THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2059, 10 August 1893, Page 4

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. Kitchen Garden.— The time is at hand for sowing the great majority of kitchen garden seeds. Sow parsley, peaß, and beans to succeed former sowings. Take the first opportunity after the middle of the month to get the onion crop sown— namely, as soon as tbe condition of the ground will admit of the work being done without the Soil adhering to the feet. It is a gpod practice to sow the onion crop on ground previously cropped with celery. After the celery has been taken up, and laid in the ground to the same depth as it was before, in a suitable place, the ground is simply dug, trodden over, and made level with a wooden rake. Then a surface dressing of fresh soot, of sufficient thickness to cover the ground, is laid on, and the drills are drawn about lin deep and 12in apart, into which the seeds are sown thinly. This done, tbe soil is closed over the seed with the feet, trodden over, and afterwards raked over with a medium-sized iron rake in the same direction as the drills are running, the whole piece presenting a fine even surface when finished. The annual use of soot by strewing it over the ground before sowing such crops as onions, carrots, parsnips* turnips, and the planting of breadths of young lettuce plants, results in perfect freedom from the attacks of the grub, wireworms, &c. As a matter of fact, few insects are to be found in ground annually dressed with soot, which is not only a purifier, but also a good fertiliser of the soil. Fruit Garden.— The work of planting trees should be pushed forward, and, if possible, all stone plants should be planted within the next few weeks Apples and pears may be planted much later with perfect safety, yet by no means should planting be delayed longer than is absolutely necessary, as we have frequently pointed out the danger is in late planting being succeeded by a dry spring and summer. No manure need be added to the soil in planting tbe trees unless upon very light and sandy Boils, in which case a few shovelfuls of thoroughly decayed stable manure should be well mixed with the soil and not brought into immediate contact with the roots. jßonedust is an excellent manure for fruit trees, is easy of application, and is of great benefit to trees that snow signs of exhaustion from over cropping or other causes. Where it is intended to graft trees of established growth, but which are deemed unsuitable or unprofitable, with other varieties of known merit, the leading branches may be partially cut back, leaving such branches that are torecejvethe scions about 18inor 2ftjonger than it is intended, which should be finally cut off at the time of grafting in September. The scions of the various varieties should be taken off and healed in the soil very deeply in order to keep them as fresh as possible until they are required for working. Flower Garden. — Prune cjimbing and other hardy kinds of roses at once, and a portion pf the stack, of Hybrid perpetuals may also be cut feack, but leave the bulk until next month, especially in cold districts, jfn performing this operation it is necessary to distinguish between the vigorous, moderate, and weak-growing kinds. Tbe first should only be thinned out and shortened to sound wood to secure a maximum or bloom ana healthy progress ; the second haye alj the strongest growths cut back to five or' six buds or eyes only, and the last to not more than three, as a rule, all weak and dead growth being removed in all cases.