THE GARDEN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 18066, 5 April 1919, Page 5

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. KITCHEN GARDEN. Seeds to Sow.— Cabbage, carrot, cress, lettuce, onion, spinach, turnip. What to Plant.—Cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce. The frosts of last week have cut late beans, oucumbers. marrows and tomatoes rather severely in many districts. The cucumbers will not make any more growth, and the sooner the plants are cleared away the better. Cut all fullgrown marrows, gourds and pumpkins, and store them in a dry, cool shed. Gather tomatoes ns fast as they begin to turn pink. Thev will finish ripening under cover, where they will he safe from frosts, and those on the plants will grow faster. Should very neavy weather threaten, dig the plants up. and hang them from the roof in a cool shed. Most of the fruit will ripen under this tieatment. Autumn-sown onions nre coming on slowly. Thav want rain to moisten the soil, which at present is very dry* As fast as the Bummer crops are cleared away, turn the soil over and plant* cabbage, feavoys, and sow prickly spinach. One cannot provide too many green vegetables for winter nso, and if there is too much spinach dig it in. It is one of the best of fertilisers when dug in as green manure. Remove all brown leaves from Brussels sprouts and kale. These look untidy, . and may have a large number of insects on them. We should wage a constant war on insect pests at all seasons, but more especially during the. autumn, when many axe about to hide themselves away in a safe place for the winter. Salad plants for winter should have due attention. In different gardens the conditions vary so much that different methods must bo adopted to eopo with local conditions. Where severe frost* are experienced, lettuce should be planted in cold frames and covered during severe weather. Tn all gardens the winter batch should be put on land that is well drained. Lettuces grow faster and the leaves nre more render if tile plants receive no check from waterlogged soil or Bevere fosta, A border facing north in front of a building or high fence would be a suitable position for the winter if the water could pass away quickly. If it is on the heavy side, and the soil of a retentive character, raise it a few inches bv wheeling some light soil, ashes from a rubbish fire, leaf mould or any similar material; this will improve the condition of the soil for the roots to run In, and the temperature will be raised. Such a warm border should be made in every garden where the position i» low and the soil cold and damn. It is useful all through the year. After the winter salad plants are ever, it is a splendid seed bed for raising all kinds of spring and summer vegetables. . HARDY FRUITS. Harvesting apples and pears should have constant attention, especially this autumn, when they are so soarce. There is a general tendency to piok many , apples before they are matured. This is. a bad practice and can only result in loss, to a greater or lesser extent, according to the condition of the fruits when gathered. The question often asked is, “What are the dates on which this or that variety should ho picked P” The answer has been given many times. It is impossible to name any date, beoauae the seasons differ so much. The Only sure guide is the condition of the fruits, and this knowledge is only obtained by experience. If apples are gathered too soon the pulp shrinks and the skin becomes tod big for the shrunken pulp, which,.is soft, instead of firm, tough Father than tender, and altogether a very inferior fruit. It ie much loss wasteful to leave the apples on the tree a little time after they havo matured. You may lose a few by the very ripe specimens falling, but there will he hardly any loss from shrivelling. Some growors find that fruits gathered too soon will not keep well in the cool storo. Here are the names of a few varieties that should be left on the trees 03 long as possible!—Black Prince, I'rench Crab, Reinetto du Canada, Rome Beauty, Rhode Island Greening, Ross’s Nonpareil, Stunner Pippin and Lord Wolseley. These are all good keepers, and should not be harvested until they part readily from the tree when raised to a horizontal position. FLOWER GARDEN. There is a big temptation to water newly sown grass seeds, especially 'during a dry spell such as we have had during the past few weeks, but although the soil is very dry it is not wise to water the grass seeds unless you can keep them damp, and even then it is a risky procedure, mono especially if the watering is done through a hose attached'to the high pressure service. The water strikes tho ground at an angle and disturbs many of the seeds every time the hose is used. The seeds are sown on the surface, and when a strong spray of water strikes the ground at an angle the tiny seeds axe driven before the water, it may bo only a little, and what soil there may have been on the grain of seed is washed off. Tho next time the hose is used the Bceds are again disturbed, and after a time, when they have sent out their sprouts to anchor them to the ground, the spray again disturbs them, turning many of the seeds over. The result of this ia that a good many perish. These good people say that their spray is as fine as rain; it may be, but it strikes the) seeds at a very different angle, and with more force. The rain does not disturb the seed, but tends to hold, or anchor it, more firmly to the soil. Therefore it is best to wait for rain. It must come soon, and the grass seeds will germinate more even, grow with greater strength, and form a better •sward. Roses.—Lose no time In making a selection of the varieties you intend to plant and prepare the ground to receive, them. Tho season for transplanting will soon arrive, and those who make an early selection, and plant early, will get the best results. Rose hushes that nre transplanted at the end of April and during May give much better results tho first season after planting than those shifted later in the winter. Those that, are put into their new quarers early in the season got reestablished long before tho spring and break into a strong growth, and give a crop of good flowers at the end of November, and a strong second lot in February.