SEASONABLE WORK

Evening Star, Issue 20672, 20 December 1930, Page 28

SEASONABLE WORK

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN Garden Peas.—Wo liavo now come to tlio season when peas must bo sown with care, and consideration used as to locality or situation to make tlio final sowing of peas. For this sowing dwarf early kinds should be used. About Christinas, or, at latest lor this district, the first of January if we are to roly upon their filling or maturing before the early frosts begin. Sow dwarf kinds, and on the first appearance of the young plants dust them lightly with lime or soot. This will make them distasteful to slugs and sparrows. French, beans may still be sown, and also a small sowing of broad beans. Celery may be planted out, bearing in mind that the trenches should bo made rich. Never allow them to suffer for want of water. The trenches for celery may vary in size; that is, single rows,' double rows and where quantities are required or the growth is secure three rows may ho planted in broad trenches. In each case the plants should be put in 6in to Din apart in double or treble rows. Farthing up requires more skill or care. Plant autumn giant canlillowers, first division broccoli, savoys, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage, not forgetting to reserve a small plot for curly kale. This is a fine winter green. Like parsnips, it improves with frost. Ply the hoe freely among growing crops to keep down weeds and stimulate the growth of the plants. Stake peas and runer beans. Broad beans that have set a fair lower crop should have the points of the tops pinched out. They will then set pods to quite near the top. Continue to thin out crops. Do not let them become crowded before doing so, or the growth will be stunted. THE VINERY Grape Thinning.—lt is very important that the work of thinning bo not delayed too long, or the bowers will become crowded and consequently bo much harder to do. Grape thinning consists of clipping out the berries sufficientlv thin to allow them to expand to their full capacity. The grapes will then be of very much more value than if badly or insufficiently thinned. Clip out with the grape scissors all surplus berries, mostly the inside berries, leaving those standing well out, as they have more room to commence at the lower extremity of the bunch and work upwards until the shoulders are reached. Then with a pointed stick in the loft hand hold out the shoulder and thin. A good guide as to the thinning is to leave spaces between each berry so that you can put the point of the finger between. If the shoulders of the bunch are large tie them out with raffia. Bunches properly thinned should retain their good shape when cut and placed on a dish and not fall flat. The quantity or weight of fruit a vine should carry without over-crop-ping is 1-Jlb of fruit.to every running foot of cane. It is a grave mistake to over-crop vines. This has to be paid for sooner or later, and mostly sooner, for rarely does an over-loaded ,or overcropped vino finish off the crop of fruit as it should do. Either shanking sets in or the fruit does nob finish. Even if ib did finish the nexb year’s crop would suffer by a very poor showing of bunches, or thab dreaded trouble, shanking. To become fairly accurate in judging the weight of fruit on a vine weigh a bunch or two or ripe fruit and take the average—so many bunches for a cane to carry. By this you are keeping your vines in a fit state to carry a good oven crop of fruit year after year Attend to the regular stopping and thinning out of young side shoots, laterals, and sub-laterals. Be careful to give sufficient air on hot, sunny days. Avoid a hot, stuffy atmosphere. Should by oversight the vents bo lolt shut on a hot day and the temperature run up very high do not throw the doors and ventilators open suddenly. This gives the vines a severe chill, and may bo the means of bringing on mildew or some other trouble. When the berries com • menco stoning there is a great danger of scalding, the fruit having a burnt appearance. This is likely to happen when the ventilators are loft closed as above described. Keep the inside border moist during the growing period, and when the berries begin to turn colour or ripen give a last good soaking of water and if possible a dressing of superphosphate or fish manure. This should bo given before watering. THE FLOWER GARDEN

Planting or bedding out should bo brought to as speedy a conclusion as possible now. Dahlias may bo planted in rich and well-manured ground. Before planting make the surface even, but not too fine, especially where tlio ground is of a tenacious nature, or there will bo danger of it baking and cracking when warm weather sets in. Hoc and clear beds and borders of weeds. , Stir the surface soil of rose beds and attend to tlio disbudding of roses before tlio buds become too far advanced. Disbud carnations and stake and tie to make them secure against wind. Prick out biennials and perennials in cool situations, giving them iree, open soil to g ‘n strength for next year’s blooming. Keep lawns regularly mown and rolled, also young or reccntly-sown-down' lawns. Do not attempt to lift out seedling docks or other weeds which may ho coming up in the young grass or you will injure tlio young grass in the process. They will all disappear with the regular mowing of the grass, provinding tlio grass has come away strongly. ANSWERS

“ You have a kaka beak which is overgrown and ask if (1) it would stand severe cutting back, ('J) it the present is a suitable time to cut it back or should you cut it back now and more severely later. —I should advise you to cut it hard back at once, so that it will break out and make fair growth before winter sets in. There would bo no advantage in cutting it lightly now and more severely later on. It would bo rather risky. “ Asparagus.”—Yes, that 'is (pule rigid. You should stop cutting asparagus lor the season about Christmas or at latest the end oC the year. Do 1 understand that your asparagus bed was planted last season Y .11 so_ you did wrong to cut any at all this season. Yon should have lot it grow andinako all the growth possible to _ build xip strong crowns for nest season's cutting, i should advise a very short season of culling next year to encourage and strengthen the growth. Asparagus should never be cut the year ol planting no matter how well it has grown. H.G.