GARDENING NOTES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 9 March 1928, Page 8

GARDENING NOTES.

(By "Waratali.”)

GREEN MANURES It is essential in maintaining the fertility of s oil to supply it with humus (decayed vegetable matter). Artificial manures are valuable, but cannot- take the place of humus, which is so necessary in light soils to hold water in suspension for the use of the plants in times of drought. (Since stable manure has become difficult to obtain, wlxat is known as green' .manuring has been practised. A crop is sown and dug in to decay some weeks before the ground is required for sowing or planting a vegetable crop. Various plants are used for the purpose. Oats, barley, tares, rape, mustard and lupins are the most popular. Lupins are now considered the most valuable because, in addition to a large volume of foliage they supply a valuable manure iu the form of nitrogen, contained in nodules or round swellings on the roots. The annual lupin is the variety which is sown for green manure; tfiere are two kinds, white and blue, now commonly used; the white variety supplies more foliage but is not quite so hardy as the blue. Mustard is also popular, and for general purposes hard to beat, as it adds considerable nitrogen to the soil and is very obnoxious to various pests, especially wireworm. It makes very quick growth,'which is very soft and succulent, easy to dig in and decay's very' quickly. The crop should no sown as soon, as the summer vegetable crops have been cleared away, so that it has an opportunity to grow before the cold nights set in. The system of green manuring not only enriches the land, but provides a- winter cover which keeps down weeds, and prevents the surface soil from being beaten hard by excessive winter rains. HARDY ANNUALS. Some of the hardy annuals should be sown now for early spring flowering. Candytuft, godetia, clarkia coreopsis, eschscholtzia, larkspur, etc. make a briglitdisplay at small cost. The seeds may be sown in a nursery bed and transplanted, or nfay be sown where they are to flower. Thin the seedlings oat- as soon as they are.large enough to handle, if the young plants are overcrowded iu the early stagey they will not produce such, fine flowers as - plants which, are sturdy and have plenty of room to develop. ROUTINE WORK Sow sweet peas, hardy annuals, biennials and perennials. Sow broad beans, carrot (early variety), cabbage, cauliflower, cress, endive, lettuce, mustard, parsley, radish, silver beet, spinach, turnip. Sow lawn grass; sow at the rate of lib to each 25 square yards for ordin-ary-purpose. If the lawn is likely to receive hard wear use double the quautity of seed. Plant spring flowering bulbs of all kinds. Dig all vacant plots in the vegetable garden and sow lupins, mustard, Pats or barley to dig in as green manure. • Earth up celery as soon as it is fully grown, but not till then. Earthing up is only for bleaching purposes. Remove seed stems from rhubarb. 'Spray Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbages with black leaf 40 or kerosene emulsion to destroy the "fly,” if caterpillars are destroying the leaves add two teaspoonsful of arsenate of lead to each gallon of solution. Spray tomato plants with Bordeaux solution once a fortnight, and if caterpillars are eating the tomatoes, add two teaspoonsful of arsenate of leadto each gallon of solution (wash or wipe the tomatoes before, use). Pumpkins, mlavrows, melons, etc., that arc to be kept for use in winter should be turned over so that the part which has been resting on the ground will ripen, when this is not done the fruits will not keep so long, as decay starts in the soft unripened part. If not possible to turn them over rest them on pieces of stone, or coarse straw or bracken so that air can get to the unripened portions. Keep chrysanthemums free from insect pests and fungoid diseases. Water thoroughly in dry weather and apply weak liquid manure once a week until the buds show colour. Harvest onions as soon as thoroughly ripe; dry well on a path or other hard bottom, and store in a cool dry room or shed.