CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 1890, 10 February 1888, Page 9

CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK.

Vegetable Gardkn.— The rereiit rains have made a marked improvement in this department, and vegetables of all kinds are s-priuguig away luxuriantly. Continue, as time and space permit, to plant broccoli, savoys, Brussels sprouts, &3,, for winter. Make n small sowing of Flauders spinach, to succeed the last sowing of the round or summer variety. Make also sowing of York and Vauack cabbage for winter and early spring use. A plob of onions intended for spring should now bts sown rather thick. Pull ghalots, and lay them on a gravel walk or dry ground for a few days before removing them to the storeroom. Pull and save onions as soou as they are ready. Plant out some York cabbages, •which will come to maturity in early winter; the drills may be lft apart, and the plants Gin asunder in thu row. This is ample room for the dwarf kinds, as every alternate plant can be removed while young. Continue successional sowings of cos lettuce. The last sowing of early stone and white globe turnips should bo made as early in the month as circumstances will permit. Too much attention cannot now be directed towards securing an ample supply of salads and other miscellaneous vegetables for winter use.

Flower Garden. — Single dahlias are now at their gayest. These aud all flowers that require stakes must now be properly secured ; the chrysanthemums, for example, will require this attention, for as the autumn comes gradually on, so also will these showy flowers, the last hope, for the moat part, of our outdoor flower show. During this mouth the flower garden is more brilliant with blossom than at any other time of the year, and with care aud industry this pleasing picture of. the pets of the parterre may be preserved far into the succeeding month, if the removal from time to time of all fading flowers and foilage bo strictly attended to.

The very interesting operation — and one well adapted for the delicate manipulation of female fingers— of budding roses may be continued. After the bud has been fixed, ib is a good plan to cover it with a little ino->s, and, should hot dry weather cont ; uue, it will further assist the desired object— viz , the union of the bud with the Btock, by dumping tho moss from time to time for the first few days after budding. Those plants ordinarily called bedding-out subjects, arc now, where they have been regularly watered, in perfection. Where well planned and judiciously carried out, ribbon borders and mosaic bods have a very gorgeous and handsome appearance. To keep them inconstantand profuse bloom during the whole spason, it will only be necessary to cut off all the blossoms as soon ».s they begin to fade. There is nothing to be gained, but much to bo lost, by leaving the summer denizens of the flower border to run to seed, in fact some of the plants — geraniums for example — become really unsightly when their seed; vessels are maturing. It is far preferable to cut off all flowers that are past their prime, and keep the bloom and beauty of the parterre uninjured for as long a time as possible, than attempt to save seed of anything that is not really extra good. Preparations should now bo made for getting ready beds to receive the seeds of herbacsous perennial and biennial plants for blooming next fleasou. No paius should be spared in getting Buitablc soil and a good situation for these beds. The soil should be very fine aud Bome\vhat rich, friable, au.l without stones or other hard lumps, and before sowing the seed be raked evenly over. If there bo no rain ab the time of sowing the Beed, or soon after, the bed will require watering through the fine rose of a watering can ; but it must be remembered that if watering is once ueguu it must bo continued at regular intervals, or it would be much better left alone altogether. The seed should bo thinly scattered over the soij, and lightly covered. When of sufficient height to handli) without injury, the young plants may be pricked out a few inches apart, so as to give them ample space in which to grow, and late in autumn be transplanted to where it is desired thoy shall produce their flowers next season.

Pus and Frames.— All stork in these should »c freely ventilated, except, of course, such as are in the condition of cuttings, which must be kept close till they are rooted. Ericas aud cpacris and other hardwooded greenhouse plants should havo a very full exposure to light » Q d air; it is beat to remove tho lights from the «ames wholly, only putting tbera ou, in fact, to protect the plants from hoavy thunder showers and continuous rain.