THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1825, 12 November 1886, Page 8

THE GARDEN.

OPERATIONS FOR OCTOBER. [Average mean temperature, 52 3 ; corresponds with May at Home.]

CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK, Kitchen Gahjden.— Vegetation of all kinds can almost be seen growing at present, and of course the weeds lead the van. The only method to keep them in check is the constant stirring of the ground on sunny days by means of the hoe. On no account allow the trouble to be aggravated by permitting the weeds to seed, as in no work more than gardening does the old adage "A stitch in time saves nine" apply. In addition to this the advantage to be derived from frequent aeration of the soil cannot be overestimated. The hoe is indeed the most useful implement in the garden at this season, as in addition to the havoc it plays with the weeds it renders watering less necessary. Root crops, such as carrots and parsnips, should have their drills hoed through at short intervals, leaving the plants standing in little patches. The final singling is best done in showery weather or just before rain is expected, so as to settle the young plants that are left for a crop. As a rule, medium sized roots are more esteemed than large coarse ones ; therefore severe thinning is hardly necessary, unless very large roots are required for some special purpose. About six inches apart in the row may be taken as giving a fair space for development in the case of carrots, sahafy, and scorzonera ; eig_ht inches for parsnips and turnips, and four inches for onions (we are assuming that in no case are the drills less than a foot asunder).

Seasonable Notes on Fruit Treks and Strawberries. — Broadly speaking, sufficient attention is not given to fruifc trees at this time of the year; it is true there are many other matters claiming our attention also, nevertheless fruit trees should have their due meed. Careful management at the present season Aviil 6ave much after trouble. The spring pruning, by means of disbudding— not using the knife — is much more beneficial to the growth and bearing of the tree than the cutting away of wood in the autumn ; therefore all unnecessary buds should now be nipped off, and all young shoots that it is desirable to retain nailed neatly in, always leaving a sufficiency of these latter to keep the tree well balanced. Apricots, peaches, and nectarines. will now require thinning; and although I have known cultivators of these delicious fruits leave clusters of young fruit on these trees and thin them out only when they had attained the 6ize of a walnut, it is a stupid practice. The woody, insipid, half-grown apricots make a tasteless, not to say nasty, dish as a tart ; and the chances of there being large, well-flavoured fruit on the tree afterwards is considerably diminshed. Therefore I say let there be early and vigorous thinning' out of all wall fruits,, and plentiful supplies of weak liquid manure during the time the fruit is swelling. All wall fruit trees should now be syringed frequently to keep down' insects. An indiarubber tube is invaluable at this time of year, and syringing with sufficient force will dislodge and destroy hundreds of little depredators. Vines are now making rapid growth, and as they are late in perfecting their fruit, and our autumns are often cold and wet, every care should be taken to facilitate their natural growth by the aid of art. All useless shoots should now be cleared away. All the fruit-bearing shoots should be allowed to remain, and these should bo stopped just beyond the second leaf from the fruit as soon as the berries are formed.

Flower Garden. — Take up bulbs as tho leaves wither, and store. Thin out annuals, and transplant during moist weather or while rain is threatening. Continue to propagate fuchsias, geraniums, &c, from cuttings. Clip box and other edgings. Asters make showy beds, especially the Victoria, which produces large blossoms of beautiful form and brilliant colour. Stake hollyhooks, tying up the flower stalk as itgrows. Make another sowing of hardy annuals and perennials ; they will come in handy at the end of the season.' ■ ■ Greenhouse. — Give abundance of air to heaths, with strict attention to watering, picking off all flowers as the plants go out of bloom. Pot off seedling cinerarias and primulas, and increase the double varieties of the latter hy cuttings made of the crowns ; good loam with a little leaf mould suits them best. Put in petunias, both double and single ; they are of most use when flowering during late summer and autumn months, and if well attended to now will not fail to do good service.

asparagus Beans trussels Sprouts Borecale 'auliflower Cardon Jucumber Cress 'rench Beans Mustard 'arsnip J?ars!ey tadish String Beans lea Kale Turnip Beet Cabbage Carrot Bndiue Onion Peas Spinach Brocali IN HEAT. 'ucumber Melon r egetable Marrow Pumpkin FLOWER GARDEN. ill kinds of annuals. Squash Tomato.