THE WEEK'S WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 299, 15 December 1923, Page 20

THE WEEK'S WORK.

I THE FLOWER GARDEN. j^ I Sow seeds of Gerbcra, Sweet Williams, Canterbury Bells, Polyanthus, # $ Hollyhocks, Aquilegia* and other biennials and perennials. f£ i Keep Dahlias and ether tall plants securely staked and tied. p\ I Spray Chrysanthemums for rust and aphis. Use black leaf 40 for 'p =5 aphis, and lime sulphur for rust. • pi i ! . Cut off dead and spent blooms of Roses. The plants will stand a j£ I good cutting back. Mulch and water the beds; apply manure. |L I Spray for caterpillars and mildew. p 1 Tie in long growths of Rambler Roses to prevent them being t j| broken by.wind. E. ?j Keep dead blooma and seed pods cut off flowering plants. A few jv $■ seed pods left on a plant at this time of the year soon checks ■>? |: the flowering period. r? §< Sow Portulacca and plant Celosias and Salvias. fe |j Commence to lift bulbs as soon as the foliage has died down. jjfc 1 THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. | I Tie and spray Tomatoes. The plants will carry as much weight j| 4 of fruit on one item as on two or three. *;- M Gather Dwarf and Runner Beans as fast as they mature. Do not JF |t let them get stringy and impoverish the plant. They are 'fi i> useless in that stage, and check cropping- jip |) Give Runner Beans plenty of water, and sow a few more for jfe i succession. j^ I Lettuce and Radish must be grown on good soil, have plenty of £,_ 3 water, and a little shade. I Pinch out the tips of Pumpkins, Melons and Marrows, to cause W -' fruit bearing laterals to grow. fj I Remove spent crops as soon as possible. Hoe or dig the ground to g % keep down weeds. %• fjj Remove any flower spikes on the Rhubarb. Plenty of water and H= ijj a good mulch of manure will be a great advantage just now. pj- % Attend to the thinning of Carrots, Parsnips, and other seedling \% i crops. jk =| Sow Carrots, Beet, Dwarf and Runner Beans for succession. -d Earth up growing crops such as Beans, Cabbage, Cauliflowers, nj 4 Broccoli, etc. cT I If Potatoes are attacked with blight dig the crop. It is better out if I of the ground. Burn all the dead tops. W 3 Remove the side growths of Tomatoes where they are kept to the f& % single stem. '§. "■'< Cease cutting Asparagus. Keep the beds weeded. Give an ounce tij of nitrate of soda to the square yard. I THE FRUIT GARDEN. | V. Codlin moth, leech and bronze beetle must be kept down by spraying jj I with arsenate of lead. p § Black leaf 40 is the best spray to us* for aphis of any kind. fe I For black spot, mildew and other fungoid disease spray with lime X sulphur or Bordeaux. fe £ Combined sprays can be used for insect and fungoid pests. The §l ij two solution* have to be added to the one bulk of water. ii a Thorough cultivation of the soil is important; it conserves the £ I moisture and admits air to the roots. £ 3 Thin out any heavy crops of fruit. It means better fruit, more If 3 regular crops, better and cleaner trees. Inferior fruit it not |f * worth growing. KF I THE GREENHOUSE. § at ); qj Attend to watering carefully. Plants soon dry and suffer this hot p I] weather. jfr ty Keep the glass shaded. It helps to retain moisture and keep* a Sr |d more even temperature. £- j Fumigate for aphis and other insect pests. If only one or two plants j^ I are attacked make up a small quantity of an insecticide and dip |. [ the plant in the solution. [ 2 I Keep Begonias and Gloxinias heavily shaded and moist. Give weak £ I liquid manure every few days. i A light spraying of clear water every day will suit ferns and foliage '>- I plants. It should be done during late afternoon. p ' Make a sowing of Primula Sinensis, Cyclamen and Cinerarias. The p I seed boxes must be kept shaded. j^