THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2309, 2 June 1898, Page 8

THE GARDEN.

OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK.

Flower Gabden.— A start should now be made in propagating the chrysanthemums for another season. Even wheva these popular autumn flowers are grown for garden decoration only it is quite •worth while renewing the plants each season by striking cuttings, as much move vigorous plants are the result, and consequently a liner display of bloom. The latest flowering- varieties should be the firefc to receive attention, iK-lecling strong healthy suckers, which should be made into cuttings and inserted into <rery sandy soii, and placed In a cold frame if "one ig, available, failing which place in a sheltered and shaded position in the open air. After well watering the cuttings in they will not require much for several weeks, beyoud a casual examination to pick off any decaying leaves to prevent them damping off. Care is necessary to keep each sort separately named, as mistakes are very easily made at this seasou, and are very annoying later on ' when it is too late to remedy. After all the varieties have had cuttings taken off the old stools they should be removed and destroyed, so as to enable the soil to be dug up and exposed to the weather for the winter. The above treatment is much better than the old style at this season of the year of taking a division of each and replanting at once, as when kept as cuttings they are more under control, and not being planted out uutil well rooted and the weather has. became warm, growth sets in at nnce and the plants receive no check and start to grow. The work of planting out should be carried on whenever the state of tut soil is favourable, and on no account) should any planting be done while the soil is we Is and sloppy, as the roots resent this treatment aud do not take kindly to the coil when worked in such a condition. The present season is a favourable time for planting out various kinds of heaths, thau which no more beautiful or useful plant adorns our

gardens. With a caieful selection they can be Bad in flower throughout the whole year. They require very little attention beyond keeping them supplied with water during the summer, and cutting them back freely after they have finished flowering. The best soits to plant are Hybrlda, Cavendislii, Wilmoreaiia, Bowiana, Hymiali's, Cerinohinoides, Coronata, aud the Veutricosas. These last-named kinds gfct slightly nipped with the frost ; but it does not injure them very mucb, as they break out into growth again and flower profusely. All the heaths require a sandy soil to grow ijj. Wber« the ordinary soil of th&garden isatall stiff or heavy remove a barrow.ful of soil and replace with i* mixtuxa of peaty, sandy soil, such as the wiul heath ot epaeeis is found growing in ; mix this well with & portion of the surrounding soil, aud plant out the jroung plant in the ceatre. Dryaesi at the root, is the principal cause of tbe failure of the heath, boroma, azalea, aud other similar plants which are very finely rooted. If once allowed to become really drj\ the c&ances are that the plant will die, as all the fine fibrous roots are killed.

Fbuit Gardbn.— -The pruning of all kinds of. fruit should now 'be gone'oiT with, .as also the planting out of young trees or the formation of new orchards. Ttie earlier the trees are planted, the better their chance -of becoming- established" before the dry weather sets in , next season. Gooseberries, currants, and other small fruit may also ba planted out during this and the "next two months. Fruiting can be gone on with when plantiug cannot b"e fpllowecl up, and all shoots and cuttings should' be gathered up and burnt. In pruniDg young trees discretion should be used so aa to lay the foundation of the future tree ; select strong, vfell-foriued lenders, so as to secure a well-balanced head. Too much length, of wood must not be left at any one stuaou, or there will remain too long » space unfurnished .with spurs, as the buds will not break the whole length of long shoots* Peach and nectarine trees do not, require such hard pruning as is given to most other trees ; as much healthy young growth as possible should be retained, cutting away the older growths, as these fruits bear upon the growths of the previous sea- ■ sqnjiind^if care is exercised iv cutting out the branches a succession "or healthy growths will result, as latent buds will start from the baseband continually furnish the lower parts of the tree, which should be aimed at.

