OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK

Otago Witness, Issue 2273, 23 September 1897, Page 8

OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK

Kitchen Garden. — Ia forming ospaiagus beds ihe old sjstem of ciatnming a large number of plants into a small space i-i abandoned in England and a modification of the continental system adopttd. It consists in planting individual plants and girinjf them an ample area in which, by the aid of generous treatment, they can develop themselves to the fullest f-xteut. 'Ihe situation of the ground where a-paragus is cultivated is of some iioportauce ; it should be in an open quarter, aud tho ground should be at least 2ft deep, the subsoil, if of hard clay, bsinc: removed altogether. The compost should consitt'of loam, peat, saud, and well-rotted manure in equal proportions. Tbeie mutismls being mixed together, the beds may benaarked out4f t wi>ie, wilhZft *ll<rvS between ■them, a«d filled with the onipost. When the soil has aetlled down, the surface nan- be levelled and made ready for planting. Take 2in.of soil off the bed, and having marked out two Uhps a foot om either aide of the ceat>e, mark the places for "the plants 2ft apart. It has been recommended l>y experts not to plant out asparagus until the ■beds have started growth (taking great care to keep the loots from getting dry), and to plant oaly those with strong Ouds or shoot?, lor a thin zpindle fehoot indicates small " grass " in future. Spread out the roots carefully on the surface, replace the soil which had ■been thrown out, aud press it iirmly about the roots. A Btnall stake s-honld be placed so as to indicate the position of each plant, and a good mulching completes the work. General work will include seed sowing, planting out cabbages and cauliflowers, and destroying the weeds, which are coming up in myriads, when the surface soil is dry.

Flower Garden.— The work of planting shrubs should be finished as expediiiously a3 possible. See that those previously planted are firmly etaked, if necessary, also that a mulching of short litter or grass froui the lawn has been put round <>ach plant. No time must be lost in transplantI»g autumn-sown annuals, also biennials. Auriculas coming forward for bloom will need shade from bright sun and all the air possible. Exposure to cold air is, however, to he guarded against, as the auricula is very susceptible of cold when expandine the blooms. Moderate supplies of water must also be given. Carnations, picotees, and pinks can be planted out where they are to bloom in good sound turfy loam well enriched with manure. Keep a sharp look-cut for the white grub, which trill eat the roots, and for rabbits, which will eat the grass. Established alpines may be top-dressed with a little fresh peat or leaf mould. v Fkuit Gaiiden.— Any grafting not yet done should be completed without further delay, and the grafts should be examined after rain, and any clay (if this old-fashioned method is adopted) which -has cracked or been in any way displaced should be renewed. Strawberry beds which have not yet had their surface mulched should now receive attention, so as to allow ample time for the weather to clear the strawy surface, and thus form a protection to the fruit, without which a large proportion of the finest fruit is destroyed by slugs and grit. The surface' soil around young trees should be well hoed, and in gardens where it is Impossible to water during a dry season a heavy mulchingof half -decayed manure should be applied •arly. This, to a very laree extent, will do away

with the necessity for aitificial watering and prolons the growing season very considerably. Iv localities wbeie giapes are giown in the open, any vines which have not set been tied into their positions shr.uld be thus treated at once, as the buds are. easily injured when onco staited mlogrowth.

