The Garden.

Otago Witness, Issue 1343, 25 August 1877, Page 18

The Garden.

FLOWERS IN POTS. An occasional change of soil is highly beneficial to flowers in pots. There is nothing better than surface soil from a thick scrub, taken off about two inches deep, v and thrown into a heap with about one-sixth part of old hot-bed manure to partially decay. In addition to this staple item, smaller quantities of different matters should be gathered together for peculiar cases or particular plants. Peat, for instance, will be found very useful for many- kinds of plants. This is. not, aa is often supposed, mere black sand, but a spongy, fibrous substance from the surface of swamps and boggy wastes. Sand should be collected sharp and clean ; the washings from ditches are as good as anything. Leaf mould is best got already well decayed from the scrubs. That which one makes for himself from rotten leaves is seldom good for anything ; it is always sour, and seems indigestible to vegetation. A load or so of well decayed cow manure is a good thing for the gardener to have by him, as those plants .that want cool' soil prefer it to any other manure.

A Fkttit Gakdjsjt. — Seven acres is the extent of the grounds of Capt. D. Stewart, Upper Alton, 111. Four and a half are in strawberries, three-quarters in raspberries, one-eighth in currants, onehalf in asparagus ; the rest in grass and shrubbery and flowers, and what not. And from these seven acres Mr S. makes a good living for himself and family, keeps out of debt, and has money left to buy flowers, and pictures, and books, and candy for the grandchildren. Clean cnlture and order are everywhere manifest. The tool-house is a model of neatness, the tools all hanging in their places and well preserved from year to year. — Western Mural. • To Farmers. — Every farmer, as well as -those of other occupations who can, should have a good kitchen garden where he may grow his own vegetables, such as 1 peas, beans, cucumbers, potatoesj cab-

bages, turnips, beets, carrots, onions, parsnips, radishes, sweet corn, tomatoes, lettuce, &c. ; also fruits, such as currants, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, as well as a few early apples, pears, peaches, plums, grapes, &c. Such are the pro-, ducts that every family needs and those that every family may enjoy that has a kitchen garden. Cabbagbs. — Some cut their early cabbages at their lowermost leaves. This is not economical, because when cut' so low the stems seldom sprout much after ward; whereas, when they are cut as far up as can be done without injury to the head, and as many of the ' leaves are left as possible, there are soon many 'side heads emitted from the stem, and each of these ultimately becomes as useful in. the kitchen aa the first head. Cabbages, when properly attended, yield gatherings from May until November. — Cottage Gardener, ' ■ - .< A Hint. — A' Belgian writer has hit upon a most effectual mean's for ' preventing hares and rabbitja from gnawing off !the bark of apple and . pear trees in severe winters. , Last winter he : besmeared the trunks, of the- trees on, two. separate" occasions with dogs' dung, and the effect has been that the hares • and rabbits have . gone elsewhere for their food. —London. Country. ■ . • • •' ,■ '.% 1 , , HoEisra. — Frequent hoeing 'or cultivating promotes the health' of plants, because, the more thoroughly the soil is pulverised the' greater its power of absorption.; The action of the hoe increases the! attraction* for. moisture, encqurages the circulation of atmospheric and nutritive gases, and, thus adds to the. fertility of the soil. :