The Garden.

Otago Witness, Volume 15, Issue 1562, 15 October 1881, Page 8

The Garden.

WORK FOR THW WEEK.

Kitchen Garden. — The recent warm rains will push forward vegetation rapidly, and the first opportunity should be sezjd to plant out good breadths of cauliflower, oabbage, Brussels sprouts, and lettuoe. The Brussels sprouts should be planted in rows, three feet apart, and the same distance between the plants. The main crops of broccoli and kale oan be sown In beds four feet apart, the alleys being one foot wide between the beds. Before the beds are marked ont, the ground should be well trodden and raked over. After Bowing the seed cover it with a quarter of an inoh of soil from the alleys, and pat the surface of the beds with the back of the spade to compress the soil and seed. An oooasional dusting with Boot and lime will help to keep off ths birds. The following are good varieties of broocoli :— Autumn, Vetoh's self protecting; early Winter, Snow's Winter white ; early spring, Frogmore protecting ; late spring, Oattell's eclipse, and Wiloove late white. Offsets oan now be taken from globe artichokes, and set in clumps of three, forming a triangle, the rows being four feet apart, and the clumps the same distance between. These plants will yield a supply late in the autumn if the soil is rich and well prepared. The surface dressing round the old plants may be forked in. Make another sowing of turnips and lettuoe. We are not safe from frosts yet, bat it Is advisable to sow a few rows of scarlet runners and Canadian wonder French beans, and they should be sown on the north side of a wall or fence to shelter them in the event of frost. The general work embraces staking peas, thinning early crops of turnips, carrots, and keeping tho quarters free from weeds.

Flower Garden. — One of the chief items of importance is the lawn, and it depends upon the attention bestowed upon it now whether it will add to the beauty of the garden or not during the season. A dressing of wood ashes and soot mixed with double the quantity of fine soil will considerably improve the appearanoe of tho bent kept lawn. Boiling newly-sown lawns must be be done at short intervals, and mowing must not be neglected or coarse bottom grasses will be produced. The preparation of the beds and borders for the summer plants should ba continued and the edging 3 planted. For raised edgings herniaria glabra is spoken of as well adapted, as it needs no trimming, and will stand drought nearly as well as a sedum. All the hardy sorts of summer bedders can be got out at once— the violas, pausles, sedums, cerastiums, and meßembry-anthemums. The hardier kinds of calceolaria?, lobelia?, and verbenas should now be be drafted out of the frames to make room for the tender sorts. Any slight shelter will do for them, turf pits being the best.

Gbebnhottsb.— .The arrangement of the plants, in the conservatory should be made with regard to the form and colour of the flowers so as to produce a good effect when grouped together. Azaleas of the late blooming kinds — brilliant, souvenir dv Prince Albart, and gem — may be retarded considerably by placing them in a south house ; where such ia available it is very useful in keeping up a succession of bloom. Out back old plants of Bouvardla into the ripened wood ; when they have broken they o»n be repotted in smaller pofcp, and planted out next month. Boronia mega stigma and nicotiana longiflora are two most fragrant plants and should find a place in every greenhouse. Pots of jrhodanthe, ten-week stocks, and mignonette should be pushed forward in the cold frames, as they will be found ustfui for decorative purposes.