THE GARDEN.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 44, 5 April 1884, Page 6

THE GARDEN.

Kitchen Garden. Strawbbery plants should now bo planted out as soon as possible. Lift the best of the runners, and plant them in rows about 20 inches apart, and 15 inches apart in the vow. If planted now they will get well established before the winter sets in, giving a much better chance of good early crops next season. With old strawberry beds that have fruited for two seasons have the ground trenched, putting the plants and debris at the bottom of the trench. They do not fruit well the third season. With plants that have only fruited one season clear away all dead leaves and fruit, and put a good dose of manure between each row. Fox-k it in so as to interfere as little as possible "with the roots of the plants.

Flower Garden. The cuttings of the bedding plant should all be taken off, and put into the propagating bed as soon as possible. The cold weather will soon be here, and it is as well to have the cuttings rooted before this sets in. Sow a few of the hardy annuals for early spring flowering.

The Horticultural Show. The Gardeners' Horticultural Society held their Autumn Show last Friday and Saturday. The exhibition was the most successful that I have seen in Auckland. There were a fair number of visitors present during Saturday. It is only about nine months since the above Society sprang into existence. In that period they have held two shows — the first in the spring of the year, which was not so successful as could have been wished; but the wretched weather for a week preceding was sufficient to account for this. The last show was entirely successful, not only in regard to exhibits, but also in respect to the more general interest taken in horticultural matters, consequently a greater number of visitors. The exhibition of apples, I do not think, could be surpassed. There were really some magnificent samples show n. They were tho main feature of the show. Other fruits were also well represented. Mr E. Hesketh shoved a fine collection of grapes. I expected other growers to have come forward in this department. The exhibition of hot plants was fully up to the mark : amongst these I saw a splendid coleus exhibited by iVlr Bennett, gardener to Mr S. Morrin. The vegetable department was veil represented by some firstclass vegetables. Everything staged proved what a splendid climate we in New Zealand possess for growing all kinds of garden produce. There are one or two matters that the Society in future will need to remedy. First— Exhibitors will need to be taught that at a certain hour the doors will be closed to the reception of exhibits. Secondly — The exhibition tickets showing who lias obtained the prizes should be placed upon the different subjects before the doors are opened to the public. Thirdly — There ought to be a better system of classification ; the classes ought to be divided so that anyone can tell at once : Cottagers, Amateurs, and All-comers class. These are only matters of detail, which I have not} the slightest doubt each member of committee will thoroughly see the deficiency, and from what I know of the personnel of the Society, they will be remedied. Tho apiarian appliances exhibited were a source of great instruction to those who intend to go in for this industry. In conclusion, I only hope the same interest in horticultural matters will continue, and that the Society will do their utmost to retain the confidence in the public estimation which the last show justly entitled them to. I believe, as far as is known at present, that the Society will have a good balance left, after paying all expenses, to carry to account for next season. Bees an*j> Grapes --A Pukekohe beekeeper denies that bee^ are destructive to r'pe grapes. He says : " Take a thoroughly ripe bunch of gmpes of the finest and sweetest variety, but without a single blemish or damaged spot on the berries ; hang tii^n within a bee-hive. Any beeueeper .fch a frame-hive Will willingly assist in m e experiment. Examine them at the end of three or four days, and I will guarantee that you will be unable to find a single grape damaged. But, as it may be argued that these particular bees don't know what a s\\ eet morsel is within their reach, prick with a needle a selection of the berries and place the bunch within the hive. Examine them again two or three days after, and, whilst the damaged berries will be found sucked as dry as a bone, all the others will be found *is before."