The Garden Calendar for February.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9478, 4 February 1907, Page 4

The Garden Calendar for February.

(By James Uebbie.)

The- long-continued spell of dry weather is telling on our gatden favorites, and many of them have succumbed for the want of the necessary moisture, and a good many more will follow unless rain conies shortly. In town gardens where a good water supply is available a better state of things exist, but iu some of the country districts it is a trying time for the horticulturist who lacks a supply of water. Everything disorderly about the bed and bordeT plants at this"„6eason takes the eye at once. Order, therefore, is of tlie first importance. Remove all dead and decaying flower stalks and hoe the ground ail over, which mil be found beneficial this hot weather, and attend to watering, bearing in mind that once watering thoroughly is better than half a dozen trifling waterings. Towards the end of tins month cuttings of the most of the bedding plants should be put in to ensure a supply of plants for next season. Carnations may still be propagated by laying, but the sooner it is done the Utter, so that tuey may be well rooted plants before winter. Those laid last month should be looked ovtr, as manv of them will have struck root, and are" better separated from the parent plant, and lined out in a sheltered place five or six inches apart, where they mav remain till planted out in the flower borders during autumn or spring. Perennial and other plants which have originated irom seed, if sufficiently strong, may be transplanted out of the seed lied into nuiserv. rows or the strongest plants may be removed at once into the situations where they are ultimately to remain. Advantage should be taken of a moist day for this operation, but if 6iich should not occur, recourse must lie had to the watering pot and shading, which must be continued until rain come or until the plant 6 bi sufficiently rooted. Evergreen, hedges may now be cut or trimmed, and any evergreens in wan: of pruning may be attended to now with propriety. In the kitchen garden, hoe, weed, thin and stir the surface among all crops; water, shade and attend to neatness and older; clear off all crops as soon as they are exhausted, in order that the garden mav always present a neat and orderly appearance. Cabbage and cauliflower seed may besowu during the month for plants to stand the winter. Spinach of the prickly variety should now be sown to produce a supply during the autumn, winter, and spring. Ground for spinach should be well manuied. «> as to obtain large and succulent leaves. No time should be lost in planting out winter greens, if not done iast mouth. Earth up celery and keep the earth well stirred round the roots of recent plantations of cabbage and other like crops. Continue successional sowings of radish, mustard, cress, lettuce, and endive for saiading. Onions to stand the winter may also be sown during the month, and those approaching maturity as they ripen should be stored, taking care not to bruise them.

Fruit Garden. —Keep the coil well stirled round the stems of trees, and support the branches of those that aie heavily laden. Ail fruit as it ripens should be when dry and placed on shelves where there is a free circulation of air. Cut down last year's canes of raspberries which have ripened their fruit; this will cause the young wood from which the future crop is to l>e expected to grow much stronger and ripen better. The fruit will also be very much improved by this practice. The reason is that the old canes, having performed their office as soon as the fruit becomes ripe and is gathered, are afterwards of no use to the plant, but the reverse: for, while they remain to it. they deprive it of a considerable portion of nouiis'imi'iit. which their removal will threw into the young wood. Greenhouse.—Free growing plants iu blocm thai may be getting in any measure exnaustcd may be assisted by the use of weak liquid manure, if it is desirable to maintain them longer in bloom. ThL> liquid may be made of various ingredients, but the simplest and most easily obtained material is. rotted horse dung from an old hotbed. Of this a spadeful may be put to a dozen gallons of water, and after lieing stirred up and allowed to settle, the near liquid may be used, diluting it with half its bulk of pure water. Geraniums cut down last month will now be breaking, and may be turned out of the pot 6. Have all tho old soil' removed and the roots shortened and repotted into smaller pots, after which they should be placed in a cold frame. Cuttings of ali kinds of greenhouse plants may be taken now, shoots that have completed their growth are the proper sort to prepare for striking. Cut up the bottoms to a join and strip off the lower leaves, prepare pots for the more delicate things by putting crocks and mould above them to within half an inch of .the top, and fill that half-inch with silver sand, thoroughly soaked in water, so that the cuttings can be easily stuck through the sand. A .little water* will close the sand about the stems. Cover with a bellglass, and place in a gentle hotbed, and that will complete the business so far. Seed of Chinese primroses sown now will furnish plants for spring blooming. Growing plants may be shifted on as the pots become full oi roots, and keep them growing in a cool frame so that they get no more rain or sun than tiny require and you have them under control.