GttRENHOUSB.— Iu potting plants it should bo borne in mind that a compost which suits a hardwooded vlfint i"» unsuitable for what arc termed soft-wooded plants, lfor the foimer, like the camellia, the soil cau hardly be too lough, and for the latter, which may be repr c p esented by the calceolaiia, the soil can hardly be too line, so that the roots may penetiatc every p\rt of it in a few months. Fuchsias may bs classed with tha Utter, and do best when annually shaken out of the soil, but gross feeders may hwe a somewhat rougher compost. Considerable atiention must now 1)3 given to removing faded flowers and any blooming plants which ate t»st their best. L*o not crowd the plant* in. bloom. Adozan cood specimens are worth a hundred indifferently-bloomed and badlygrown plants. Give plenty of ventilation to keep down the temperature, which rises rapidly with sudden burats of sunshine. Tuberous Uegonias ia the Flower Garden. (Field.) A hot and dry summer favours the showy zon&le pelargonium rather thau tuberous begonias. What proves ruinous to a good dUplay of geraniums actually suits the begonia, as ifc is duriog a showery season when the latter is at its best-. Not that it fails in a hot and dry summer. La<it season amply demonstrated ho n well it would succeed in a hot and dry time if only property treated. Tuberous begonias may be grown to perfectiou in the open air any summer, always provided nothing is left to chance. If given the sama~ti - eati«enb as answers fairly well in the c*se of zonale p(»largoniutng, they C4tmob be depended upon to flt/WBr fieely and to grow strongly in hot dry weather. No mistake »i*l be mado ia preparing for a drought each time begonias are planttd, as, unlike other bedding plants that ould be named, there is little likelihrod of their growing too strongly. The preparation of the plants is an iniporfcat-t detail. It is far less trouble, and most satisfactory in the end, to grow all the seedlings in nursery beds during the first season, and to bed them out; the following June. This admits of selections being ma.de and the olour of each marked, bo that they can titber be massed in seo&rate colours or mixed judiciounly. No matter how small the tubers nar be when lifted, they can be fcepb plump and sound during tbe winter — the smallest iv rand and the resti iv cool quarters, or under the same conditions as seed potatoes are wiuteivd. Early in March many of these tubers will be found growing, aud then is the tin;e to take them in band. Too often they are placed ting'y in small pots. No greater mistake can be made. Tuberous begonias that arc to be planted oub ought never to be potted. Not only do pots stunt them in growth while younp, but it will also be found that; much root-bound plants areex'crfinely flow in becom. iDg established iv the bed", fiom first to last comparing badly with those turned out of bo^es acd beds cf coil. Afc the present the dry tubers, home-grown or purchased, may be dis- I posed rather thickly in b*xes of light sandy loam and leaf soil, end placed in gentle heat, or even on a warm greenhouse shelf. The largest of them wilt most probably pu -h up two or more shootc, and, if well apart-, a division of tuber may lake place while yet the growths are quite ehorb. Dry the wounds with sand, and teiurn the divided tubers to the boxes. Ifc is a safe and easy method of increasing the stock of | plants, and it will also ba found tbat plants j with a single stem are more effective than ; those with several strong growths. None tf : the tubers should ha left in the boxes Jong enough to crowd and spoil each other. If only a few dczen are grown these may be given more room in other boxes of rich soil, while, if begonias are planted out by hundreds, then the best places for them in preparing for p'.antiug out are pits and frames,, planting them out Bin aparb in these. They could succeed either early potatoes or Neapolitan violets, and all they require is about 6in of rich light soil, or a mixture of equal parts of light loam and leaf soil, raising this up to within lfb of the glass. After plauting keep sc mewhat close, and shade from bright sunshioe for a week or more, afterwards ventilating freely and gradually accustoming the plants to what they will have to face in summer. Iq this way grand plants will be prepared, and if these are moved (as they easily may be) with a good ball of soil and roots, there will be no check to their growth, while the effect will be good from the first.

When begonias are plentiful we are apt to plant them too thickly, and to mass them ait?r the style of planting ia vogue 20 years ago, whereas they are much more effective when arranged thinly or in association with a varieby of other plants. Directly they grow into each other the beauty of their leaves is lost, a few extra flowers not affording sufficient compensation for this. Strong plants ought to be 15in aparb each way, lft answering for tho smaller ones. If the ground between them is carpeted with - Mesembijranthemutn cordifoliam variegatum, or one 6f the itonecrops, these serve to show off the begonias and also to beep tho soil cool and moist. I prefer to dot green iracsenas, grevilleas, acacias, aud other plants with elegant leaves with perhaps a few standard fuchsias, among begonias, and if these are nob

overdone, a showy, attractive, and beautiful combination results. It is during a wat time and ia tho early autumn that these begonias show to the greatest advantage, most other flowers Buffering by companion. Whether they shall be a success or not in a dry season largely depends upon circumstances. The sito intended for them ought to be freely manured, tLab obtained from a mixed fr.rm yard in preference to sables answering beet for hot light soils, and failing this, uso the best thoroughly rotten manure available. In any case dig deeply, breaking up the subsoil, but not bringing it to the turfaca. Soon after planting mulch thickly with either cocoanut fibre refuse, leaf soil, fine rotfcen manure, or old mushroom-bed manure. This mulching is essential, and if an occasional sobbing of water can bo given during hot dry weather, the begonias will be all the belter for it. They revel in a moist root run. MISCELLANEOUS. DDNEDIN SPRING SHOW. The Daily Times h*s the following about this fixture, which will have come off ere this appears in priut : — An unusually good display is anticipated at the Duned in Horticultural Society's Spring show on Wednesday. At the requtst of the committee of the society Mr A. Wilson has consented to exhibit specimens of the daffodils now in bloom in his garden. Theae will be pUced in separate specimen glasses and fully labelled, so that tbo^e who are interested ia this beautiful class of plants may ascertain the uamts of the various varieties. Unfortunately, owing- to the exceptional lateness of the season, many of Mr Wilsou's daffodils will l.Oj have expanded blooms in tim 9 for the show. There will, however, be enough to enable him to stage aa interesting collection-, including several varieties new to Dunedin. The series of doubles will be unusually complete, and will include such rare varieties as Cernuus plenus, Eystetfcensis, Pseudo-narcissus plenu", and others. Moreover, Mr W. Pickup, of Waikouaiti, has also consented to send down a good collection of flowers. In the evening a promenade concert will be held, the Garrison Baud contributing selections. Au important notice to exhibitors appear* elsewhere.

