THE HOME GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19932, 28 April 1928, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE HOME GARDEN.

PROGRAMME OF WORK.

THE FLOWEE GARDEN. Ideal soil and weather conditions lor bedding-out hardy seedlings and other subjects suitable lor winter and early spring flowering still continue. 'Dahlias continue flowering profusely. Keep thci stems tied up and pick off spent blooms. Chrysanthemums are at their best. Out oft spent blooms of show varieties to encourage the growth of side flowers. Seedling stocks must be kept free from aphides and fly, and cinerarias from caterpillars, by frequent sprayings with arsenate of lead, adding a little nicotine to make a combined insecticide. Stir the surface soil around! cyclamens, stocks, pansies and other bedded-out seedlings. This aerates ithe soil and promotes healthy growth. Hoses: Prepare the soil in the proposed beds by manuring and deep digging or trenching, adding a liberal dressing of basic slag. Plant cinerarias for early flowering in places least subject to frosts. Ifow is the best time to bed-out pansies. Dimorphothecas are showy, hardy annuals, which flower early. Sow all vacant spots not wanted for immediate planting with cats, vetches, prairie grass or lupins to dig in at, the end of the winter., This enriches the soil and adds humus. Xawns: Hasten on with sowing, so that the young seedling grasses can make a good start before the winter commences.

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Crops that ar6 coming through the soil require careful watching, or slugs soon play havoc with many of them. Young seedling cabbages and other colworts, carrots, lettuce, and smaller crops soon fall a prey to these pests unless frequently gone over with lime. Light sprinklings of superphosphate also act as a preventive. Birds, too, are troublesome, though they rarely attack crops that are protected with black cotton. In making further sowings raised beds are an advantage, and are more easily protected from pests. In sowing seeds at this season the soil requires to be well broken up, and placed in a friable condition, so that even shallow drills can be drawn, and the seed covered with flne soil. Xeep the soil frequently stirred between the rows of growing crops, and remove all weeds. Ground selected for planting early potatoes should be again thoroughly worked and placed in the best possible condition. The digging of kumeras should be delayed no longer, as the more ripened tubers soon start inllo growth again. Beds of Topp's winter rhubarb should have a good dressing of stable manure incorporated between the rows. Failing stable or other animal manure, a good dressing of superphosphate will prove beneficial.