OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 1851, 30 March 1904, Page 10

OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK.

FLOWER GARDEN.— The planting el ticca »nd shrubs should • now be proceeded with, giving them a thorough soaking with watei— in fact, puddling the roots m All impiovements end alterations should be got under way at ence; the work can be done better now. and twice as much of it can bs got through than if it is deferred till .spring. Tie lifting and housing of tender plants must nob be dr'p.yed, and theii plac«3 "can be filled v.ith small •plants— Cupr-essus erect-a viiid'.s. Retinosporapisifera aurea, R. pUtmosa, gcMeri yews, and variegated holliea. The soil nesd aiot be much disturbed m planting these, 'and ■fey raking tih<s surface the 'bed 3 y.-ill r.eed no further attention during the wuito-r. Attend to the propagation of calceolaria*, v : olai. euonyinus, Radioaa variegat-a, Japanese honeysuckle, and golden thyme; cuttings put iii new will he fit for planting m spring. Echeveiias will v inter safely on raised bauk3 with a noithern exposure.

FRUIT GARDEN.— AII land in which it is intended to pla-nt fruit treas should be prepared l l>y trenching and draining as required, iv order to have* the work well in hand as the planting eeason approaches. Preparatory work is too cften delayed until late in the season, and remains to be done when planting should hove ■been completed-. All who have no knowledge o£ the best time to plant should endeavour to commence (and finish -without -delay) as soon as the leaves are off thp^treas, as ell planted thus early," b'efare the land becomes wet and cold, quickly re-establish themselves.

BUSH FKUlTS.— Ha\ing regard to the ease v;ith which gooseberries and cuirants can be l-i-cpogftted from cuttings, it is a matter lor surprise that so many old and useless bushes are seen in gardens. Probably there aie no ifiuits that pay better, when well established and cared for, than bush fruits. Provided cuttings are properly made, there is ko difficulty in keeping bushes to single stems, a few inches at least from the ground), for m.my ye.srs. Suckor3 come up chiefly when the older branches become somewhat exhausted; but •when such evidence of decay 13 manifested it is ceitainly better to have other young bushes to take the places of the old cues. Iv the <!a3e of black currants only, cuttings are now planted with all the 'buds on he.'ow ground. As the main object is fruit, and that borne on year-old shoots is the best, all oldci shoots should be cut away; and suckeis keep «j> a supply of new wood. Bsforo putting out a permanent plantation of bush liuits the ground should be well trenched and ananured. The ground should, also be very free from, weeds, especially those of a perenniatnature.

It may well become a question of importance whether it is better to planl bushes in gardens in lines near the walks, or in q-,m-lers, or m rows at intervals across tdie quarters. Ihe former admits of easy &cce33 to the bushes, but ©ttructs the working of the vegetable quarter". The second ,is best where 'birds give tiouble, a3 the entire plantation can bs nettecS over oc (jtherwise protected; but if not netted, then far more co-ser for birds is afforded than is clesirable. When bushes are planted at intervals aoro3S the garden'quarters they get mere light and air. and the" fruit more sunshir.e, the icots .cro l>etter fe<3 from ihe onlUvgted vegeAable soil,- fcHere is less cover for bird's, aud •ingle rows may, too, be very easily netted over if needed. Too often branches are allowed to coxae close to the ground. That brings tha fruit near the soil, «nd it is soon splash-cd with dirt; the 'brandies give birds cover and materially hinder niulching with manure (a good practice, especially if put on towards blie spring, after the bushes have been pruned and the trimmings cleared off). Many a£ our mr.iket giowers mulch the bushes heavily in winter. If the manure 13 put on at the close of the winter it will serve to foed the roots just pt the moment of spring activity, will later on chock splashing, and further serves to prevent evaporation of moisture. Where gooseberries and currants are grown as single cordonß, to stakes or fences, or trained to wire trellises, mulching 13 much more ea.sjy p&i formed, and is perhaps, because there is les-s shaAng of the pcil, even mote efficacious. There can be no doubt that the best and largest fruit 13 always obtained from buslie3 grown as coidons. iVhere gooseberries are required late in the year, a stretch of wall covered with cordon will be found useful, as the fruit can easily be piotected from birds.

L.ITCHEN GARDEN.— The formation of asparagus beds is one of the itenia whiob can to proceeded with at this season. Where ths Bituation is warm and well drained and the sail light the plants can be put in, but if the <=oil is heavy and coldi the ioot3 should not be planted till the spring. Ihe roots of the asparagus are semi-tuberous, and unless the conditions are favourable the> will have a tendency to rot if planted before spring. The situation of the bed is of some importance— free «vamage is esvential, and it should not be near the shade of -trees. Fora- feet is wide enough for the bed, and its length must depend upon Circumstances. The land must be deeply trenched, keeping the subsoil at the bottom, «ther\vise the plants would have nothing but flead earth tv grow in foi some time. In turning over the subsoil at the bottom lot it. be heavily manured, and if any gritty mstc-rial caoi ba worked in to keep it poioua so mui-h Uis

Letter. If sea. sard is obtainable, a barrov. ful to each trench may bo woikcd in with the sin face soil. To obtain fine heads the plant must have plenty of room — 2ft from plant to plant will give them space to develop without starving one another. Ii the planting is undeilaken at cuce, let tJio strongest two-year-old ciovfjis be ard in lifting with a fork the )octs should not be bruised. Make hoes as v. >de p<? tha cliTumfei'eJce of the loots, rai?e the soil slightly in the centre and plaos tlic c.cwn upon it, spreading out the roots, and by covering them with sand before drawing over the "Oil the success of the opeiation is ensured.

GREENHOUSE —Hyacinths should be planted deep'y in the pets, and placed beneath the benches until they have made som« giovvth. Cyc-lamon uomi3 ought to be only half buned in the toll, which should be light, and rich witli lerf rcoulJ. Cyclamens grow raluir.lly in, forest gl?-dts. and lecjuire the kind of soil tha 1 , is iomi'l ir. such pfaces. Give but little v.'fittr to PcJiimenos, gssnew, gloxinias, iydueas, etc., which i>ie now going to rest. Place the pets in a v, aim, dry place. Azaleas, cunie'hah, aiicis, and other haid-wooded elnubs should bs repotted m good mould v, ell mixed With leaf mould. Nev*r use manure for ha.idwcoJled sliiubs. A3 soon as the primulas and cn.en.iijs are lais^e enough to handle, put them out ii.to the smallest sized pots, ondr shift them into the next larger sizes when the loots reach the sicfcs ol the pots — about eveiy 14 days. j.hcy want nch light soil and a faic amount of water. A. common error is the use of pot 3of too iarge a size in repotting. A suiking object lesson is afforded by the small pots in v.lr.ch ths floust produocs the splendid plants, luden with bloom, to be seen m the shops and public markets. Compare with these the poor lPsu'.ts often obtained by the amateur in pots ol perhr.ps twice the size. A small potful of lich compost is nearly always preferable to a. large mass of poor stuff, and the greatest profusion, of 'bloom is obtained by feeding plants ."ipproaching a ''pot-bound" condition v/itli some ?tiitab!e liquid manuie. This is how tho best results of the nurseryman are produced. Fo.icige piants niny be given more ficqueni and laiger shuts than flowering pkaits; but. even here the novice generally ens on the side of tco big pots.