THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2210, 9 July 1896, Page 8

THE GARDEN.

. OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK. FtowEn Garden.— Bulbs that are breaking 'through the soil should be cleaned (if r.nd some freeh coot siattered about to keep down the slugs. Borders of box edging or of violets that require cutting cr planting should receive early ittention. Borders of viohts that have been planted out more than three years seldom produce many flowers, as the growths become crowded and weak. The plhiiba should be dug up, a portion of the (strongest and healthiest runners selected and replant. d, and! the soil enriched with well -decajed manure, so as to hare an abundance' of violets during the w inter. A healthy vigorous growth during the season is mcessary, and this cannot be attained upon poor soil. The baatj variety for winter flowering is Lee's odoratissima, a large flower with long stalks. Kitchen Gamden.— Asparagus bads should be dressed without further delay, if not already finished. All established beds are much improved with a good t-priukiing of soot and f at in equal parts light- pointed in over the surface. The be&t time to plant out asparagus is in early spring, ju>t when the shoots are cimimencing to move. At this stag* the plan's rapidly heal and grow, and large growers prefer spring planting. Preparation for plariting should be carried on during the winter, as the soil should be trenched to. a depth of 2tt, with manure well worked through the soil iv each trench, and at planting the roots should be set 12in from plant to plant, and 18in between the rows. Some little extra trouble should be taken with an asparagus bed, ts it is net an annual affair, and ■whetf entered upon it should ba well done. A good deal of labour will be necessary during the next tire or three months in keeping down the weeds between the rows of parsnips, onions, &3., as it is impossible to kill them by ordinary toeing, as the eun is not sufficiently strong to kill them ; where possible they should be buried by a light digging, or removed off the ground altogether. As the present month advances, lug«r lowings of early potatoes should bo made. The sito should be selected with regard to a dry position, as we bo frequently get very heavy raini in August and September, that decay the sets in large numbers if the ground becomes at all wet or sloppy. Whole potatoes of a niadium cize are to bs prepared for planting right throughout this month. Eirly pea?, as they advance in growth, should ba staked before the haulm becomes entangled. Peas pay for the <xtra trouble &nd small expense of stakes in an increased yield and ease of picking. „ Fbuit Gakden.— When the soil is at all "sticky" the work of planting should be delayed for a few days, as trees planted when the soil is in this condition do not start readily into growth, and as there is plenty of work to go on with in tho shape of pruning no time need bo lost, »t this work should be pusheJ on and finished off as i oon as practicable. Bush fruits of all kinds should be the firat to receive attention. All cuttings, &s., should be carefully picked up and destroyed. Raspberry canes should be thinned out, leaviDg only six cf the strongest to each stand, and the height should be reduced to about 4ft, which will be found the most serviceable height in digging between the eeti or rows. Cara should bo taken not to out into the small fib:ous roots near the surface, as this causes too many suckers to be produced all over the bed. Some large growers advocate merely hoeing the beds deeply, applying manure " in form of a mulch, and they euccesd by this method in growing heavy crops. In considering" the piunipg of- larger fruit tre^s let any one look cvera number of apple trees and observe th.B fine, large fruit produced by properly pruned tree*, "and compare it with the small, inferior fruit grojung on trees that are never pruned— as many, especially in orchards, are— and the great advantage of pruning will be at once seen and understood. The trees tb&t do beat under pruning are these which have been pruned atmuftlly from t\ elr youth upwards ; but even long-neglected trees may be improved by the operation. Certain trees may require some particular form of pruning, but as a rule they are all done the came way, and in applying the operation generally, never allow the branches to remain so thick and olose together from one year to' another tbat the sun and ftir will not play on them freely when they are covered with toliaga. Any ore, no' matter how little they know of pruning, could surely prune a tree on that principle, and it is the most important operation of all. Dead branches should never be allowed to remain. Young wood should be left to replace these. Branches well furnished with fruit buds for a long distance are much better than those destitute of buds on all but a little thick bunch at the point. There are always many side branches formed during the summer on the main branches, but few of these are needed to retain the fertility of the trte, and at pruning time three-parts or more of them should be removed. Do not cub young trees down very hard in the upward branches, and large trees should always have a few young branches coming up. Use a sharp knife or saw for large branches in pruning, and make the cuts clean and neat. Gbeenhotjsb —At this dull season, when •there it very little root action, many plants in pots become stagnant, often through over-water-ing, which is shown by a green mossy growth upon the surface of the soil. This should be removed by slightly prioking the toil over with a pointed stick. All kinds of plants are much benefited by this treatment, unless the plants axe at rest, ai it has the same effeot upon them as hoeing upon crops in the open air. Great care is now neceisary in watering pob plants, »nd no water should bs thrown about the floors tnd stages, as there is abundant moisture in the

atmosphere to supply the requirements of the plants. Large plants of ferns that show signs of ripening their fronds should have less water at the roots than usual, as even ferns are benefited by & partial rest. Still they should never be allowed to become dußt dry, as this kills many of the roots.