Asters like a deep, rich soil, and, if good blooms are wanted, must receive it. Planted in the ordinary w»y, they are mere weeds compared with those that are well fed and that cau get their roots down deep in search of moisture ; and when they can do this, the hotber the weather tbe better it suits them.

DOUBLE ZINNIAS

A neighbouring cottager grows thrse flower* so remarkably well that I may be excused for giving a few notes upon his method of treatment. Agaia^t tho fence of his garden be has fixed * box ; this is covered over with an old light, and here he sows the seed during spring. No heat is afforded, but the box is upon a mound of soil formed from rotten weeds. The seedlings are pricked out 2£in apart as soon a« they cz.n be handled. A tittle of the decayed material from a cucumber frame is annually mixed with the soil 1 i*wvioua to pricking out tbe seedlings. Sturdy plants are Secured in time for transferring to bsds in tha open. Experience has proved that zinnias are far better so raised than when afforded the aid of hoat, sturdy growth at the first; beiiig of the utmost importance. All shades from -white to the most intense velvety crirnaon are produced. Given not too rich a soil and plenty of water during summer and autumn, zinnias aro a picture. — !P.

(HiEPNHOaSK AND CONSERVATOR?

Where ferns are grown in suuny structures shade from sun is absolutely necessary. Where there are only a few plants, throw a sheet of newspaper over them bjr day. Fuchsias dislike sun too, and ought to be similarly shaded. Geraniums, petunias, and lilies p»efer bud, although their fl>wers do not last in good condition so long as vrhsm shaded from the sun.

A GIANT LILY

Lilium giganteum m&y b* truly Raid to be one of the noblest of the lily family. There may be more showy species so far as tha colour ot the r flowers is concerned, but there are none so imposiug or noble ia appearance as L. giganteum. It is an Indian specie?, a native of the Himalayas, and grows 4fb to 10ft high. The lesyves are large aDd broad — unlike those of other lilies — and the flowers white, tinged with purple. It requires to be grown in a sheltered corner in a deep, wide bed, in a compost of equal parti pea*, leaf-mould, loam, and silver sand. — S.

CLKIUIIS MONTANA.

This, says a Home paper, is the name of the beautiful white-flowered climber. It is a very common kind, but in no way unwelcome, being far preferable to the overdose of Virginian creeper one often gets in suburban districts. 0.-ie objection to this clematis is its rampant and untidy growth, and for this reason it is wise to restrict it to arbour, trelliees, and similar formations. When growth begius in spring, train in the young shoots, and out away during the Rummer all weakly wood, so as to give strong growth a chance to develop. These must be carefully preserved, as they bear ,the burden of white flowers in early Bummer. Ordinary garden soil suffices for this climber, especially if of a chalky tendency.

BHODANTHES IN POTS.

These miniature everlastings are grand for' window and table decoration in pots, and are best if sown early in spring. I have had some grand pots by following tbeso lines :— Several 48-size pots are prepared by placing a good crock in the bottom, then a small quantity of ashes, and about three par tß filled with lather coarse and rich foil, finishing off with a fine sandy compost. Very slightly cover the seed, aud stand the pots in a warm greenhouse temperature until germinated. Place on a shelf in a cooler place, aud do not water too freely until they are some four to fire inches- high. Damp ia a great enemy at this period. Later on they need a large amount of water, and weak liquid niauure is beneficial as the buds form. Bhodanthes are Very impatient; of tobacco fumes, so that aphis must be killed by sytinging and care taken that the plants are never left in a house while fumigation is being carried out. It is well to sow the seed about three-quarters of an inch apart.

DAY LILIES

Among hardy border plants the day lilies (Hemerocallis) make a flee show during the summer. The flowers are individually somewhat short-lived, but they are produced successively, and in such abundance as to make up for this defect. All the apeeies are of the easiest culture, are very strong-growing plants, and most of them are admirably adapted for planting in shrubbery b»rder« or for growing in clumps in moist places.

SWEET PEA. — CDPID.

A dwsrf gweet pc& is indeed a novelty, and this pretty little plant needs no stick or support, but trails about on the ground something after the fashion of a verbena. The flower ii pure white, and as large as the flowers of the ordinary kinds, but the dwarf growth mak«s a new way oE treatment possible by sweet pea lovere. Cupid may be planted- in front of. UH-srowioK thinas ; it make* a oapifcal

carpet for gladiolas, for instance. It is a firstrate pot plant, and most useful for window boxes, stone vases, and flower stands, while it is a very free bloomer, and as a bedder makes a green carpet thickly studded with white.