THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2104, 21 June 1894, Page 4

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

Fhuit Gajiden. — Pruning and planting are the principal things to be attended to for the next two months — planting especially should be gone on with whenever the weather and state of the soil permits. In planting apples a rule should be made not to decide upon too many varieties, but to select a few of theleading sorts and plant largely of those. Many people ordering trees, say, from 12 to 50, frequently plant as many varieties, which in the course of a few years will be found to be a great mistake, and

much valuable time will be lo&t. It is no doubt very desirable to have a considerable variety of fruits ; but the error is often made by beginners of selecting too many sorts by way of experimenting upon the merits of various kinds, and m nine cases out of ten many of the outside varieties are, after the lapse of a few years, cut down, when the trees should have been producing good crops. Plant largely of such apples as Stunner, Celleni, Cox's Orange Pippin, Alfriston Dumelow, Scarlet Pearmain, New York Pippin, Crow's Egg, Stone Pippin, Reimette dv Canada, French Crab, and in some localities Hawthornden. These will be found to include the best dessert, cooking, and keeping apples, are always in demand and find a ready sale, and are good croppers. Continue to plant out strawberries and raspberries. Kitchen Garden.— Asparagus may still be Planted out as advised in a late issue, and all old beds should have their annual dressing of decayed manure, and pointed over as soon as possible now, and left for the winter. The latest crops of celery should be kept well heeled or earthed up, or sharp frosts will injure the leaf stalks and cause the plants to decay. Autumn sown onions will need to be kept free from weeds, which grow very freely at this time ot the year, and if not checked soon choke the plants.

Gheenhouse, Fjrames, &c— Cinerarias and primulas will require careful watering at this season of the year, particularly if the pots are not well filled with roots. It is better to allow them to become quite dry than to get them soddened, which decays the young roots, and they flag and go off suddenly, apparently without cause. Such of these plants as are well established and with pots full of roots, should have the help of a little weak liquid manure about every second or third watering. Petunias for early spring flowering should be potted off singly into 4in pots, and as soon as they show signs of starting the point of each shoot should be taken off to induce a dwarf, compact growth to form near the pot. They should be allowed abundance of air at all times when the weather

is favourable, protecting them from keen cutting winds and frosts. Pelargoniums of the regal and show types should be stopped as soon as they have made a few pairs of leaves. The plants must be placed in a light and airy part of the greenhouse, kepb near the glasa ; and should any green fly appear they must be immediately fumigated or dipped in some preparation, aa green fly increases at a very rapid rate and soon injures the growth. Ferns should now be allowed to rest by keeping them much drier than has been the case during summer and autumn ; no water will need to be thrown about them now in the middle of the day. The fronds, if properly matured, should remain fresh right through the winter. In raising these plants for table decoration they should not be kept closed up in a dry warm room for any length of time together, gas being very destructive to the young and tender fronds. Hyacinths, tulips, &c, which have been potted in order to flower early in pots should, as soon as they are well above the soil, be placed in a front part of the greenhouse with plenty of light and air to prevent them from becoming drawn up and weak. Verbenas and other summer bedding plants in pots must be kept clean and free from mildew. A slight sprinkling of sulphur will keep the mildew in check. Bouvardias which were grown in pots during the summer will continue to flower far into the winter if they can be kept in a warm part of the greenhouse, as these plants are particularly adapted for winter blooming. The flowers are exceedingly beautiful and in many varieties sweetly scented. Calceolarias must be potted off out of the seed pans and store boxes as Boon as the young plants show signs of starting to grow freely. The plants must be kept in a cold, shady frame, as they are most impatient of heat, which soon oauses them to become infested with green fly.