THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2671, 24 May 1905, Page 10

THE GARDEN.

" OPERATIONS FOR THE' WEEK. *

KITCHEN- GARDEN.— The formation of a warm border in= a sheltered* corner where the frost will hardly reach, as on the north side of a fence," is a> great assistance in raising and growing small saladinga during the winter. 'The border should be composed of the 'lightest soil obtainable, and well enriched with the manure from a spent hot-bed. It should be raised a foot above the surrounding level, and slope from back to front, to enable .the ' surface water to drain off quickly. By means of movable or fixed frames, roughly ■put together, which can be covered; at night, and a few bell glasses or hand lights a good deal may be done in raising early crops. lettuce, mustard and cress, etc., can be thinly sown at once, and another part of the border can be devoted to raising early Rshleaf potatoes. By collecting all the tree Seaves and placing them round the frames, ik gentle heat will be obtained which will be serviceable in bringing the young plants forward. •

FLOWER GARDEN.— Unhappily, the fine iiardy kinds of lilies are anything but as plentiful as they should be, though in a free rich coil they increase readily enough. Few may iiave them sufficiently plentiful for some time "to make beds of them, but when once people {know how truly fine they are when seen well arranged in a, large bed in an isolated place, jfchey will hardly rest content without such felorious" garden ornaments. "With, such kinds as Lilium testaceum and Tigrinium fortunei In the. centre,. surrounded by the queenly canj3idum, burnished cfoceum, spotted canadense, jpomponium, colchicum, vivid chaloedonicum, and gradually worked down to the edge with -3warf but beautiful kinds like eximlum, longiflorum, and " tenenfolium, a large circular or oval- bed might be made on the grass in some 'isolated spot which for the highest beauties of colour, form i and fragrance — for, in fact, al>nost every quality by which vegetable beauty endears itself to vs — could npt be surpassed by any arrangement of indoor or outdoor plants. The only precaution that need be mentioned i 3 that to grow lilies well they ehould have 3ft, or nearly that, of free loamy earth, with a good dash of vegetable mou^d in it.

CrREESrHOtTSE.— As the beauty of salvias, 'chrysanthemums, and schizostylis will ~oon le on "the wane, the amateur who desires to keep tip a display of bloom must look out for other plants to supply their place. If the double Roman narcissus and the Roman hyacinth ■were potted, they will be- ready to bring into the house. These, with Helleborus nig*r and Borne of the early cyclamens, ought io begin to bloom by the middle of next monfc'i. The plants of calceolaria, in the cold frame, will be sufficiently advanced to nave the central shoot pinched out, to cause them to send lip half a dozen trusses instead of one. If » few plants are wanted to come in eariv. let if run up to bloom without pinching; still keep the plants cool, give plenty of »;r, and look after greenfly. Cinerarias will ieflujre similar treatment, but they are a littls jnore sensitive to frost.

FRUIT GARDEN. — Preparations for planting fruit tress of all kinds should be id a. forward condition, so as to admit of removing out early in June. - Bjish fruits of all kino's may now be planted, either in beds by _ themselves or along the borders, near the" patßs <of the kitchen garden. In these positions they generally succeed, tuad produce regular crops of good fruits, as they are well under observation, and get regular applications of manure. Raspberry canes should now be planted put, and the canes in existing beds fchcmlcL be thinned, leaving only about a gozen of tlie strongest canes of last season' • jroTfUr.