WINTER OPERATIONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 30 June 1939, Page 10

WINTER OPERATIONS

THE VEGETABLE PLOTS When the soil is unsuitable for digging it is best to leave it alone and turn attention to details too often neglected. For instance, there is usually more tidying-up to be done and paths to be weeded. Pruning of friut trees will, of course, be receiving due attention. As a rule the tool house and potting shed attached to the small garden is usually in a state of general untidiness. The handles and wooden parts of any tools should recieve a coating of raw linseed oil or a coating of paint. All steel parts should be cleaned and given a coating of grease. Spades and hoes do much better work when \ they are clean and sharp. Clean and resharpen old labels and stakes and repair seed boxes. Get the surplus water off the ground as quickly as possible. Pools of water showing a long time after rain are a sign that drainage is necessary. In dry and warmly situated localities seed-sowing may be proceeded with. The raised bed gives the best results.„

Lettuce may be sown for early transplanting. The seeds should be protected from the rain by a sheet of glass. Frames are not necessary. A pane of glass will often save the seedlings and make early planting possible. Cabbage and cauliflower should be sown. They need not be covered with glass if the bed is raised. A little sfcnd on the surface of the bed is an excellent idea. Potatoes should be sprouted in readiness for planting. They should be well sprouted before they are planted. Onions for the main crop may be sown in light land. It is rather early to sow on heavy land yet, unless they are sown in a bed for later transplanting.

Cabbage and cauliflower may be planted, but the soil must be deeply worked and a liberal allowance of fertiliser added before they are put in. The plants may look as if they are not growing much for a while, but they will be growbng at the root all the time and will come into use early. Sage and thyme should be planted. Old blocks should be renewed either by cutting or layering. Rhubarb should be planted out and, old blocks divided. This is the best time to manure the plants that are to crop this coming spring. Ground in which autumn sown onions are to be planted should be thoroughly worked and placed in the

iilllllilimilllltllillllllllltlillllllliilifllliiiF: | best possible condition, well decom- | posed manure, if procurable, being worked into the soil. A change of soil for this crop should, if procurable, jbe selected as the spores of fungus retain their vitality over a considerable period. Early carrots may be sown now'. J Radishes may be sown in sandy soil j It is to early to sow them in ordinary I garden soil, unless a glass frame is I available. Turnips may be sown, and will do j well in any but cold soil. Broad beans may still be sown. In many gardens a great quantity of' various kinds of rubbish has accumu- J lated. If left for any length of time i this becomes distinctly dar.jerous, as it j provides a breeding place for innumer- ; i able insect pests. Wise gardeners will ! rid their gardens of all rubbish without i further delay. The soft refuse will be placed in a trench and covered over; lightly with soil. This refuse will rot i down in a few months and afford valuable manure for use in the following spring. A bonfire is as easy as making a fire in an ordinary stove. A few dry sticks should first be laid on the ground, and on these dry paper faggots. Some of the driest parts of the rubbish can be spread lightly over the faggots, then a lighted match applied. The bonfire will soon be blazing, and more rubbish can be added gradually, until it is all consumed. Kitchen rubbish can also be thrown on the j burning heap. The fire ash is a valui able fertiliser, as it contains potash and can be used for making compost, and for all kinds of plants. One part ash added to ten parts sifted prepr/ed soil wall make a suitable compost for most seeds and plants. Applied to the soil four ounces to each square yard it will help to increase soil fertility. It is especially useful for potatoes, beans, peas and friut trees.

’MIDST THE FLOWERS Keep anemones and ranunculus as free from weeds as possible. Plant out hardy annuals and bi-an-nuals. Tender ones will not stand the cold, wet weather. Amongst the plants that can be planted safely without fear of frost are stocks and calendulas. Sowing pansy seed now will pro-, vide good plants for planting in early summer. Well drain the pans or boxes and sow the seeds by planting each one singly at even distances. This ensures each plant has room for development, and picking out can be delayed

without harming the plants. When buying pansy seed, buy only the best. There are several selections and it depends on what is required as to which is the best, but in every case buy the best of the particular variety you require. Good pansy seed is expensive, but cheep pansy seed is rubbish. Where it is desired to have single plants, such as sweet peas and mignonette for planting out the egg-shell makes a more than effective substitute for the small thumb flower-pot. After the contents of a boiled egg, a duck’s egg for preference, have been disposed of. the edges of the shell should be trimmed round with a pair of scissors ! and a small hole pierced in the bottom I tor drainage, and the flower pot is j ready for use. When sowing the seed [ stand the egg-shells on end in shallow | boxes, and fill the space between each j with sand. On planting out it is necessary only to break the shell, and put ! it into the ground along with the plant thus transforming what had been the ; flower-pot into the food for the plant. ■ Hydrangeas should have all dead i flowers cut off and any dead wood reI moved from the centres of the bushes. : Cuttings that are struck should be pot- ; ted into single pots to grow on and J produce large single-flower heads in | small-sized pots. Continue to overhaul flower-beds and shrubberies.

The planting and replanting of shrubs should be attended to. This is the best time to transplant roses and any sort of shrubs. All herbaceous plants should be dii vided and replanted when the garden in cleaned up. Cuttings of many deciduous and evergreen shrubs and trees can be made during the cessation of outdoor work. The cuttings can be kept plump by packing damp moss round their bases and can be held in the shed until the ground is ready. The lawn is now at its lowest ebb of growth. This is the best time for top-dressing. All weeds should be taken out before the top-dressing is put on. After the weeds are taken out, give the lawn a good rolling with as heavy a roller as possible and then apply the top-dressing. Newly-sown lawns should be kept as free from weeds as possible to give the young grass a chance to make as much growth as possible. Chrysanthemums should be lifted and heeled in ready for dividing into young plants, for planting out in spring. The bulbs are now coming up. If the soil is hard, a little loosening with a fork will let them through.

P’or children's hacking cough at night, One remedy has proved the best; And parents tell with fond delight How it has answered every test. The children take it eagerly. And tell their chums, you may be sure, That mothers’ only remedy Is “good old Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure.”