THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2612, 6 April 1904, Page 10

THE GARDEN.

OPERATIONS FOR. THE- .WEEK.

KITCHEN GARDEN.— A considerable sow-

ing of onions should be niad^ for supplying plants for transplanting 1 m early spring. The soil where these are sown must be mads very film by treading before'sowing. Make a sowing of spinach, as this will ..be found to come into <use quicker than anything else that can be

sown or planted. Sow successional supplies of saladings as reqmred. .

FLOWEB GARDEN.— A start should be made to plant out the spring flowering bulbs, such fls hyacinths, tulips, ranunculi, anemones, urocuses, narcissi, ixias, spara-xis — a good range of colour can be ihad an., most of the above varieties. . The flower 'borders can toe- made very gay in eaxlyvspnng- at moaeraite cost with *he exercise of & little taste in planting. It as important tnat the border should be deeply 'dug ' and _. •■well-decayed) nianure distributed •throughout as the digging proceeds. A good xula to. remember with regard to bulbs is to .plant 'them about the depth of tihe bulbs- below -the surface of the soil; you can 'slightly ezceed this without being wrong, amd plant still deeper in light soil. As to the distance apart, fthi's depends, on t!ie plan you adopt. In beds, ssuch bulbs as hyacinths -are" put about Bin apart, but a better effect is gained by^a clumip cf bulbs planted closer than tjhW J .- Groups, fboth small anal large, of daffodils would have ii much. , better "effect than single -bulbs planted at some distance from each o.bhr. If they are planted out^iri I ' distinct 'bedsit will be found of great advantage to cover the^'Tvhole of tihe surface -with 2in or 3in of- decayed manure^. The positions of the rows or clumps should be marked •with a., stake., orv, injury may be done in" the process of hoeing before the bulbs ap-pear--above the ground. will require the assistance of liquid manure, as iecommended, until the flowers are half expanded 1 , when clear watei will suffice. Pansies srnd other spring-flowering plants must be ifchxnned out as soon as strong enough to handle, so" as to. allow,- of the plants becoming strong ibefore planting out. Manure should be obtained' and stacked ready for use when required. 'A much better manure is" obtained by turning «ver a stacking, so aa to have it well -deoayed, and bo destroy the weed Seeds. Much of that obtainable from, the carters is l fdiiefly straw, and if well watered! will decay in.' g few -weeks. tSoil for, composts, shovild also be prepared and stacked ready for use, so as to have it sweet and «eason-ed when required for potting. A heap ■of new. soil is of great value, even where there are no pot plants grown, as- in planting out plants a little fresh soil introduced into the holes gives the plants a good start. GREENHOUSE FEAMES, Etc.—Primulas and cinerarias should now be growing -freely, and those not yet in their blooming pots should not be allowed to Become pot-bound, which has a tendency to throw them into flower prematurely. The latest sowings should now ibo fit for potting off, and should be kejpt close «nc& moist for a ?ew days until they star" b to roofc into the new soil. Pelargoniums which „were cut down late should now be, sufficiently advanoed to allow of their being shaken oat and xepotted; careful "watering will be necessaia.y after, tliis jperation. They are safer wihen. „ 3cept rather on the dry side than <to ovei water; as the .soil soon becomes soddened and sour 'Before -the roots are running freely. Those -which may have to bs potted up earlier should r !Jbe_ful}y exposed, to sun aiid air; if kept in the greenhouse the shading should be removed! from ,-4he glass, or they will become drawn and waak in growth, and* if thiisi occurs early, 01 in, fact at any time of their growth prior to showing ior _ bloom, the appearance of the plants is I - epoilt for the whole season. Flowering plants j ifor the winter should be.grown on, so as to have | an early batch ready to come into flower os | isoon as the chrysanthemums are over, as j flowers will flien rapidly become scarce. Bou- j ■rardias, which may have been planted out to • grow on, should ibe kept stopped, so as to have ' dwarf plants, which should be lifted and potted ,xip £S soon as there is a change in the wea•ther. Thus treated ©e'cS placed in a 0001, shaded pface, they will start into growth, and ] .when removed into the greenhouse will flower tEroughout the winter.. These, with tree oarnations, zonale geraniums, cinerarias, ferns, j and palms, will keep up a good display for the greater part of th.9 winter. Attention should ■be paid to ferns, many of which will now be snaking a second growth, and if pioper care is bestowed, they look fresh thiough- .' out ehe winter. As the weather becomes cooler there must be less water applied overhead, ond more C3re in its application at ihe roots; while nothing approaching dryness should be permitted, the roots must not be kept • in a soddened condition, or they, will fail. Azaleas and camellias which have .beer outside or

in a shade house during the summec, should be examined, thf former thiip and the latter ior scale. It should be seen that they are perfectly clean before it is necessary to house them for the winter. Chrysanthemums grown in pots for decorative purposes s'liou'd have tlie shoots neatly tied out, and a dusting of sulphur applied ia the foliage, as if tliis is allowed to spread,' much of the lower foliage is lost before they are in bloom, and much of their beauty is destroyed A pharp look out must be kept for green fly on all kruds of softwooded plants under cover, ai the^e mcieass at luck a rapid rate, and the health of the plants

is injured in a snort time unless preventive measures are taken in time.