THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 662, 31 October 1884, Page 11

THE GARDEN.

FOR NOVEMBER. Read at a meeting of “The Wellington Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society.” The Fruit Garden. The Vinery.—The shorts on grape vines •will now have made sufficient progress to be stopped for the first time, this should be done by pinching out the point of each short a ioint or two beyond the bunch of fruit which is to be left ; the distance between the rods should determine how many leaves should be left beyond the bunch at this first stopping, they shouid be left sufficiently long that the first lateral growth will fill the space left ; as the laterals start they should be stopped beyond the first leaf, or entirely removed if there is not sufficient room to properly expo=e every leaf to the: sun and air. Great caution should be exercised in tying down the shoots or they will break off, often causing irreparable damage. When the flowers begin to open a dryer atmosphere should be maintained than heretofore, and until the berries are set the shy setters are often assisted by giving the rods a smart tap, which scatters the ripe pollen ; others will need the assistance of a camels hairbrush with which to convey a portion of the pollen from a variety •Trjlaich produces it freely- As soon as the berries are set the amount of moisture should be again increased. The border should now have a heavy mulching of stable manure. Continue stopping the young Bhoots of standard fruit trees as they advance, and as directed last month. Trees on walls should have foreright shoots kept well back, shoots required for nailing in should be allowed to run according to the space they have to fill before being stopped ; the shoots of peaches and nectarines should still be allowed to run waving in the wind. Gooseberry bushes should be kept woll cleared of young gross growths, keep all the shoots not required for extension pinched hard back so as to keep the bushes well open, as well for convenience in gathering the fruit, as to allow a free play of sunshine and air. Strawberry beds will be benefited by a, good mulching as suggested last month, if it is not yet given it should be delayed no longer ; the presence of weeds or slugs in the plantation are both inimical to the well being of the plant and fruit, and proper steps should be taken for their eradietion. A hard baked surface to the soil, the result of heavy rains and bright sunshine, is the reverse condition, which will be favorable to the growth of fruit trees, the remedy will be frequent application of a hoe. The Kitchen Garden. Quite at the beginning of the month, the different varieties of broccoli should be sown, the following are good kinds Adam’s early white, Snow’s winter white, Leamington, Walcheren, Sutton’s superb early white, Sutton’s perfection, as soon as the young plants are large enough to handle they, should be pricked out into rich soil, 4- or o inches apart, where they may stand till large enough to be finally planted out. Also at the beginning of the month sow seed of Savoy cabbage, and curled kale for winter use. Cauliflowers and brussels sprouts previously sown should be pricked out 4: ors inches apart, to make good plants to put out later on. Successional sowings of cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, radish, mustard-and-cress, and turnip. Make two fortnightly sowings of peas, kinds recommended for last month, and one sowing of French beans, broad beans, spinach, carrot, parsnip, and beet may be sown if needed, but if they were sown last month there will he no need to sow this, unless the former sowing was not sufficiently large. Celery EOwn in boxes should be pricked out before the plants become drawn, a further sowing may be made. Seed of vegetable marrow, pumpkins, and hardy ridge cucumber may be sown in the open ground in heavily manured ground; plants of the sarr e raised in boxes may be out, taking due precaution to prevent them receiving damage from the wind. Tomatoes may now he planted out, the best position is where they can be nailed to a fence or wall, if such a position is not available plants in lines in an open sunny position at least 3 feet apart. The hoe and rake should be frequently at work to keep down weeds and the ground open, an occasional dusting with a mixture of sand, soot, and lime along the lines of seedlings just through the ground will be a safe precaution against loss from slugs. Flower Garden. The progress of marigolds, zinnias, balsams, and indeed of bedding plants generally, has been considerably retarded by the cold unseasonable weather of last month, and on that account, much of the work usually done then, in the way of decorating the flower garden, will have to be gone on with, in addition to that natural to the present month, and during the currency of which, on ordinary occasions, the planting of the summer alornments is usually brought to a close. But it will be found best to. plant late, rather than expose tender plants to the ill-effects of a still lingering low temperature. .Plants which have been grown in their young stages under idas 3 should, on all occasions be first gradually hardened off before being finally planted out Plant out dahlias, and place a suitable stake to each plant. If the soil is of a heavy clayey nature, it will be well to dig out large holes, and fill them up with a mixture of a-ny licrht soil and well decomposed manure, which will materially help to give the plants an early and vigorous start. Asters, if not already planted, ought to be turned out at. once into rich and deeply worked soil. Salvias of

