THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11686, 22 June 1901, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN.

I Gr\EllU< planting operations may now bo [ proceeded with, -is the recent ivy rains ! I proceeded \wt", >■- J | j have penetrated well down cud thoroughly ; ! rnoist-aed the soil. The great demand for I | cut flowers during the recent celebrations to j ; welcome the Duke and Duchess of Vork i i has caused inquiries to bo made for the dif- : ' fcrenc varieties of plants that flower at this ; ; -ea-un. Their number is wry limited. Tho.*.- I 'who have little or no kne-vledge o: piauti wonder why flovvi-w cannot be hod in u.ml.!- j anee at any season ol the year. it is an- I possible, even in sin a mild climate as this, j to select many varieties that flower in the o;-eii ground m tho depth o; winter. Flow- j ei "."'.lie' other vegetable prouue..., cannot j be produced naturally at the oil season, uni.>- amacui means are reported to by plae- , iii, the plants in a hothouse mid lorcaig I them. 'this practice is largely carried in | Luio ie hi... America, where cut tioAci., iia\e | i. commercial value. tie re the demand for | (..it liuwers is not sullicieiit to warrant their j being produced under aiu-s. At present j i ordinary garden flower.-, mt.st -,:i..,, and] '»e ..cull Us: be conhned tu those varieties : j ot p....:.s that are likely to bioom in the j | open during the time when the greater ' scarcity exists. It is omy a u-r, Oriel j pei-iou when there are so lew plant., m j ilower as at present. in « t0,., weeks anemones ana other hardy cariy-howeiing I valines of blubs will be in biooui, .-..,« |a. number ot dwarf-growing Herbaceous j plants, and a tew varieties ol siuubs. ior | winter flowering the following are indispensable :—'i he white and tin.-, red Uapluiei Uio.-nu L-recoiUes is also a useiul species, not only lor its lionet's but for its sweet-scented io.utge— coiiiiiion wiute heath, and other hardy ericas. Tiie hardiest oi v.luteiio.vJreU t./.a.eas come into flower very I early m the winter. Abiiiiious are exliemeiy iloriierous, proviuiug flowcis almost ihrougiiout tho year. Amongst bulbs, the v..nolie:i ol Taitelia or puiyanuius narcissus are the i;i'-t to bloom, several nemg already out. Cyciamens will also soon be in inn llowerj they arc extremely showy, ami quite liartly for outdoor culture. The picse.it season na.-, been so nihil tnat bouvarones are still in lull ilower. iiie white arum or e.'lia iiiy, ailliough so common here, must not be Ok'oriu >ked; tno flowers are extremely stiow ami valuable- dor Liuiing. Tintini riavum is a splendid clwart wiuier-flowering plant. Annuals are at present represented only by a lew .specie..-, .such as calendula, s-.vee: scabious, mignonette, annual chrysanthemums, imui-ia, and a lew other very iiardy sorts. .vincii!,.-,!. sinues, camellias are most use: id, us tliey tiowei througiiout, tne winter. \ lolels are, oi course, muu-oensaOlo ill all gardens. The iuiprcved varieties are most eroua, bearing extremely huge and exquisil '.v perfumed flowers. KITCHEN IiAKDEX. Operations in this department are pracdcailj at a standstill, ana should be held hi abeyance lor a lew weeks. hlxeepting iu iig'nt, dry, volcanic soils, the less the land is dug or disturbed the better. .Much injury is often done to .stiff, clayey soils by digging them over during the depth of tho winter and rainy reason. .rfesidos, there is nothing to he gamed by doing so, there being Little or no necessity to ciop at present. These remarks chiefly ruler to kitchen gardens where the sou is heavy and ol a retentive nature. THE VINERY. The heavy showers experienced during the past week na\o enabled vine-growers to give .some attention to the requirements of this department. Late grapes that have been exposed to the weather have now ripened their wood sullicieiitly to allow of their being pruned with safety, providing, of course, that, the roots are in a satisfactory condition. Tne state oi the root has much to do with the perfect ripening oi the young' growth, and when vines are growing in a well-made and properly drained border there is little uillicuil} in thoroughly ripening the young wood. But when they are growing in cold, stiff, unsuitable soils, no amount ol sunshine or exposure will ripen the vines sufficiently to ensure success. Soft, pithy growth, and badly ripened wood, is a sure sign that borders require attention, and iho roots not iii soil congenial to their well-being. Perhaps few plants are more deceptive in their growth than vines, as they frequently mt»ke the strongest growth when growing in soils that are altogether unsuited for tuem, and give the impression that they are in the nest condition lor producing good crops of lruit, whereas such growth is generally solt and full oi pith, and seldom ripens before vine are pruned. .Most grape-growers are not long in learning that the finest grapes | are pioaueed upon the most solid, wellj ripened, and short-jointed growths, and if I the borders are properly prepared and looked j alter the vines may be Kept in this healthy i condition for a great number of years. Al- ! though the wood should ho thoroughly well ' liponed before pruning, it is not necessary ! tnat every leaf should have fallen before commencing tho operation. 1 would advise all who have not had much experience in vine culture to first cut a lateral oft' oach vine and leave it for a few days to see if any sap exudes from the wound. If no bleeding takes place the vines can be pruned with safety. The longer season of rest the vines nave after being pruned the better, as I the wound caused oy pruning has then j plenty of time to heal before the sap again I becomes active. in pruning, shorten back ! each lateral, leaving two eyes at the base jot each. Some growers prefer to leave j only one bud, but by leaving two a. more certain crop is assured, and one can always be removed or shortened back after the most promising bunch has been seen. After pruning, remove all the loose bark from the vines. This generally comes away freely, and can bo removed without having recourse to the knife, in no case should scraping of the vines he allowed, as the tender underbark is easily damaged, and the vines weatcened. As soon as the loose bark is removed, the canes should be thoroughly painted with v <scmc good insecticide. black leal, fir-tree oil, or Gilchrist's compound are each safe and effective insect-destroyers for this purpose. Alter dressing the vines, a paint, composed of a mixture of clay, soot, and sulphur, should be painted over the vines sufficiently thick to till all crevices, and leave a nice smooth surface. The ad- ■ vantage of using soot is that a, black sur- > face is formed, so that that dread pest, the ; mealy bug, is the more easily detected should it make its appearance upon the vine. As ■ soon as tho pruning and dressing is completed every particle of debris should be removed and burned and the house thoroughly cleaned. This is somewhat difficult when , the floor of the house is of .-oil, and the only i effectual means of getting rid of insects is . to remove the whole of the surface soil, but as. the mealy bug is now established in most vineries 1 would strongly recommend having , the tlooi of the house covered with tar and i sand, so that the floor could be kept swept I or washed clean. LLEfOS.