THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10319, 19 December 1896, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN.

The flower beds and borders should now bo replete with the many varieties of plants that aro required for summer and autumn flowering, as well as those that aro grown for their foliage. The reinarkablo improvement in annuals by the raising of now varieties of dwarf habit, Uoriforous char* actor, and long duration of blooming, has of late yours replaced and almost done away with "carpet bedding" in privato gardens, a system generally employed and considered indispensable some few years back, when thoro wa3 not tho variety of flowering plants that aro now available. Carpet bedding is still largely adopted in public parks ; the multi-coloured beds geomotrieally arranged produce a unique and most gaudy effect, gratifying to tlio crowds who visit those places. No system is more expensive, as so much labour is taken up in raising the large number of plants necessary to produce a desirable effect. A very varied and large selection of plants may bo used for carpet bedding, alternantheras of various kinds, irosines, golden feather, amaranthus, sodums, mesembryanthemum, dwarf variegated geranium?, coleu?, lobelias, agoratums, are all most desirable for the purposo. The same varieties may be arranged and intersporsed with good effect alone or near the edges of the flowor borders. Now that the holiday season is again upon us, ordor and neatness should prevail throughout bho garden and grounds; drives and walks should be kept free from weeds and nicely raked or swept. Dead (lowers should be cut nil and thesurfaco of the beds and borders levelled and raked. Not a weed should bo sojii. Owing to dry weather weeds have been easily kept down. Several of the plants will aleonood staking, notably, dahlias, gladioli, und all others that are likely to bo injured with the winds. Select nice light, but strong, sticks for tho purpose. A few clumps of some suitable variety of bamboo should be planted in ail Qut-of-tho-way corner to furnish suitable material. The yellow bamboo or the variety " Metake" are the best. Provided the garden is now fully stocked, and in tho best possible state of neatness, tho operator may onjoy a fortnight or three woeks' loisure, as nothing spccial will requiro his attention until after the holidays. Unfortunately, tho long and severo drought has sadly detracted from fclie pleasures of tho garden, as everything is parched and thirsty for want of rain. KITOHIiN GARDEN. Crops throughout never looked worse for this time of year. Everything needs a thoroughly good washing and soaking with rain, for no matter bow much water may be artificially applied, ib cannot bo equivalent in its effect to the natural supply. Continual applications of water from an artificial source have a hardening effect upon the soil, and aro nob productive of tho good results thab might be expocted. Peas and beans are both suffering severely, ami bocoming hard and shrivelled. Turnips, lettuces, radishes, are inferior. Potatoes are ripening off prematurely, and those thab aro ready for digging are small and only about half the usual crop or loss. Cucumbers and all varieties of melons are almosbjaba standstill for want of rain, Rhubarb is small, hard, and stringy, Tho ground is clean and free from weeds, simply because ib is too dry to gro them, A sowing of peas and French boans should be made at once in ordor to keep tho' supply going. Lettuces And other vegetables required for salads should also bo sown. • . Transplanting must of necessity be deferred for a raoro favourable time. ; - THE OROiIAIID, Tho long spell of dry weather, with the excessive Jjepfc mid hard drying winds, is now having a most injurious effecb upon many orchard fruits. Mont bush fruits are suffering severely, whilo oranges, lemons, guavas, and other surface rooting plants are feeling tho effects of the long droughb. Altogether, the season has been a most un- / favourable ono for the orchardisb, In early spring, when the tiroes were in blossom, and gave good indication of an abundant yield, cold, harsh, winds prevailed, , which 80 damaged the' flowers, thab perfect fertilisation could nob take place, the teaulb beinp thab the crop (with - few exceptions) • is. not) nearly so good as was 'anticipated during the". bimo the trees were in blossom, 'This,'' followed by the excea-j

'sivu ' droughb experienced, during the last three months, add to the embarrassment of 'the grower, As the scarcity of some varieties of fruit adds considerably to their market valuo, growers should use every ipeaW to presorve the fruit) in a sound con* dlMon. This is bettor nccotnpliahod whon the crops ate light And the weather favour, able to the means applied, for although the dry weather has been most favourable for the hatching out and development of the 'codlin moth grub and o.ther insects, It) has also afforded a good opportunity for testing tho various remedies recorttrciiiided for the destruction of these various peats, as tho long absenco of rain could nob impair the strength of the material used. By the' judicious uso of arsenical solutions in weather such as we are now having, and thoroughly bandaging the trees, the codlin moth should bo si) reduced as to dp littlo injury to the fruit. ' I believe.the most effectual remedy and tie cheapest for tho destruction of this pes'i i>ad the small brown beetle is by spraying th? trees with white arsenic solution -using lib of white arsenic, 21b of washing soda, 2 bushels of lime to 800 gallons of water. Dissolve the washing soda in boiling water, when dissolved add the arsenic and stir until effervescence ceases; add SCO gallons of water mid two bushels of stone lime, and spray, using a finedistributing nozzle. For tho destruction of the leech hellebore powrlor is tho quickest and most effectual remedy. AN'SWKItS TO COKHMI'ONDKNTS, Inquisitive, Whangarei: The leaves of vines were so dried up that I could only descent one defect, and conclude you allude mare particularly to the blank, smutty oxoresconces upon tho under sido of the leaves. This is caused by the vinos being in an unhealthy growing condition, generally tho result of insufficient moisturo ab the roots, or too dry an atmosphere in tho house, frequently the latter. You cannot remove it from the leaves already attacked, but may prevent its further spread by supplying the roots with plenty of nourish and keeping up a nice, genial, moist temperature during tho growing period of tho vinos. In dry seasons, such' us we are now experiencing, vines that are at all neglected in regard to moisture, both inside and out, are much subject to this form of fungoid growth. Kepos.