WORK FOR THE WEEK.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3145, 20 July 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

To Gardeners.

Kitchen Garden. —The severe frosts experienced during the past week have been very beneficial to gardens, especially those in which all vacant plots of ground had been either dug or trenched. Dnfortunately, too many gardeners neglect to give this branch of work the attention it should receive. Digging is too often left until the plot is required for either sowing the seed or planting the plants, then dug in a hurry. This system is a very bad one, because the ground loses all the valuable assistance that would be derived from the frosts, snow, and other mellowing agencies of Nature. No time should be lost in making arrangements for cropping during the coming season. The position of each crop should be determined at once, to enable the wound to receive such treatment as it may require, fn some gardens the soil varies considerably from light to very heavy, therefore the different vegetables should be distributed according to their wants. Carrots, potatoes, onions and beet thrive best on light land; cabbage, broad-bearing broccoli, kale, parsnips and cauliflower give best results on heavy land. Early varieties of potatoes must be planted as soon as possible after this frosty weather as over. Select a welldrained quarter that has been deeply dug. Tomatoes.—Sow a pinch of seed in a hotbed to give a few early plants. It is too early for the main crop, bub a few plants may oe brought on in pots in frames and planted out early in November with the first truss of fruit set. These early plants will give ripe fruit by the end of January, when tomatoes are worth money. i’eas must be examined, and if any have suffered from the frosts, give them every assistance to. recover by sprinkling some fertilizer along each side of the rows, and afterwards hoe it in. Those that have not been staked should receive this attention at once, then carefully mould lliem up. ’Examine the seed of those that were sown last, and if any is killed, sow ogam. Vinery.—All the winter work should be finished by now, and there can be no excuse for any part of it being in an unfinished state. One item, that of whitewashing the walls, is too often neglected. We have seen walls left two and three years without having a. coat of lime put on. This is a great mistake, because several vine pests, such as red spider, tlirip and mealy bug, often lay up diming the winter in tlie crevices of the brickwork, -and when the warm spring sun arrives, out they come ami attack Hie vines. The early house

should be started at once, and before shutting up the house and turning on the heat, the canes should be brought down to a horizontal position to ensure the laterals breaking evenly. If the house is not wanted fon other plants, the vines may be let down without bending them, but if wanted for other plants, tbe cane.-, must be turned lengthwise and fastened temporarily. In starting, use a brisk temperature, until the new growths are about haif-aa-inch long, then reduce it about ten degrees for about ten days, to prevent the. laterals running out too far before the second leaf is formed. Make sure the border is quite moist, and on bright, sunny days, damp the lloor nd stages ; but during dull weathc' do not throw mucli (if any) wafer about ; the damp atmosphere outside will be sulficient. When the laterals are half-an-inch long, tie the rods up in their right position. In this tying-up there is an important detail to observe, that is, the rod should not be tied close up to the wire, but suspended about eight inches below it, which will allow the young shoots to grow in an upward direction before they reach tlie wire they are to be tied to. Uy observing this method, there will not be the loss through laterals breaking off at the spur, as is too frequently the case when the rods are tied dote up to the wire. Flower Garden. —The severe frosts will have injured quite a number of plants in the herbaceous border, and in some cases killed the subjects. The value of deep digging, or trenching, is to be seen in the flower borders; as, generally speaking, plants do not suffer as much from frosts in borders that have been trenched deeply as they do in borders that have only been dug a few inches. The reason is, so.l that has been worked deep is warmer than that only dug a few inches. Thus the value of deep digging is seen all through the garden. Plants o that have suffered from, frost should receive some attention for a few days, to assist them to start into fresh growth. A few fronds of bracken, or some small branches of spruce fir, put on the sunny side, to screen the plants from the strong sun, will be of much value. Hardy creepers (roses ‘excepted) should be pruned it once, they give better results when pruned (or thinned) early. Such plants as honeysuckles and while jasmine, should be liberally thinned, or they soon become unsightly, and form a good harbour for birds and insects. Japan Iris should be taken up, divided, and re-planted. These plants like a damp soil, and should be planted where they can be supplied with plenty of water during the growing season ; while a liberal supply of manure, dug ;n about the roots, will enable them to send up large flowers of good substance. Greenhouse.—Preparations should be made for the spiring propagation of all plants that are menaced at this season, either for the greenhouse or the garden. The first thing to attend to is to make sure there is a good supply of cuttings of those subjects that are to be propagated. Lobelias, heliotropes, dahlias, verbenas, etc., must be put in:o a warm house, to supply the necessary cuttings. An estimate should be formed as to what number of each is wanted, so that there is enough of all, and not a surplus of several. Promptly remove all dead blossoms and decaying leaves, and give as much ventilation on bright days as possible.