are trees about, these add to the trouble by poison-laden drips and shading. "So effectual remedy. - for this state of things can be suggested, tout great improvement may be mad* that is likely to produce a coat of green during the spring and early, summer by adopting top dressing. The best time to top-dress is daring- March and April. First of all, some fresh, good eoil must be procured. In lawns -where the ground is very bard, at may be necessary to loosen the bare patches with a fork and to creak the hard cakes with a

i»ke; then take the good soil and spread it all over the surface of the lawn, using it most freely on the tore place 3, and when this operation is finished give the surface a rolling, tot not a heavy one. The next thing is to procure some grass seeds suitable for a lawn. Again the rake is employed to loosen the surface and prepare it for the reception of the seeds, which must be sown carefully, and not allowed to get blown on to the path* or borders. After raking the surface again in various directions, to hide as much as possible of the seeds, the whote must be rolled down firmly. With the advent of April showers, the young growth should quickly made its appearance, or if the weather continues dry, and there is only a smaH patch to be dealt with, give it a good watering. For the first time or two of mowing great care is needed to see that none of the young needle-like growth gets dragged out by the roots. In the case of bare pateneß under trees the difficulty is greater, because the roots make the surroundingi* so poverty-stricken. Such spots should be raked and stimulated with the soil already mentioned, only that it must be twice as thickly applied, well rolled, and loosened again before sowing the grass seeds, which should be of the kind sold at the shops specially for sowing Tinder trees or shaded places. Grass manure should aJso be mixed with fine, good soil if it is obtainable near at hand- Should the patch under the trees be very dry, it should receive a good soaking after the seed is in, but the water must be applied gently, so as not to wash the seeds out The birds take only what they can see, and with skilful raking most of the seeds may be hidden from their sight