Kltchen Garden. — All vacant spaces should be cleaned off without delay aad dug over roughly, so as to leave as much of the' suiface as possible exposed to the actiou of Cho weather. The winter soil thus treated more than pays for tbe extra labour expended upoK it, as spring crops thrive much better in such soils. If- weeds are allowed to grow_ upon vacant beds_ at this season much trouble is giveu later on with slugs, as these iv. crease rapidly under the shelter thus afforded. In dry situations, especially where water is nob available during the summer, efforts should be made to trench a portion of the kitchen garden each season, as, if. trenched frorulßin to24in deep,' vegetables of all descriptions will do bettor and wilt not need water to anything like the extent .frhicb is absolutely necessary upon shallow soils. Amateurs should take care, iu-wever, to ratftin the surface soil on the top, as we have seen soil ' ' raidered almost valueless thiouga brirsgiisg to the surface unworkable subsoils. The winter months, afford a good opportunity for such as more land' is now vacant. A second sowing of . broad beans -should now be made ; either broad ■ Windsor, longpod, or Mazagan are suitable. Where slugs are troublesonie'among newly-planted cabbage and cauliflower, . the pUnts should be late at nighi; with fresh slaked lime. Unless the lime can applied tbua while the slugs are feeding its application as a preventive is useless.. U3 after itt bad «iico beeu claimed they will

travel over it without injury. It is a good plan to occasionally sow fresh bran on Ihe ground between the plants, then the second night sow lime all over ; the slugs will feed greedily oa the hi an, and be out from under leaves, etc., and to the lirue will kave more effect.

Tine Culture. . TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — I should be greatly obliged if the writer of your gardening columns would publish a few hints on the treatment of a vine under glass. When should ifc be~pruned, and how ? Does ifc require much manure, aud of what sort ? Does ifc require ranch ventilation ? Should the vinery be kept damp or dry at present. ? — I am, &c, May 21. Black Hamburg.

