THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 10

THE GARDEN.

OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK. j KITCHEN GARDEN.— The best period at >ft'hich to sow cabbage for eaily spring use/ is an important point to determine. If sown too soon, the plants get too forward to stand tlie winter well, and if sown too late will be too small to come in early enough. Several sowings are advised at the end of January, ■ehe middle of February, when the autumn growth is commencing, and again in the first week of March. By adopting this plan ■medium-sized plants are certain to be secured, which always give better results than plants too large or too email. Sow the seed in drills 6in apart, wateT the soil before sowing, and after covering with, fine soil tread the seed firm in the drills. Plants from the early sowings will be ready for transplanting by the end of Maick. and care should be used in lifting them, the work being done with a trowel. After tljc ground is dug, the plants should be got m before the soil dries, and 15in every way is a good distance to plant them apait. T;ie best varieties for autumn sowing are Jersey Wakefield and Carter's heartwell, as they have not such a tendency to run away to seed in early spring as early York and Enfield market. ! Sow ladish, lettuce, mustaid and ex-ess, and ' winter spinach. | FLOWER GARDEN.— Where zonal pelargoniums are growing too Tampant it is necessary to check them by removal of the points and part of the foliage. Tliis will induce free floweung by the admission of more air ai.d light. The propagation of pelargoniums is easily done at this season by taking halfsipened shoots and inserting them m the open border 111 sardyf s^il, they tan be taken Tip and pitted when rooted, but if space Tinder "lass is limited a large number ti'i "be got into boxes, in which they ca.i le wintered. Piopagate carnations and picotess J>y pipings or lajers in tuify soil with a sprinkling of sand. Succulents may be increased by offsets, and those of echaveriai end eeduins will winter safely on raised tanks of turf. GREENHOUSE. — Pelargoniums of the zonal section intended for winter blooming should now be fully exposed to the sun out of doors, all bloom buda being pinched off 'as fast as they appear. The successful j blooming in winter of these and such plants 1 as chrysanthemums, salvias, bouvardias, and libonias entirely depends upon the manner ' in which the sappy shoots axe matured and converted into woody fibre by a long exposur* to sun and aii. Pelargoniums of the show and fancy class which were cut back last month should be shaken out of the soil, I the roots shortened, and repotted in. a similar-sized pot. The best compost is a fibry loam, and the plant should be potted Lard. The fancy sorts, being more delicate growers, vail lequire a little peat and sand > t

5n the eomj*)*t. After potting, the plants should be keft close in a fiame for 10 days, after wluch tSioj should be freely ventilated till the midd'.-> of April, when they may be placed on =Hlves in the house for the wint«r