THE GARDEN

Clutha Leader, Volume XLII, Issue 87, 9 May 1916, Page 7

THE GARDEN

WHAT TO DO NOW. (Notes by "Amateur.") Double daisies, primroses, polyanthus forget-me-nut.s, urabis, and aubrietiais for flowering in spring should planted. I'lani bulbs —hyacinths, tulips, crocuses scillas, winter aconites, ranunculuses, and anemones. On cold, heavy soils planting of the two latter is best jplVried until spring. \li vacant land or flower be<ls, if not . o *| le pi;i 11 ted with bulbs or spring (lower-, should bo dug and the surface ] t .n roiiLili. so ihat frost may easily Inetiah- and kill grille, also pnlver|so and .-.veeien it ready for next daldias. and .store, away the tubers- t'n; oil' the .stems to about- six j nf ] ltN i'niin the soil, then place the root* in a irost-vroof shed. '['lie layering (if rambler roses should | K . done now where new stock is reU ir,-<l. Simply bend a long. pliable growth down to the border, peg it in position. ;■ iid then heap some soil over [he place win-re it touches the soil. Tread the- .-oil firm around the shoot layered* l Where the soil intended for rose growing i- naturally poor, dig it out to the depth <>:' at lea.-.t :v.-» feet. and fill tip with a (o'npi:-,; _id I W.I pari* good loam and o;r--- pail le -,-iyed manure and grit. I'ieprrat on* for the planting season slmuid be put. in hand at once. * All kind of hardy fruit trees may be planted during the month. I'rovid'ing no .stagnant moisture remains in a damp s.ot of a garden, no harm come to black currants or raspberries if planted in such a place. Potiiioes which were lifted a month or more ago and placed in temporary (.torn should be examined carefully and stored for tln* wiiiler. Seed tubers for nest .-eaMin may- be selected and laid singly on -helves in a fio.st-proof shed, fn r they must be kept as cool as possible without subjecting them to danger from frost. It is necetisarv at this season to examine early broccoli two or three times a week in order to cover the curds, lrliieh are easily injured by frost. This may be done now by bending some of the leaves over the llower.

TRANSPLANTING SHRUBS. The work of transplanting evergreen trees and shrubs is best carr.ed out this month and may be done with little, risk. Deciduous kinds may be planted in favorable weather all through the winter. The work, however, should be done ivitli all speed, as there is a great advantage, in early autumn planting, for the roots will become partially republished before the winter. The advantage of autumn over winter or spring planting is that, should a dry fU'inmcr follow, there will be less labor in watering. In transplanting trees with a large ma.ss of soil attached to the roots, it is advisable, to thoroughly soak tin- subsoil. after the stations are prepared, some little time previous to planting. If decayed grass clippings from the mowing machine are available a layer placed 111 the bottom of the kilo will be lielnful. Grass clippings an invaluable for shrubs, trees and (limbing roses. STORING ONIONS. Onion* may be stored in a single layer en the floor of an airy shed. 011 shelves, or in portable trays, such as are used tor fruit. Darkness is not an essential. One of the best ways of storing onions is to rope them. The onions •must, be carefully harvested, the toi>s bring perfectly dry. A piece of three-ply rope about 'Sft long should be procured. mid a knot tied at one end and fixed to n nail somewhere about *aist high. Split the. rope into three strands. An onion is laid along each string, the bulb towards the knot, and the three plaited together, the tops if the onions going with their respective strings. This process should be repeated until a rope of onions about 2ft long 's made. The three, strands are then tied together at the end. and the whole r «Pe and the onion top's tied with a string ;,s Hose as possible to the last I'll!]). Tints a loop will be made by w Wi to hang them. The presence of the rope prevents the string of onions t'om breaking, and the bulbs can easily detached as required for use without the whole tlnig coming to piece's. planting fruit trees. There is a g< )(K l donl of preparatory work which should !>e pushed forward Wore the trees can be expected 1 from the nursery. It is a mistake to plant "" land tiiaf has received no deeper Motivation than ordinary digging. The subsoil ought to be broken up to proNote drainage, and provide a free root "in. Avoid however, the error of bring'"Z the almost sterile subsoil to the Wace. and burying the fertile top

Bastard trenching is the best method preparation where the trees are to •'fill (in orchard or plantation. To do wis, stretch a line 3tt from one end of plot, and remove the top soil one JjHtdoop with the spade. wheeling it to '"e other end of the nlot. This forms jtfwich .nid exposes tho subsoil, fealt up ili,, latter by digging with a v ron S feik. tint leave it it. k. • f, st move !he lino hack three feet, and fliiovp tlie ion soil from the second J'P. throwing j-(. i n ro the first trench. ' j Wo, '' < proceeds until the other <1 «t the plot is reached, where the J.i- trr, K'li is tilled with the top soil '•fit was removed from the first. No ' ?. nur P should He incorporated with the 1 - as. il this comes in contact with tho n™ ! ''["'ouraces rank growth at the ■pciiM'ol the fruit. Onlv if the land L*" is manure needed before the s hi'jm fo hear, and then it is het,t as -i mnh'li on the surface •"iin, th'i ireef, after th<\v are planted. '"•iro^w 5 " mn f hould. however, be Li n hr, .'°rn ft art inn to trench the d-i',", sln S about SO7, of ground- or T Pd hme per square yard, on'nf-ii s P rorop ds the roots of pertotio' I w<l| ? < l s - such as couch and belllW', ' ,O . collected for burning, as L 0 little opportunity to comweeds. a W'tl'' t ' 1 '' to dotted ti 0n , e garden singly in isolated >no.si<L,',' >^ Ul,Y l trenching can hardly be tartTt,. P re P ar ation of the site for sWm°V nust 1,0 unt 'l the actual V mc - w ' lc ! n the top soil can be and 11 , m , a °'rcle 4to 6ft across, TV ' broken with a fork.