THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1880, 2 December 1887, Page 9

THE GARDEN.

OPERATIONS FOR DECEMBER. (December corresponds to June at Home. Temperature, 564.) SKEDS TO BK SOWN. Him (last cidn) Broccoli (walehevcr) Mitage ( f or ca Uvorts) Odrrot (early h orn) Mustard and Cress French Beans Lettuce ; Endive Peas (early sorts) j Sadisli ; itunner Beans Spinuch ; Turnip. ! Annuals for late blooming, and Melon in hot-bed. CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK. Kitchen Garden. — All crops, such as early peas, cauliflowers, &c, which are required to be nought to a high state of perfection in the sbrtest time possible, should receive regular ipplications of liquid manure, the soil having ken previously loosened with a fork to admit 'he liquid to permeate the mass more thoroughly, mil also to produce a surface less favourable to evaporation. Further advantages arising from irequeutly stirring the soil are the more free Emission of the sun and air, and the prevention oi the advance of weeds. Select dull, showery weather to prick out into nursery beds young seedlings of celery, cabbage, &c, and also to transplant the most forward plants of earlier •offings. Continue to sow peas, broad and ikluey beans in succession, according as the last towing immediately appears, above ground. Furnish peas of former sowings with stakes as Vfcn as they are a fow inches over ground. Thin, Weed) and water all vegetable crops, and H no part of tho ground remain unoccupied. Make regular sowings of turnips, also spinach, lettuce, and other salads ft the end or every fortuifjht or three weeks. Sow likewise a bed of carrots and another of onions, for use in a young state. Small roots of beot being gener- % preferred, a late crop of this vegetable •ioulcl now be sown. Make a sowing of nonpareil cabbage for late autumn and winter use, wd Knight's protecting broccoli for tho end of ipring. Tie the leaves of garlic in knots, to check the production of flowers,- and to promote thereby the development of bulbs. Flower Garden. — Succession batches of the following hardy annuals may now be sown if 'quired — viz., Virginian stock, gillia, collinsia, Venus looking-glass, neaiophila, most of which 'roer in a short time after sowing. Thin all januals previously sown ; three or four plants ia a patch will prove moru effective than a larger number if crowded for space. Plant out tender januals, and everything else tender in character, if not already done. Roots of anemone, rarumtalus, tulip, and hyacinth may be lifted from the ground when the leaves turn yellow. They should, he dried slowly, and when tlie foliage is luite dry, trim and store them away in a cool dry place in paper bags till autumn, each sort ty itself. Carnations and all such weakstemmed things, should have neat stakes put to them before they become top-heavy. Roses, R hen large, fine flowers are desired rather than toiny small ones, should be gone over and tinned, taking away the least promising buds. % growth also of bushy plants should be tinned by taking the weakest shoots out. The fork of budding may be commenced about the end of the month, or as early as the bark will 'fee freely under the knife. If plants on their foots are preferred to those on the manetti or »&y other stock, this is a capital time for layerlD!! such sorts as are not easily rooted by cuttings. '■The Greenhouse. — The shading of plants in "Ower should now receive careful attention in °rder to prolong their freshness and beauty, shadings of size of any kind or colour at e objectionable on the score of their permafcence. They exclude light on dull days as well *son bright ones, but their comparative cheapJ&s make them popular. Still the cheapness of 'iffany or any other of the fabrics now so easily procured for floral shading, combined with the C() nsideration that they maj' with care in storing them away dry during winter be made to last ••o seasons, .should lead tn their bting more 3-m!!y used than they are. They will be found touch more satisfactory, and the difference in c °st is merely in the first outlay. It may in a general way be said that watering can hardly now be overdone. The only caution "ecessary relates to newly potted plants an( l seedlings in a small state. The latter J^cn of a delicate nature should be watered by 'Emersion rather than by the watering pot over"cad; when dry simply dip the pot or pan staining the seedlings in a* tub of water long e "°ugh to moisten the soil, but avoid wetting tilß toliage. Newly-potted plants should ba sparingly watered till thpy have struck well into

the new soil with their roots> after which they will require the ample supplies of established plants. Insects of all kinds should be anticipated in their attacks by periodical fumiga* tions or syringings, and by every means keeping the plants in good health* which is the best preventive of trouble from these enemies. Free but not draughty ventilation, the prevention of checks to growth by stagnation, drought, or any other cause, are maxims that every cultivator should keep constantly in mind at this season, when results may be so easily made or marred.

Hardy Fruit Garden.— Whenever it is intended to carry out the finger and thumb principle of pruning, instead of the use of the knife, the greatest activity is now required. To allow wood to be produced, which must not only be again cut away, bub which during its growth is materially damaging to the portion that is finally to remain, displays an amount of bad management which cannot fail to manifest; itself to every reflecting mind. Thin out the young shoots which have been thrown up by the raspberry stools, leaving, according to their strength, six or eight of the best ; these will produce fine, strong canes, from which arches can be formed at the next winter pruning. They would also be useful in tying to rails at that period. Any young shoots appearing at a distance from the old stools might be left to form plants which can be taken up in winter to furnish new plantations, if such are likely to be required. The stopping, thinning, and training of the peach and nectarine shoots must now receive the most careful attention, so as to secure a sufficiency of well-matured and fruitful wood of moderate strength. Continue to stop any exuberant shoots, as their wood is utterly useless, and they exhaust the sap which ought to go to swell the fruit. Large 6hoots treated thus will produce laterals, which are to be removed except one or two of the most convenient ioc laying in. The strongest of the medium sized shoots should also be stopped at lengths varying with their strength # from 12in to 18in, and the weaker shoots at 'from Bin to 12in. This stopping will cause many laterals to be produced, but only one of which should ba retained, and that at she point of each shoot ; the object being to maintain a healthy activity at the roots, and secure an escape of any super-abundant sap. This practice is always beneficial, especially in cold, late situations, as it causes the energy of the plant to be early directed to tho maturing of the wood and the formation of fruit-buds for another season. When shoots are permitted to go ahead unchecked, leaf-buds only are formed, and the trees seem so crowded as to indicate the presence of too many shoots, whereas the real fault lies in the fact that they have been allowed to grow too long. Not more should bo allowed to remain, than are required to fill up tho portion of the wall allotted to each tree. MISCELLANEOUS. v The tree from which water can be obtained even in the driest weather is ti native of Madagascar, and is called the " traveller^ tree." It looks like a great expanded fan. Water is obtained by piercing the thick part of tho base of a lenf-sttilk. Ench stalk yinlds 'about a quart, and it is always pure and pleasant to the taste. In 1882, from Guernsey, 27,633 baskets of tomatoes were despatched. In 1883 they had increased to 44,600. In 1884, they exceeded 52,600; in 1885, 70,000; and in 18861, over 80,000. This year it is believed they will show the enormous output of 100,000 baskets of this popular fruit. The Tasmanian shrub— the waratah (Telopea truncata,) has recently flowered freely in the Christchurch public domain. It is one of the most splendid flowering shrubs in cultivation, .bearing large trusses of vivid scarlet flowers at "the tips of the branches. The plant does well in New Zealand on good soils, and proves perfectly hardy, but is naturally of slow growth. The generic name is said to be derived from three aboriginal words, meaning " seen from afar," and if this be true it is very appropriate, as no more conspicuous plant is known in Tasmania. It is common throughout that island at 2000 ft to 4000 ft altitude.— Canterbury Times.