The Garden.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 203, 14 May 1887, Page 8

The Garden.

The late heavy rains have pub bhe soil ii\ splendid order for planting and sowing the* usual winter vegetables. Rhubarb should now be lifted and placed in the shade for a few months. New beds should be made now for planting out in the spring. Too. much manure cannot; be placed in the bed. If done now the bed will be in good order for planting when the season comes i*ound,. Asparagus beds should also receive an overhaul. The old stems cub close to the ground. Spread plenty (say two inches) of well-rotted manure over the bed ; fork it slightly into the ground, taking care not to injure the crowns of bhe old plants. Then give a dressing of coarse salt to the bed. Seakale treat almost in the same manner as asparagus. Where extensions of either are required bhe new beds are betber made now. Cabbage and cauliflower : Earth up all the early crops requiring it ; plant a few more. Onions : Make a small sowing for early use ; thin out advancing crops of turnips, carrots, spinach,, etc. ; keep them free of weeds with the hoe. Tomatoes : All superfluous foliage should' be stripped off the plants, so that bhe fruits, may .receive all the rays of the sun. It will ripen much better if such be done. Broad beans : Oqw a few rows. Mallots, potatoes* and onions should now be planted out in good, rich soil. Like all other bulbs : these # like wood ashes. Lettuce : Plant out another small patch ; tie advanced plants for blanching. Kumeras should now be lifted and stored away ; they keep best if stored in dry sand. Every piece of ground not wanted for winter crops should be well manured and sown down in oats where green feed is wanted. It will be handy where nob wanted, as it makes capital manure if dug into the ground in a green state in bhe early spring. Use lima for slugs, as they are beginning bo get. troublesome. All alterations in the flower garden should be brought to a close now. Sow all grass as soon as possible, so that ib may gob well established Evergreens of all sorbs can now be planted with perfect, safety it ordinary cave is taken that the roots are not exposed to the air for any length of time, or the ball with the roots allowed to get dry. Flower borders should now receive a thorough overhaul. Clear away all debris of plants, reduce the branches which have attained too large a size. Divide such as want root division. Then have bhe borders all dug to a good depth, working in plenty of well-rotted manure as the digging proceeds. Also have all the positions of the different! bulbs and tubers properly marked &o that their positions are known. Continue planting out spring flowering bulbs and tubers. These all like more or less ash in the soil. Wood ashes are the best ; about a handful for each bulb will make a wonderful difference in the quality of the flowers, and produce much better bulbs for next year's flowering as well. A few gladiolus bulbs can now be planted. These will ilower early in the spring. Asthe digging of the borders proceeds, all hardy annuals sown early in the autumn should be left undisturbed, unless a few that may be transferred to a fresh situation. Lawns : Now is the best time of the year for top dressing lawns which have suffered by last season's play or drought. Afterdressing sow fresh grass seed ; rake and roll well. Give the usual autumn paring to grass edgings. Make preparations for returfing tliose that from frequent parings arebeginning to get too narrow. Nothing bub the best and cleanest turf should be used for bhe purpose. Walks or drives badly cub up should now receive fresh gravel, as ii' will soon bind this weather, if properly rolled. In putting gravel down, see that the roughest is raked into the bottom, only the finest left on the surface. Keep the whole garden now in a neab, brim condition. Where the garden is well kept now, I think it almost looks as well as in bhe spring, as a, §reat number of hardy winter and springowers and plants are now showing strong; signs of acbiviby.— Hortus, in " Star."