FARM and GARDEN, FRUIT, FLOWER, AND GREENHOUSE GUIDE FOR MAY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXII, Issue 5801, 2 May 1876, Page 3

FARM and GARDEN, FRUIT, FLOWER, AND GREENHOUSE GUIDE FOR MAY.

Firm. — How grass seed in warm soils, if the weather did not permit last month. Prepare ground for wheat sowing. Bush land requires very little doing to it after the timber is cleared, just sow the 9eed and chip it in m ith a hoc ; sonic of the finest wheat we ever saw in this provinee was sown m April, two bushels of seed to the aero, as it \«11 have time to tiller out. Sow glass after wheat and draw a hand bush-huiiow over it Sow oats for spring feed ; plant out cow cabbages. Attend to crops sown last month See that no watei lodges under crop ; look well to funows and ditches ; keep mouths of drains clear; make drains wheie required, bridge and lepair roads. I'ut all sheds under repair, and litter them well down with material that cm be converted into manure ; you will find it valuable ne\t spring for potatoes rind cabbage. "^ oung stock and mill h cmvj nuibt be kept up in condition, ('attic i (.quire housing in winter ; cold winds and rain take flosh o'l them, when evposed without a shed. (Jive green food — as Swedish turnips, mangolds, canots, susjargrass, and mai/e, u ith a little hay on \\ ct nights. Kin nr\ (tAi:di:\\ — Late crops of peas will be o\cr, manure and dig the giound ; if lequiied for nothing else how it with oats to keep the weeds under. Sow last oiop of turnips, also cai rots if not done last month : onions, for spring ; stir the soil amongst spinach, lettuce, cabbage, and cauliflower, and eaith np when required. Clear oil all decayed crops before tho wet bcason ; dig up kumeras and late ciops of potatoes; gather in pic-melons, pumpkins, vegetable man ows, tomatoes, and melons, preserve in a dry airy place, free fiom damp; celeiy continue to phi th up ; Indian corn gather in as it npeus, and millet. Hoe and thin the eiops of carrots, onions, tin nips, paisley, lettuce, and spinach that were sown bcgiuuing of last month; cut down the steins of aspaiagus. and fork up tho suifaoe, tin owing .some of the sod on each side of tho bed, then .idd manure to the depth of one inch and return tho soil on the tj]>, and the winter rains will wash the nntriment of the dung to the loots of the plants ; rhubarb beds may be ti cited in like manner, if the buds have boon down three yeai s trench it out of the ground foi three months and replant in spring. 1 Jeans all but over. Fruit Uahdew — Continue to gather in tho later sorts of pears and apples, as they arrive at maturity. Prepare ground for new plantations by trenching two feet deep, and dnin it ncccs^aiy, so as to have the giontid well pulverised, and lay in a quantity of boncdimt to iniv with tho Boil at planting tune Fork round established fruit trees, and add manure where the soil is poor. Strawberry plantations may now be forked between the rows and all runners destroyed, the manuring better deferred till spring, if done now much will be wasted by the winter rains ; raspbemes may be forked also. Fruit in season : — applos, pears, figs, quinces (for preserves), walnuts, lemona, and oranges, guavas, passion fruit, grapes, &c. I<Yo\vr.n (i midhn. — Any alterations intended in the flower garden should be done as early as possible. Dahlia roots will now bo matured, and may be carefully lifted, taking care to secure labels to the roots with thin wire ; lay them out to dry previous

to storing them away for the w iuter. 1'la.ut t.ilqis and anemone*, hj'aeinth, ,\ frw m pots ; plunge the pott two inches under the soil till the leaves begin to show abo\ e the* ground, then remo\e the pots either to a gu'cnhouse or w inflow there to liowei. It is too cai ly to plant toi llowering in the open air, as the r.nn destioys the Holers in early spring. A few ranunculus roots may now be planted ; jonquils, narcissus, and Spanish ins — plant a few of each, also spar.uus and i\ias Alterations in tins department must be vigorously followed up in favourable weatlui ; any tender plants to stand the wintei should be nduLcd, and some light mould put round the stem, even ashes or s.iwdust will answer the purpose ; such as salvias, fuchsias, tea loses, bouvardais, .vnd alsti emei las. Gm en housf.— Collect the general stock of plants, and eleau before putting them into winter quarters ; many of the sorts, such as fuchsias that have ripened their wood, may be cut in and placed under the ahagc, or in a rathei dry place. Gloxinias and achimines, amynllas, japan lilies, may also be stow ed away m home corner of the house kept rather diy ; geraniums ought to occupy an airy plate in fiont. The old plants that were cut down as recommended in a previous month, will require moie pot room, and pinch any shoots back that ai e taking the load of the otheis, so as to form a plant with a nice busliy head, symmetrically formed on all sides : cuttings require similar ti eatment to form them into good plants. Keep the cacti tribe lither dry ; set them on a back shelf, except the epiphyllums that will soon be coming into Hower ; they will require more air and water. Heath, camellias, azaleas, begonias, and young plants of fuchsias will require plenty of air and water ; also all plants coming on for flowering ; ai range them accordingly. Look out for worms iu the pots ; a watering of weak lime-water will destroy them. Chrysanthemums done (lowering cut back and plunge outside ; remove all plants past flowering, to make room for the permanent stock. — Oiim'JivnS Aiai \\\< .