NOTES FOR THE MONTH.

Otago Witness, Issue 1502, 28 August 1880, Page 7

NOTES FOR THE MONTH.

KITOHEBT GARDEN. The principal crops of vegetables may now be sown, such aB carrots, onions, beet, leeks, spinach, parsley, peas, broad beans, lettuce, mustard and cress, radish, cabbages and ciuliflower. Plant out cabbages and cauliflowers, and earth up those already planted; also earth np the advanced crops of peas, and stake those that require it. It would be ad-

visable to sow in heat a box of lettuce, ao as to have them for early use, and they should be pricked out when strong enough. Vege* table marrows may also be sown in a frame, along with cucumbers, pumpkins, and tomatoes. Rhubarb ought to be planted. If a good orop be desired, a trenoh, Bay two feet deep, should be thrown out ; in the bottom of whioh put a foot of rioh manure, and about six inches of soil on tne top of the latter, the roots to be planted on the top of the soil, say two feet apart, filling up with manure and soil, and firming well. The trenohes should be four feet asunder. On the surface of each trench another ooating of manure Bhould be plaoed; and ia the course of a couple of months if a dusting of guano be applied to the stools, the orop will be strong, tender, and abundant. Asparagus, should be manured, {and the beds or lines salted. This plant being a marine production, requires saline manure to grow it successfully. The chiaf orop of shalotsmay now be planted in a richly manured soil. FRUIT GABDBN. Grafts of the varions trees intended .to be worked should now be selected, and heeled in until next month. All trees intended to be planted should be got in immediately. All pruning ought to be seen after without delay, and performed as advised for orchard planting. Peach, nectarine, almond, and apricot trees may now be pruned and trained, afterwards protect from frosts and wind the young blossoms, so as to secure a crop. Twigs, fern fronds, or similar material stuck in between the branches proteot the flowers and give them a chance of setting. Root mulching has a very beneficial effeot with trees against walls, particularly if the border-soil ia subject to dryness. Wall trees of every description should as soon as possible ba pruned and nailed, in whatever method practised. Use as a washing for apricot scale, a strong solution of brine, or liquid manure and salt, applied to the parts with a brush. Make an annular incision upon the fruit-bearing branches at the time they expand their blossoms j the inoieioa must not be wider than T 3 fl th of an inoh. Experience continually demonstrates, that following such incision, the fruit becomes larger, and ripens better. Many attempts have been made to explain the cause, but none are satisfactory ; the fact, however, is certain. Stone fruits and vineß especially, are the better for this operation being applied to them. FLOWER GARDEN. Mulch all rose plots with manure to induce vigour, and to retain a dampness in the ground. Lime lawns to kill worms, and after rain, roll heavily j this will keep the sward firm during summer, and if a dusting of nitre of soda were applied the grass would be of a strong, healthy, green colour, even on very poor soils. Trim box edgings, roll and gravel walks, sow annuals, using fine soil mixed with sand, as the fine seeds get above ground with difficulty after germination. Trim and train creepers, force dahlias, insert cuttings of chrysanthemums, plant out hollyhocks, &o. The crocusea, anemones, tulips, hyaoinths, and other early, bulbs are now in bloom. There is no work to be done among the spring bulbs except to .pull np the weeds which chance to starfc/ jr and to mellow the eurfaoe after a shower. A sprinkling of white sand over the bed adds much to its neatness, and sets off the brilliant crocus to advantage. The planting of gladioli should go on at intervals. No single bulb is more generally useful in this climate. They are beautiful in masßes ; they look well when used as an edging to the shrubbery, and they can be planted in lines as low ornamental hedges. Ohiefest of their good qualities is the fact that they are as easily grown as potatoes, and may be left in the ground for several successive years. In colours, this grand flower covers a wide range—from white and creamy tints to the richest of soarlet splashed with violet and purple. The yellows are not clean in colour. Some of the pinks and rosy purples, cherry colours, and lilacs are wonderfully delicate Jn hue. There are continually new kinds of gladioli appearing from the nurserymen of France and England, and though, like all novelties, they are high-priced, still, if you can afford it a gladioli collection would be as sensible a thing as a rose er chrysanthemum mania. PLANTATIONS. Fill up vaoanoies, and see that young plants have plenty of air, and subdue all rank vegetation. Top gums, so that they may not become naked and lanky. They will masa in branches when cut back, even old trees, therefore do cot spare the saw if topping is necessary. Among young trees in plantations that have become overcrowded, thinning must be r resorted to. In land such as dry clayey banks, Scotoh fir, insignia, larioio, pinaster, außtriaoa, and murioata pines thrive best. Oak may be used as a sprinkling for effeot of diversity of foliage during summer. The pine aphis has appeared in several parts of Otago lately. It is usually th c Sooth fir treeß that are affeoted. From recent observation the trees diseased were growing near an apple orchard, whioh led me to infer that the disease spread from the fruit trees. Certainly the aphis is very like the appie blight. Ia England, the laroh some Beasons are whit 9 with the blight, whioh stunts the trees for a long time ; and if this pest gets into nursery ground it usually happens that the apple plots become also more or lobs subject to the s»me Insect. In Otago, the |plant eurybia, used for hedging, is subject to the same pest. It would be well to note, in any district where the disease has appeared, whether any other tree besides the tiootoh fir has been attacked. '. failed to see any traces on any other variety of pine but the Scotch, although growing close to it. Where gorse hedges are employed for fences, now is the proper time to prune, as they are showing flower, and if allowed to seed before cut, the ground will be one mass of seedlings, and this will entail a considerable amount of trouble to eradioate the evil caused through neglect.