the S. Splendens type, make a fine feature in the garden during the autumn and early winter months, and are seen to best advantage, when dotted about the grounds in single specimens, and if young plants are planted in such positions now, they will repay the room alloted them. Sunflowers, tobacco plants, variegated maize, castor oil plants, cordylines, or other sub tropical plant* of ornamental character, may be planted out towards the end of the month in sheltered situations. Sow patches of sweet peas, or other desirable annuals, to succeed those earlier sown, or that may have failed to grow. Tliin out wherever the young plants are found coming up too thick to flower satisfactorily, and keep them clear of weeds. Stake, and tie carnations, picotees, gladiolus, delphinums, and such like subjects as are found requisite.. Train varieties of summer flowering clematis to upright supports, or peg them down to clothe the surface of beds or borders. Tie in the fast growing shoots of roses of a climbing or rambling nature, to prevent the wind twisting them off. Cut out the recently flowered shoots of the banksian varieties, to prevent overcrowding, and to favor the development of next year’s flowering wood. Syringe with tobacco water, or hot soap-suds, if the rose aphis is found troublesome, and mulch early wherever experience has shown it to be necessary for the welfare of the plants. Prune evergreen shrubs, which, from their position or habit of growth, renders some amount of pruning desirable. Cut back the shoots of- the gueldres rose which bore the recent inflorescence in order to form nice bushy-habited plants. Clip box and grass edgings, and maintain a neat appearance throughout the grounds generally. The Greenhouse. The present is a suitable time to plant climbers to cover the walls, pillars, or other surfaces of the house. If the house is at all lofty, or otherwise inimical to the conditions of healthy plant life, it will be found best to grow the plants in pots till they attain considerable size before planting. Sow a small pinch of cineraria seed for early flowering, and which, if well attended to, ought to bloom in May or June. Considerable care and attention, however, will be" found necessary in piloting the young plants through the hot weather, when thus early sown. Old plants that have ceased flowering, and are worth saving, may be planted out in a shady border, to be lifted and potted later on in the season. Chinese piimulas may still he sown to succeed the earlier batches. Whenever seed can be saved from either of the above mentioned flowers, it will be well to do so, as the imported article is exceedingly unreliable. Prick out into boxes, or pot off singly into small pots, all early sowed primulas, balsams, celosias, cyclamen, &c. Pot off spring. struck fuchsias, train and tie out those showing for flower, and repot large specimens, for midsummer or autumn decoration. F.owering begonias will require somewhat similar treatment, in their various stages of growth. Azaleas requiring more pot room, should be shifted without delay, if not already done. Large plants, which otherwise might require inconveniently large pots, may have their outer layer of roots sliced off with a sharp knife all round, and with their, balls thus reduced, can be potted afresh in their old pots ; but when served in this manner, shade, and frequent syringing will be necessary until re-established. Pot roses, if grown at all, must be liberally fed and well cared- for, otherwise, their cultivation in the greenhouse had better not be attempted. Roses under glass, however, produce such perfect and delicately tinted blooms, in comparison to those grown exposed to the weather, that their cultivation in-door?, will always form a delightful item, in the general routine of house floriculture. Those that have just gone out of flower will bloom again in the autumn, if they are slightly pruned, placed outside, and receive a topdressing of rich materials, such as a mixture of loam, bone-dust, and pulverised manure. Shift all quick growingplantsintolarger pots,as theirincrease in growth renders necessary. Train and pinch the shoots in order to render, the plants symmetrical. This will apply specially to petunias, coleus, pelargoniums, chrysanthemums, aud fuchsias in their younger stage of development. Now that the sun’s rays are becoming rather powerful, some slight shade will be necessary, in conjunction with anple ventilation. The syringe will also require to be more frequently used, especially in the evenings during dry warm weather.