THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13455, 6 April 1907, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN.

< The weather throughout !>i*» autumn lia'j been warm and dry. consequently most fav- j ourable for trenching, manuring, am! treat ; jij<jr those portion* of (lie garden that needed renovating ami enriching: al-o for I lie. ji making of now lawn- anil digging ground ill i readiness for layiiiir down m grass. The! top-dressing. of lawn- should bo commenced. i. al-o the repairing and renovating of the' •garden paths anil walk-. Few things con-.; tribute more to the ploasute of getting about i' the garden and add to it- aranee than , well-laid and properly-kept walk-. The? should ho made to be mod in all weather'; without di.-comfort. Walk- where theie is/ much traffic i;;wn require to be well made, with a good solid foundation of metal or gravel. The next consideration will be the b material ho- suited for the surface. Kim*; gravel mixed with 'mail pebb'es and iru-h----ed shells look the be-i, hut require fro- i ipient. attention to weeding and raking, ami are earned into the house on the boots. Heavy • flushes of rain, too. all' likely to take some :i -of the loose material off. (If late years i tarring and sanding tie surface of walks, < lias tcuic greatly into vogue. This moil'.' ito Ik* commended. li.eie are many tin- ■ portant points in its favour— namely, a it(seiice of weeds and durability. cloanline-s at all tunes, and com pa rat safely against: iieavy ranis, Tin cost of making and mat - I rials am also in ii- favour. A good firm ' foundation 's noct ssar.. to make a portiiannit sitriacv ami keep the material trom cracking .aid breaking into It.tie-. In the 'construction ol all paths and walks tile centres should Ik' slightly raised, in order j to give rain water a good fall to the side- .- ; ami where the incline is steep ami the run of water likely to he considerable the -kloof tin? walks ,should he edged with drain tile- that are made for the purpo-o. this; j precaution prevents the storm water over-j flowing on to the bed- and washing some of i ; the soil away. Kdgiug boards, properly and; evenly laid, give a finished apjx*arance to i [the walks, and ill the absence of tiles are i i indispensable (especially when the beds or | borders are adjacent) to prevent the soil ; washing or falling on to tin- paths. Walks ] i in the kitchen garden should al-o be attend- , led to: they are too often neglected, not I ■even being gravelled. Much more might bo j ! done in the kitchen garden during wet and i showery weather if the walks were in aj | better state foi getting about upon them. I Conditions have of late lioon most favour- j I able for hoeing, to stir the surface soil and ■ ! rid file garden of weed-. A good soaking ! rain i- now needed to develop chrysauthe- : | mum and dahlia blooms, and also to bring; lon hardy bulbs and administer to the re-! j qiiirenionts of seedling annuals that are in j Itheir first stage- of growth. Caterpillars: ! are very numerous and destructive, ihk-os-sitating constant care and hand-picking; to prevent the foliage and flower buds of so: | many plants from being destroyed. Till'. KI'I'I'IIKX CROHN. j Continue the preparation of land for fu- j tre cropping. The summer that l- pa-si and the present autumn have afforded ample; [opportunities foi carrying on the various uu- , ■ proveinents, as previously recommended, ; ! such as manuring ami digging or trenching. | | Those portions that have been treated and I are, not. required for immediate cropping I should be sown with oats. The loot- of. Ithe oats penetrate the surface .-oil and keep ! it loose and open as well as tree from weeds, . ! and prevent dashing rains from battering ; land making it. hard. Cabbage plants are j ' still so riddled with the Hy as to be ii-elesS , I for planting. The best plan is to make a fresh sowing of seeds and force the seedlings on, i otherwise the season w ill be too lute. I At. no sea-on of the year do vines require j i more careful attention than during the pre-I j sent month. Those carrying late fruits need ' : special euro to keep the fruit in a. sound I condition. Cp to the present, the weather j | lias been all thai could be desired: warm: ! days and comparatively dry nights have ! greatly assisted colouring and niaintaingi 1 some fruits. A change, however, may take j ! place til- any time, when excess of moisture ) would cause the decay of berries, so that i every effort must now be made to maintain : !as dry a temperature as possible. The fob-I ; age. too. niii-t not be lost sight of, as | (healthy foliage is bv no means (lie least i ; important matter in the ripening and hanging of late grape*; in fact, even after the i fruit i- cut the foliage should be kept clean land healthy until they decay and fall when the sap lias returned. Immediately ;iie j | fruits are all cut the vines sli< vild be fumigated with cyanide to thoroughly destroy j (any insects that, have attacked the vine or j ! foliage. All decaying foliage should be re-j moved from time to lime as they fall or | bugs and other insects will secrete litem-I selves in the soil and al-o the woodwork of the house. Vineries having concrete i | floors, or where the bottom of the house is ; covered with tar and -and, have a decided advantage at this season, for apait from the advantage of being able to maintain a drier | atmosphere the floors can be kept clean from : ■ill debris. To allow of free circulation of .1 light and air. so thai the wood can thoj roughly ripen, remove all secondary lateral •growth, find shorten back the main laterals, j leafing, however, sufficient wood and foliage to protect, the fruits from the ili-"ft I rays of the sun. Ki'l'Os.