THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2409, 3 May 1900, Page 8

THE GARDEN.

- '-■"--. ' " "' • 'SHOW. : Ouiiedin Horticultural Society's and Dunedin Chrysanthemum Club's Chrysanthemum * -_ Show, 9th and -10th May. -! 'I OPERATIONS .FOR THE WEEK. '" ,r- .KITCHEN .GARiDEK.-^-Operatipns in -this .--are*, now-^dependent- upon tfie i "weather^-" Jand -'. r diggirig "-" jind--! ",'trencHih'g of ground -there.' is Very « little^-lo ~ be- done. If 'not^ already done,. as~- [ 'paragusv beds may ' be of; tHe-* haulm rj|ind\w n e^ds^.^adi > a'i.go9d'"dressmg.rof well de- ■ _/4.c i omp£s"3d : ;m^ur§ / ,may. be .applied:"":* 'Earthing \jXip'"ffpm7tEe~alleya. between tlietbedsis also . "beneficial,, as "the, crowns of „the' plants" have „-» ' 7 "ter£3ency <to -rise f every- ~ seasolL- " AffTer • the <Tec'ay«d?f,oriage-ias -been cleaned' from\s"eakale , ./and*iEiMsarb'"sdme-light-s6il should be -placed " over^the crowns ; ashes will answer the pur-- , 3?ose, .but : they are " apt to encourage wire1 worin.r. In, forcing /sea-kale I ,' with' or 'without . 3ieat/' there' is no "better or cleaner material : < "than,. sawdust,- which can be' piled upon the the-depth of 2ft. I FRUIT GARDEN.— The work of transplanting trees' shoiild now be pushed f orward v vigor- . ouslyT' befqre 'the 'soil becomes" 1 unworkable ./from, being saturated with. wet. Among' the 'mostusgful of apples is "the Cellini, which is .at its , prime' at present. ,It", however, "requires some care, as it is very susceptible io "stale and - led spider.' The hawthornden, a jmuch" earlier apple, /is" also a "capital apple for small gardens, and: is' also a .^prblifitr, bearer in favour- . , able * 'situations'.- Othei goofl apples are" the ' Bismarck, " Rymei, Baxterls** pearmain,--blue • -pearmain, Cornish • aromatic, Cox's orange pippin, J Stunner pippin, • London pippin,"" Emperor • Alexander, " etc. -The following- list of, bush ■fruits can be _ depended'upon as a useful lot for "general purposes: — Magistrate, -whitesmith, .. eagle," Australia, crown' -Bob; early sulphur, rrough' red 'Warrington, red champagne, yel-- - 'low champagne, keepsake, and .Gretna Green gooseberries. .Of black. currants, plant black Naples and Lee's prolific; The latter is an excelV lent variety^ and when, planted. on thelnorth side - , of 'a wall or other '.somewhat '', shady 'place, it v - ioiiris ; an excellent succession to black Naples ,- planted ( in- more exposed parts.. Three good "_-«orts- of -red currants will'be \found_in cherry -,<mrrant ? - long bunched- -red, anH -Baby Castle, "-to which, add Dxitch " white. Fastolf is con-" _ -tsidered-. to be". a satisfactory re"d-fruited rasp-" »15erry,-and'NorfchumberlandfFilbasket, and "Car- j - ters' i>rolific. are recognised - heavy croppers, j „' \vithA--,|he "'- v-ellbwV Antwerp as . a / reprc- j -"^fclntatiye- of .-'its own peculiar colour. The ■ v. planting out .of all-kinds of-bush fruit, -such- as gooseberries and currants of the various varie- ' fifes, should now be jproieeded with. Well- '~ r grown" -two-year-old bushes, .planted now, will ■ produce a small crop of fruit during the first -season. In order" to secure regular 'croxss of fruit iroin these, it is necessary that the biishes • Jbe "kept in_ a vigorous state of growth, as healthy. young wood must be freely produced - «ach season; if .the trees become stunted and of slow -growth, -very little fruit will be ' produced on such wood. In order to maintain ", an^active and even growth, extending over a '_mij£Fer -of,. .years, th,e land" should Ise~deeply ', treiichedr'an'd.: well manured before planting. - ■ : .^"\FL£WER ■ ?i GAßDEN.—^Chrysanthemums' "/iaie'.-noV- the "chief attraction^- and where the . spate is limited they should be loosely tied •to stout stakes. PhloxJ)rummondii is, also in fine bloom in many gardens, and its duration . should be prolonged by protecting it on the •South side by branches of eyergreens. Salvia iulgens is also worth looking 'after, as it will -continue blooming xmtil frost causes the "blooms fo drop off. — — - GREENHOUSE.— The "leading plants *n flower among the hardy kinds are ehrysaiitlie"- . .mums, salvias, and the old Ipomissis picta. ,The latter makes a-good ..winter bloomer, either, - on sheltered borders or under glass, its tall Bpikes -of coral red flowers being very effective.,. Large "'specimens^ of Luculia. gratissima" ■ and old' Coronilla- : glanca" mix well^ with ■the chrysanthemums in pots, and Epiphyllunitrunoatum, and "itß"- seaslet variety should not ' T ."be"'* oveJlo'oked.'y Watering \nrnst now be care-'j J^lly^pnjßV'Effid^giould be,, applied early, in the "^morning. \ Damp- and "a 'sluggish^ atmosphere 'are , the £wo chief enemies tc '-plant life to be *■ -'contended, with.'" — ' •,---' j