By way of reply I cannot do better than quote the following interesting article from Amateur Gardening. The difference in the seasons will, of course, require to be allowed for in the few case 3 where months are mentioned :—: — GRAPE VINES IN AUTUMN. Ma»y amiteurs who have a vine or two planted in their greenhouses are desirous of keeping the fruit in good condition as long as possible, but owing to the space beneath being required for wintering other plants, they find that the damp from these causeß the berries to soon decay. This is particularly so where the foliage has been allowed to become ovorcrowded. y When the fruit is ripe, which it certainly should be by this time, the shoots may be cut back to one leaf over the bunch ; I this will admit tbe sun and light to the plants beneath, and allow of a free circulation of air among3fc the bunches. It is not good policy to attempt to keep grapes en vines for any length of time where plants have to be grown beneath them, as the one likes a dry atmosphere with a free circulation of air, while the other a more growing atmosphere. So long as grapes are kept in a tempera ture of about 40deg. they will remain plump if free from damp, whereas too much fife heat would cause them to shrivel. Vines from which the grsp?s have been cub should have air admitted to them freely both nigh'j and day. As soon' as the leaves have fallen, pruning ought to receive attention, that the wounds may heal over before the sap again becomes active. Pruning is a simple matter like everything else to those who have had experience, but to those who have had no practice it is arfiffieulb task. If, for example, we take a young vine that has been planted one year, and has made :» strong cane, fcfae inexperienced would ba puzzled to know where to cufcitback to. Now much would depend on what euoh vinesaie required for, or bow they have beea grown. Suppose, for example, it is intended to force them, so as to have the fruit xipeia April or May.^ and afterwards destroy them, then all the fruit possible should be grown on them, 80 that it will be necessary to Jeave a good length of rod for thafc purpose, say from 6ffc to 7ffc. Pcfc vines are. however, usually used for this purpose. Ycung vines not intended for forcing must be pruned according to their strength. If weakly canes, then noS more fhan a Foot of young wood should be allowed on the main rod, but if well grown' and thoroughly matured tfaeu from 4ffc to sft, according to their strength. Where the rods have already reached the top of the howee in which they are growing all that is necessary in the way of pruning will ba to cut back the young growth on the spurs to one or two eyes, the latter being preferable. - IE more than one shoot has been allowed to .grow from a spur, ail : but one should be remeved, a3 there is nothing l gained by having the wood 100 much crowded, I as it cannot get thoroughly developed, the consequence being a poor spindly growth with halfdeveloped buds. When vines are grown in greenhouses the fruit is not usually ripe till late in the autumn, the consequence being ill-matnre.d wood. Where such is the case ifc is preferable to apply a little fire heat if possible, and ventilated freely so as to have a warm, dry atmospaere ; this vnll check growth and help the wood to mature. The shoot 3 should also be partly cut back where there is the least overcrowding, to admit fell the light possible. I am no advocate for stripping the bark off \ vines unless they have been attacked with naea]y j bug; then it becomes absolutely necessary, es j they hMe under the bark and in tbe devices in such a manner thafc ifc is oifficulfc to dislodge them. Vinea thafc are so infested fh'..'.if<i i, ; *vo all the loose bark removed aud uftpisauih be thoroughly scrubbed with soft-soap water to which a little paraffin has been added ; they should then be painted wish a compoaifcioa consisting of clay, soot, and newly-slaked lima in equal parts, made the consistency oi" paint by adding a little soft-soap water. His far better' to dig up vine# that, are badly ksfssfed and re- \ plant fchaxs to bother with trying to i\6 them ot this troublesome pesfcT" Vine borders will also need attention afc this time 01 the year, particalarly v those, inside, as f such soon become exhausted. The soil item ! those that are infe&led with bug should be re- ! raoved fco the depth of 3iu or 4in, and this should ba wheeled oa to the' garden plot and -ander, being replacud with a rich eumposfc j consisting of grouud bones, ' blood manure, I shopped loam, and a little s.oot. Tee border I t)ughfc to be slightly loosened before putting on \ the top dressing ; the whole should then bs j thoroughly watered to settle it down. There are many things to be considered before good j grapes can be produced. In the first pluots a i good border is essential, aa vines are gross ! feeders, and unless they have plenty of food ; within their reach ifc ia impossible to produce j good grapes of the fineßfc qualif.y. A raateurs, as a rule, have not the time to spare to pay every attention to them during the growing season in the way of watering &t.d feeding, S therefore if a proper border ia made at the first f onset much of the after labour will be j saved. S,oiae are under the Impression that vines will grow in almost any kind of soil, bub such is nob so, as they ate most particular in this respect, otherwise we ! should nofc see co aaany failures even with those ! who make this a business. To taake 1 a good j vine border does nofc so much depend on the J amount of material used as in tbe way i.t is pufc f together. The beefc kind o£ sou in which to grow good grapes is that from a rich upland 1 ! pasturfc which contains sufficient grib fco allow the water fco pass through ifc freely. Where this Is nob to ho had, as clcse an approach to ifc as possible should be made — lime rubble, wood-aßb.ee, ground bones, soot, decayed vegetable master, such as thoroughly rotten i manure ; ii these sue mixed together by turning ) j over b few time* before being pas iafco the I j border, the roots will r&mblo &w"sy S'reely ia them. From 18in to 2ffc o* such soil is far pyeferablo to a boids? a yard deep of stiff, cold, heavy lyam. This should be borne in mind when there is a new border in contemplation.- With proper .drainage and soil of this description there ought to be no difficulty in gt-tting vines to grow well. j DUNRDIN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, j j The Chairman of the Duaedin Horticultural i Society nfc its annual me^tiutf held on Wednea- i

day, the 25th nlfe., in moving the adoption of ! the report (a summary of which has already been published), said he thought the society had had, on the wholo, a fairly successful year. The membership had been well maintained ; and although the prize money distributed had not been a record amount, still it had increased during the year and was the largest amount paid since 1892. The number of prize-bakers ! last year was also very much in excess of any ! previous year. The rose show, as they vrere ! aware, was a record one so far as the society i was concerned. It was thought that the opening of the large Agricultural Hall would give the society much better facilities for showing, and that by offering large prizes they would iuduce growers from a distance to compete. In this they were nob disappointed ; and | he thought those present would agree with j him that the show was a very creditable i onß indeed. The weather, however, wao ] very much against the show, and the I receipts were very unsatisfactory as com- ' pared with the expenditure. For the cottage ! garden competition, for which the society offered prizes, there were pot so many entries ss the committee expected. There were a great many gardens about Dunedin that would have stood a good chance if their owners had gone in for the competition, but perhaps the "publicity (hat had been given to it would induc9 a larger number of people to go in for the competition next year. The society hsd had a heavy expenditure during the year just ended, still they , had come ou6 with a balance at the end of She j year somewhat in excess of what they had the previous year.