OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2665, 12 April 1905, Page 10

OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK.

THE FLOWER GARDEN.— Keep everything tidy and neat. Remove dead leaves and flowers to prevent their communicating decay to fresh leaves and stems. Lift before frost anything that is doubtful in hardiness, and .place in frames or elsewhere for protection. Hark the positions occupied by clumps of _ bulbs by a peg or tally to prevent their being injured, in - beds or borders when they are being overhauled during winter. Turban -ranunculi should be prepared for. They require a good, rich .soil, and it should be turned over in the beds or borders in which, they axe to be planted some time before planting may be done. They may be planted about the middle or end of the month ; a rich compost is better than manure for them. All hardy perennials may be planted with success now, and such as bloom in the summer and autumn months may be divided, but -Biich as flower in spring should not now be disturbed, except it is absolutely necessary, because they would flower more sparsely, if at all, at the time. Get rooted cuttings of all tender bedding plants placed in safe •nuarterß for the winter. Cuttings of calceolarias (the bedding sorts) may be put in a cold frame or hand-light in sandy soil; they will root at leisure during winter, and the plants will be superior to those which are reared in warmth. A little protection in ievere frost is all they will reqiiire.

FRUIT GARDEN. — Apples and pears »hould be gathered and stored as they ripen. If the fruit is worth anything it ought to be gathered with great care to prevent bruises; there should be no shaking of the tree to bring down the fruit ; every fruit jkould be carefully picked from the trees individually and laid in a basket having si little »oft hay or straw placed in the bottom. To ascertain when ripe, the best way is to lift each fruit carefully from its pendant to a horizontal position, when, if ripe, it will part readily from the tree, but if not ripe it will not part without using force, which should not be done. Over-luxuriant and unfruitful trees should be root-pruned, and the present month is a. good one in which to perform the operation. Let the operation be conducted with care, so as to inflict no unnecessary injury to the trees. Secure them aginst wind, and mulch immediately after the work 13 clone.

- THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.— "WhiIe *reeds grow continue to apply the hoe — never allow them to seed. Keep the ground open among growing crops by frequent hoeing. Remove the remains of used-up crops to the compost heap, and if the ground so cleared is not wanted for other crops at once, have it dug or trenched as early as may be convenient, leaving the surface rough. Apply manure to heavy land before digging, but if light leave over manuring till spring. As soon as the autumn-sown cabbages are strong enough, plant out as many as may be wanted for^the main spring and early summer supply.*" A portion may be planted at lft apart each way, the alternate plants to be pulled when they begin to crowd each other in spring, leaving the others to develop into fuller heads. A reserve of those left in the seed bed should ha pricked out in a sheltered spot at Sin or 4in apart to make up gaps or fresh plantations in spring. Slugs should be carefully •watched for and trapped. Dustings of quickSinie or soot are good preventives, a-nd should be frequently used when the creatures are troublesome. If the summer crop of onions is fully ripe, have them dried and stored without delay. Those that have ripened well should be placed where they will not be exposed to heavy falls of dew or rain, and as tarly as possible they ought to be finally stored away. The partially-ripened and green ones ought to be drawn upon first for use, as they will not keep well. When tied in ropes, well-ripened onions .keep better than •when laid in heaps on the floor, and they keep better when laid on wooden -than oh 'earthen or stone floors. Parsnips may be left in the ground with advantage, as their flavour is always best when they are drawn fresh from the earth. Carrots should be lifted when their leaves begin to turn yellow ; dry weather should be selected for lifting and storing all roots. Potatoes should be lifted -and stored in fine weather when they are fully ripe. Earth up celery when the weather is dry.

GREENHOUSE AND FRAMES, &c— As winter approaches every attention should be paid to the plants which are to furnish the display of bloom or foliage for winter decoration. The plants of zonale geraniums and perpetual carnations should have all the flower buds picked off them till the end of April, unless they are needed before that date, but as there is generally a good supply of flowers outside until May, it is better to conserve the energy of the plants for winter. If the plants are pot bound, they should have a further shift so as to keep them growing, and should be kept fully -exposed to the light and air till finally removed to the house. Cinerarias must be kept free from green fly ; where only a few are grown this is best done by rubbing them off as they appear ; if grown in quantity fumigation should be resorted to. A few pots of bulbs should be started for late winter and spring flowers ; most of the Dutch bulbs are adapted to pot culture.