THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 10

THE GARDEN.

OPERATIONS FOR THE "WEEK. KITCHEN GARDEN.—Operations .are now of a routine character, and will mainly consist of those adverted to in last month's r.ctes. In digging or tienching the open quarters for next season's crop the application of green littery mature is to be avoided, as it often remains unchanged in ,the soil for a long time. Manure should always be decomposed before it is incorporated with the soil, as- it then furnishes* a material which the roots of vegetables can appropriate when they come in contact ■with it. The character *of the jioil should also be considered. In, heavy soils rotted stable manure, as rough as. possible, is the best stimulant, whilst for ' light, sandy soil cow manure is more suitable, and renders the ground where i' is used closer in texture. FRUIT GARDEN.—"When the weather is favourable 'push forward the pruning of all kinds of trees. Peaches, nectarines, and apricots produce their fruit principally on the young wood a year old—that is, the fhocta produced this year hear the year following. In pruning these .fruits it is only jieoessary to cut out the weak lateral growth and\head back the stronger shoots. M too thick they ought to be thinned so 'that light and air may not be excluded from the centre of the tree. Apples, pears, plums, and cherries bear principally on spurs from two to many years old, and as the branch increases in lergth the number of fruit buds increases accordingly. There are a few varieties of apples that formi iruit buds at the extreme ends of the and these require to be thinned out or cut Jback to ind;ice young growth to form fruit fends for the following ytar. In the case ' fit old trees in full bearing it is only necessary to cut out cross brencbes which overlap each other, and to remove others horn the centre of the.trees to admit light and air. It is different with young or recently-planted trees. They should be cut back to induce young growth, so as to form the frame of what the tree is intended to be. In pruning gooseberry and black currant bushes a good plan is to cut off the k-wer growth all round, and then thin out Ihe centre, bearing in mind tha' the best fruit is always on the. last year's wood", the treitoent of red and white currants ds different. These should be all cut or Bpurred back to form fruit buds next year. In manv gardens these homely bush fruits are sadly neglivjt&d They are allowed to remain for years and outgrow their position. The fruit then deteriorates both in quality and quantity. If the " varieties of gooseberries are not gcod a portion of the old ..hushes should be des'tarcyed, and young plants of good sorts put in their place. In the meantime the old bushes retained will fceep up the supply. Cut the dead wood from raspberries and tie up 10 or a dozen canes from each stool, and dig out_ the others. Trim and clein stiawberry oeds, upon which a, good mulching of manure will fcave a very beneficial effect. FLOWER GARDEN.—The charred tefu'se from a "smother" is a valuable fer--■tilising agent, being suitlible as a topHressing for all bulbous plants. In most gaidens there is an accumulation of rubibiieh, weeds, hedge clippings, prunings, and other, vegetable refuse —which, instead of ifbeing allowed to rot in a,.hea.p, should bo jiburned or charred. A good body of fire Bhould be obtained by means of dry wood, (and rubbish, weeds, etc., may be added I gradually in layers, earth ox even clay rig alteirately put on. The object is not reduce everything to white ashes, hut obtain a charred material by slow comtfbustion, and to destroy 4 the germinating. -Wwer of the seeds of weeds, which axe so •Hioublesome when the rubbish heap is s*ihWected to the rotting process only, and used gas a mammal agent afterwards*. Collect Sfellen leaves, sweep and roll lawns, and {remove everything from the beds and Sborders vhich detracts from the neat apifpearance of the garden .at this time of ■war. ( GREENHOUSE. Show pelargoniums fchculd have their shcots thinned out and Iregulated so as to form the frame of the Wtrture specimen. Tie or peg down the lower '■hoots, and rut out any that are weak or 'misplaced. The fancy kinds should also be drained, and, being mere tender, they should not he subjected to a lower temperature I .than 46deg at i.ight, and to make them ' Btmdy and short-jointed, they should be •food in a light airy position. k.