OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3276, 27 December 1916, Page 7

OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK.

KITCHEN GARDEN.—Planting out the early autumn crops of cauliflowers, cabbage, savoy, and broccoli should be proceeded with as occasion presents itself, and if the work of preparing the soil has been attended to much labour will bo saved in watering, 03 the plants rapidly establish themselves after rain. No delay should take place in planting out the early trenches of celery, •which should now be growing freely. Provision should also be made for later supplies of the winter vegetables. Small sowings of each of the varieties recommended for previous sowings will still be found suitable. Where there is likely to bo a scarcity of carrots a further sowing, if made at once, ■will come in as a most valuable late winter supply, as if these once start to grow even a few inches the dry season has only the effect of retarding the growth, which takes place with rapidity after the autumn rains set in. Pickling onions should havo the tops well bent down, and as soon as they appear yellow they should be pulled up to prevent any danger of second growth taking place. In gardens where there is a good supply of water a late sowing of Yorkshire Hero peas may be made. If sown in sunken trenches the moisture will be better conserved than if sown in the ordinary way. Keeping- up a good supply of salads 'will entail a little extra labour, as this can only be accomplished by frequently sowing small lets of seed, and transplanting the same from time to time as the plants are largo enough This, with due attention to watering, wiil ensure a full supply even in the hottest weather.

FLOWER GARDEN—Roses should have all faded flowers and seed pods picked off them; and as aphis are still very numerous upon the tender points of the growing snoots, insecticide of some approved form should he applied early. Where mildew is prevalent, a dusting of sulphur should be given early in the morning. Rhododendrons will be much benefited by a heavy mulching of well-decayed cow manure or a good coat of green grass cut from the lawn, as it is not manure that is required so much as a covering prevent the soil becoming too dry, thus keeping the roots cool and moist. The roots are very fine and fibrous, and do not penetrate the subsoil in search of moisture, as in the case of most plants—any serious drought, therefore, soon affects the health of the plants. All late-sown annuals should now be planted out, and where eown in clumps the seedlings should be well thinned out. filling up all spaces rendered vacant by the removal of bulbs and spring flowers. Climbing roses should now attention by cutting away all the old growths that can be safely spared. Where there are young and vigorous shoots which can be trained in to take their places, they are much to be preferred to old shoots which have been pruned year after year, as the old spurs do not produce such fine flowers as the young shoots. In the same manner a good many of the ordinary climbers can be much improved and regulated during their season of growth, as it is a waste of plant life and energy to allow a superabundance of growth to be made to no purpose throughout the season, merely to be cut away at pruning time, whereas if a little attention is paid from time to time during the season in regulating and thinning out the growths, the wood which remains will be better ripened and stronger; consequently the quality of the flowers will be much finer than if left to themselves. As growth "upon dahlias and chrysanthemums will now be rapid, all shoots should be securely tied to stakes. All plants of chrysanthemums grown for border decorations should be kept well pinched back, as dwarf. compact, well-flowered bushes have a much better effect than tall, straggling plants, which are always a source of trouble on account of damage from wind. Where these plants are being grown for exhibition purposes, no check of any kind must be given, but a. most vigorous growth kept up during the present month by giving the surface a cood mulching of deenved stable manure. This, however, should not bo given the plants until they are growing freely ar.d have made fair progress. The shoots should be thinned out and all lateral growths kept pinched off. FRUIT GARDEN.—Much loss "and damago is done to the strawberry crop in a moist season by slugs, which, on account of the cover afforded by the leaves, are difficult to kill. The best plan to destroy them is to lay down small handfuls of fresh. dry bran hero and there over the bed, and late at night examine these, and either kill the slugs, which will collect upon the heaps of bran, by scalding them with boiling water or hand-picking. If this is repeated for two or three nights, it is surprising the quantity that can bo trapped. Gvape vines will require frequent stopping of lateral growths, which if allowed to grow unchecked will prevent the fruit swelling to advantage. Raspberry canes in a dry season Should bo given a good soaking of water every week, which will cause all the later Fruits to swell, as these perish if the roots aro not supplied with moisture. If the young trees planted during the past season nave not yet been mulched, this should be Hoao at once, so that tho roots may receive

the fullest benefit of the rains; the difference this simple method makes to the growth is very considerable, and more than pays for any expense incurred.