WORK FOR THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 1966, 29 October 1891, Page 5

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

Kitchbn Q-abdkk I.—The1 .— The thinning oiitfof advancing crops is one of those matters which will not admit of delay. The work should be done if possible when the ground is web' after rain, as the plants can then be pulled out without Id jury to those intended to/remain. J?pr carrots and parsnips there shonldjie a-apaoo bet weed' each plant <?f^>ta in the rows! *Tn growing ridge cucumbers a trench should be dtig 4ft 'wide and lft Bin d<;6p, K w.bioh can be filled with Jpng, stable manure an4,j£ave<vpr 4 ari.y- o£',"the f weeds which iuwa beeniß«^ed^x>fftb^i^om^J*\TJie' ridge may be raided about' lft 1 Wii abf>ye>tne;iunaise-aDd trodden down. At intervals 'of "sft 'upon the 'B3ge place a barrowful of prepared rich compo.it, _in which the plants .can be set when'- ttfey are 1 "propfcrly hardened off.., .It Jo, however, .advisable to.proteot fchem with handlight.s during the night" until the' middle of next month; and until', the, plants have got a fair hold of the soil the handlighta should remain on during the day, being- whitened to give, shade from the sun. An easy and successful method Of Win^ vegetable „ marrows, punmldni. and gourds is to make/* few holes in a rubbTiffnfeap of. weeds, fill with light soil, and put two or three seeds in eaoh. Make a Isowing.of champion of England, ne plus ultra, and the marrow peas to come in for use in February. Another sowing of Seville long'po'dJbrQqJd beans iho i u'ldiale6' be madev Kun< the jputoh ;hoe b^fc^een -onidtis, OErrotß.-dawniprjiSo ,' and fctiekadvaricing,cropCpf."peaß. *\, *>' "M 1 " . Flower Gabdbn.— All the bedding arrangements should be decided upon at once, as it is time the hardy varieties were, planted. ,lij -tb^e arrangement fl of colours preference sliouid be given to the : ''quiet tints," whirh are infinitely more enjoyable than the " loud" colouring derived from the employment, of. scarlet pelargoniums, and yellow ealceblsrms. 'The eye soon tires of these warm tints, and turns for relief to. the. .cool blues. of Jbhe .memophila or the tender greys of the ageratum. It is not advocated that the beds of brilliant colour-should be discarded, but that they should have less space devoted to them, and that they should be toned down by using central and dot plants among them of such -things as grevillia robusta or any of the yuccas or arbutilons, which would not only relieve the glare of high but break the flat turfaoes of the beds. All teedJings ot asters, phlox Drummondii, and lobelia sfcould be thinned and pricked out to form sturdy plautß for the borders. Ornamental gratsei should be sown where thej are to remain, as they do not transplant readily. Sow sweet peas and mignonette at *hort interval* to secure a succession of bloom. Q-bbekhousk. — The achimenes is a most useful addition to the groups of plants in the conservatory, and when well done there is no flowering plant which presents so attractive a feature. The baskets for, them should be made of galvanised. ware, sufficiently close when well lined with moss' to preves o the soil being washed through when watering. SXd plants sliouid be first started in shallow pans noutaining a mixture of sifted 1 eat .mould and loam. Given a little bottom heat the plants ( wll]i soon begin to worjt inithia.and when tbey are 3in high they may be planted heads outward all over the bottom and sides of the baskets. Then fill up with good leaf m6uld,' peat, loam; and a sprinkling of land. The upper surface' of the basket can. then be planted, and at the plants grow, train them to neat sticks, to as to cover the baskets, and form complete globes of flowers. They mutt have plenty of light to keep them short'pointed and free in the bloom. As companions to these' tanging baskets a few may be arranged with a fern in the centre and edged with selagineils to hang down. Tomarira glbba and asplenlum belangerii are good centre ferns for the pnrppßp. Keep the bouse more Jike ■£ stove by closingi^early and by utfog plenty oP water on the floors, and stages. ' ' • '-