THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2744, 17 October 1906, Page 9

THE GARDEN.

OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK.

' KITCHEN GARDEN.— Tbin out all crof-J as soon as they are strong enough to handle , It wilt he. uecc=ary to keep the surface of tue soil jmong all growing crops loose and ,f«o by ihe frequent use oi the hoe, which will tend to kesp the soil moist about the loots. Ccz.iinue to plant out a few plane, of cab-jage Suee«aional crops of peas shouid i-iill be sewn upon deeply-worked groiuKi, •with .i gocd lavor of old manure at the bol- , tc>n of t> c lunch, which will retaiu tho 1 moisture s o very necessary for late peas. The soil ar> ong the newly-formed beds cf ihi:•».«ard and asparagus must be kept open and fie? from weeds, and the growth •encouraged •*s mi'ch as possible. If the rhubarb has a tendency lv mn to «eed! the flower step 1 ? should at nice be iemo\ed, as it weakens the growth, of the plant.

FLOWER GARDEN.— 3Iany of the early-j-ewn annuals will b; ready lor transplanting into ibeir Eummer quarters, which should bo done a3 much as possible during moi=l weather, failing which the soil should be • veil sratered a few hours before planting, and •the young seedlings removed with a small hull "of earth attached, to the roots. Keep ilheu> shaded from bright sunshine for two or three days, -autil the roots begin to run 1 again. Thin out all the annuals which were fown wbera they are .to flower, and any- , i.'hmg approaching to overcrowding should be ' avoided. It is far better to allow only me flower to develop itself at each small ring vrbero sown than to allow upwards of ha. l ! a scoro to struggle for an existence; such v,-eak plants can uever be expected to produce satisfactory Tesults of either flowers «r foliage. Hoses, will now be greatly benefited by in niching each bush with half-rolten jtianure. The uiamue to be used should, be itidßed to pi>ce= with a, fork, and then applied aioiind each plant; (he more liberal ilne- dressing; tha more moisture ■will be retained in the soil during dry weather. As an experiment for amateurs to prove to themselves the value of mulching to all kinds Of plants and crops, a few should be left alone by the side of others mulched. flio tliffeience observed during th& season between the two will, wo are ».ux« l coaiuica

r every grower of the extreme value of the practice. A few loads will be sufficient to I mulch everything requiring it in a mederatesized garden. Chrysanthemums must not be allowed to suffer from want of water, but must bs kept growing freely, and where grown upon the bush system the points of each shoot should now be pinch,«d out, to cause them to break into dwarf, stocky plants. Where the plants ore grown upon the tall or single stalk system these will require early stalking, and all lateral shoots must be removed as soon as formed. There ia still time for groyers of these beautiful autumn flowers' to add to ot form new beds, if attended to early, and rooted plants put out into rich soil. The best results may b© lcoked for if the necessary attention is paid to the plants during the summer. The principal point to be observed is never to allow the chrysanthemum to suffer for want of wa/ter. TheiT growth should be gr&dusd and continuous, and free from any check whatever. Where dahlias have bsen left in the ground all the winter, as seen as the shoots appear they should *ba thinned out, as usually tco many eyes push into growth. Leave only one or two of the strongest for the best blooms. Young spring plants should be planted out abou-t the middle of November or early in December. GREENHOUSE AND FRAMES.— Fuchsias that are fo be grown on must ba repotted as soon as their roots are running freeiy around tho pots; they must be kept in a moist state overhead by frequent syringing, and the points of the shoots should ba stopped to induce them to break into a more bushy growth. Petunias, where grown in pots, should now be allowed to flower by abstaining from further pinching of the early potted plants; these plants should receive occasional waterings of liquid manure. Pelargoniums should receive plenty of light and air. To keep thorn dwarf these plants should also receive supplies of liquid manure. Keep a sharp lookout for gre«n fly or aphis, upon the first appearnce of which the plant 3 should be dresed with insecticide or fumigated with tobacco smoke. Calceolarias are particularly subject to green fly, no plants suffering more in this respect. If neglected for a few days only they become very much injured. It is cf gTeat importance to keep up a healthy growth in all soft-wooded plants 1 , as healthy, vigorous plants are less likely to be attacked. Coleus, gloxinias, achemenes, and begonias should ba started into growth in a frame having a gentle bottom liaaf. Admit air upon all warm days, as if kept too close a weak growth will result.