THIS GARDEN. OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2318, 4 August 1898, Page 8

THIS GARDEN.

OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK.

Kitchen Garden. — As soon as the p-round is sufficiently dry to allow of the soil feing brought into a breakable condition, a stait should be made to sow the earliest crops of turnips and carrots. The seed should be sown upon deeply-worked land which has been well mai-ured some time previously. In sowing, caro should be taken not to cover the seed too deeply, as a very slight covering is sufficient. Potatoes should now be more freely planted in all early districts. Some discretion should bo used in the selection of tho vaiicties, as it will bo found that, while certain kinds-- ' succeed upon some soils, they prove tho reverse but a short distance awa>'. The experience of pievious years should, therefore, guide the grower as lo sorts most suited to the soil and situation. Me-dium-sized sets should be used in prefeicnce lo cuts for a few weeks yet, otherwise the percentage of failures will be considerable. Mai i crops of peas should be sown largely this month. Such kinds as Yorkshire Hero, Stratagem. Anticipation, pnd Veitch's Perfection aie all suitable for this sowing. 'ihe earljc sowings requiring stakes should have them placed in position before the growth is too far advanced. A late sowing of broad beans may be made; but to have this vegetable when most valued, the crop should now be well advanced. As soon as the early-sown parsnips aie large enough to handle, they should be thinned out, and the spaces between the drills well hoed. Cabbage and cauliflower crops planted some time since will now nuko a more rapid growth. These should ha o one or two hoemga before being earthed up, as the nioie the soil is cultivated the inorj satisfactory wilJ bo the progress made. All spaces between sown or planted crops should be hoed occasionally, as, if neglected sit this season, much trouble is given later on. A sowing o f Dell's dark crimson beet or blood-red should now be tnado. This should bo sown upon rather poor soil ; if grown on very rich land the pioduee becomes far too lar&o and coarse for use. lvcd cabbage and onions for pickling should be .sown this month. Frvit Garden.— The planting out of all kinds of trees and bush fuiits should be pushed forward, so as lo have all completed by the end of August. Stone fruits require com}. let ion first on account of the early date at which they stait into growth. All necessaiy pruning should also be completed at an early date. In the case of young trees which havo had a mulching of rilsmire last season, this should now be scattered and dug in between the trees. Some little caic is lequired during tho operation, as the mulching h.is a tendency to draw the loots to the surface, and unless some care is taken in digging, much mjuiy is caused to young trees. A fork is the best lo use in Rich ernes. Bush fruits should bo kept in a fmitful and vigorous condition by the annual application of manure at this time of the year; stable manure or bone du&t is the most suitable. The piuuing and dressing of la&nben-y beds should be completed as soon as pos-aible. Flower Garden.— Roees shoird now h.v'e all necessaiy pinning, manuring, and digging completed, and., if fiist-class roses are desnvd. the manuring miist be liberal. All long growths of the climbing varieties shou'd ho securely fastened lo tho walls or pillars, and all th'i okl wood oc weak twiggy shocls should be cut clean out, pioviding "there id ample growth to tram m In cover the spare?. ]3uliv arc? beginning to show colour, and iv a few nioie weeks the various ear'y kind* will l» gny. All harbour for slugs should bo destroyed, as they aro very destructive among these plants. Auriculas, primroses, polyanthus, violets, carnations, sweet Williams, and" various hardy annuals should be planted out wlieie they are to bloom as soon as the borders have beon dug. Pittosporum eugenoides aud nigrescens for low divisional hedges should be plauted as early as possible now, so as to ensure an early start. All existing hedges should bo cut back before the end of the winter. Box edging still remaining unplanted should receive all altenticm. Small sowings of the more lender animals may be made under cover by the middlo of the month.

Greenhouse and Frames.— A sharp lookoat should bo kept for green fly upon all soft wooded plants, as, if this pest is permitted to increase early in the season, a great deal of injury or extra laboiu; vail be caused be-

fo.-e they can be eradicated. Prevention is } much better than cure with r«igard to all kinds of insects which infest the garden or greenhouse. The best possible preventive is to kez.) tho plants in a healthy flowering state; stunted and otherwise unhealthy plants are tho, first lo becomo infected. Syringing or spraying the plpnts with some weak ,insecticide once a day, whether any insects are visible or not, will tend to make the points of the growths distasteful to them, and will be much better than allowing them to become dirty and having to resort to extreme measures. Cinerarias should now be in bloom, and should have weak liquid manure given Uiei.-i every other watering, as this lends to prolong the blooming period. Where only a bin di number of plants are grown, it may hp inconvenient lo keep up a supply of liquid manure. In such cases a surface cTresping of Clay's feilihser or Jensen's concentrated manine will answer the purpose very well. A few tree carnations should be potted up into fim pots for" flowering in early spring, before tho flowers are out in the open borders. Where a httlo artificial heat is available, these plants are now furnishing a nice display of bloom. Thcso plants will be improved by an occasional watering with soofc water. Bnlbij which are showing flower spikes should be given a position whcie they will have plenty of aiv and light; if kept in too close or damp an atmosphere, the blooms will damp off prematurely. A few varieties of the ferns will start pushing up their new fronds shortly. As soon as it is seen that growth has commenced, the plants should be repotted, shaking oil as much of tho okl soil as possible without damage to the roots, and return the plants into pots sufficiently large to admit the loots without cramping. A close position should be a&signcd these plants till the giowilis arc well advanced, always taking care not to over-watci them till the "roots arc quLlo activo again. A few clumps of spirtea japonic i, if potted up and placed in a warm place, will soon come into bloom, and add io tho charm of the early spring display.