THE GARDEN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIX, Issue 14683, 14 May 1908, Page 8

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. Kitchen Garden. —Leaves are fast falling from the trees, and should ba kept constantly cleared away from growing crops of spinach, onions, lettuce, etc., as they retain moisture and also afford shelter for insect pests. Cauliflower and broccoli that are nearly; matured should be protected from frost by covering the flower with one! or two*leaves. If left exposed to the frost at night and the suneiiine by day, the heads turn green and lose theiP delicate flavour and tenderness. There' should be no further delay ia lifting and storing potatoes, as wet weather l may set in any day now, and this will not only interfere with the work, buti cause many of the tubers to grow audi thus deteriorate in quality. Forcing asparagus.—This vegetable is always appreciated, and to obtaim early supplies a start should now ho made tfll get a supply of materials ready to maka a hot-bed on which to force the plants. It- is wise to get plenty of material soi that a rather largo bed can be made, and thus supply the constant demand for this vegetable. The best materials to form a hot-bed for this purpose arw equal quantities of stable manure and tree leaves. These should be thorough-* ly mixed, and turned several timed before the bed is made up—tho more the bulk is turned and mixed the longer the heat will be maintained. I« building the bed make it quite six feeti longer and wider than the frame, so; that there is a good three feet outside the frame all round. A bed five foeti high at the back and four feet in frontl will give ample heat to force the as<paragus. Good strong crowns sliould be selected, say four to six years old.. These start into growth fairly regularly, but older roots will not makei such regular "growth until the end of the winter. jPack the crowns close together in the frame, and cover them with four to six inches of soil and well water, but leave a little air <yn while steam is rising. Seakale can be forced in the same way, but with somewhat lower temperature. This may be assisted by not making the bed quite sot high, and not putting in the crowns until the heat is on the decline. Rhubarb that was lifted a few weeks back will be quite ready for the forcing frame or house. Autumn-sown crops have started well, and the recent raina have freshened them up. Keep then free from weeds, and run the boa through the surface frequently. Hardy Fruits.—Push forward thai planting of all fruits, especially currants and other small fruits. Apple trees that are badly infested with American blight (woolly aphis) should receive attention at once. Perhaps this is the most difficult pest there is to destroy. Where there arc largo excrescences (or cankers) they should bei cut off with a sharp knife. It is useless to spray these, as the insects are buried so far in that the solution used doca not reach one half of them, and long before spring is over they are very much in evidence. A good plan is to pare these cankers off with a sharp knife and burn them; then paint those parts that are most affected with «N good strong insecticide (Montanlk for preference), spraying the whole treai afterwards. Raspberries should ba transplanted as soon as possible. Give them rich soil, and immediately after* planting cut the canes off quite close to the ground. Frequently the canes are left with the object of getting a few fruit from them the first season after planting. While these may be secured, they will be very few and small, as will be the growth ; which will remit in a small supply of fruit the secoud' season. The best plan is to cut the canes down to the ground when planted, and thus secure a good strong growth the first season and a heavy crop of fruit the second. Greenhouse.—All climbing plants on, the roof should be partially thinned out to admit more light. Fuchsias and passi floras make a lot of growth during tho summer, but may be cub fairlv hard at this season. A few of the early flowering varieties of azaleas should bo put in heat and kept damp overhead, but not too wet at the roots. Examine the buds, and first force those ■ " that ar e most prominent. Ventilation must be given, and the temperature gradually increased. Cyclamen that] need a shift should be moved at once, using good loam four parts, leaf mould two parte, and a little well-decayed manure, with enough sharp santt to keep the mixture open. Winter flowering begonias should be kept ia the wannest part of the house and__fed with manure water twice a week. Keep decaying leaves 'and blossoms picked off, or some of the stems may decay.