WORK FOR THE WEEK.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXIX, Issue 12111, 4 July 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

To Gaxdeneis. Kitchen Garden.—As severe weather may ~e experienced at any time now, and during tne next six. weeks, the protection ot vegetables will demand attention. Ceiery should be protected with dry straw, ana, it possiole, some rough boards or sheets ol corrugated iron to ward -olf the rain. Celery suiters most when the weather suddenly changes irom frost to rain, so that anything that will keep the rain from the centre of the plants should be attended to at once. Whatever is used to protect the plants should .be removed when the toad weather has passed. Root crops, such as parsnips, beet and carrots, can be lifted and scored in sand or ashes, .taking cart they do not become very dry, or much ol their flavour and crispness will be lost. Tomatoes. —VY'here there is glass, a few seeds should be sown at once -to secure some ripe fruit fo,r Christmas. Sow the seed very sparingly and stand the seed-box in a warm position where there is a little ventilation and .plenty of light, so that the young make a firm, sturdy growth.

Vinery .—lll early houses that are to be -forced, a. start should have been made by shutting up the house and giving just a little artificial heat, just enough to: cause the ouds to-commence growing.. Once these start . the temperature may be reduced, > maintaining about 60deg at higiht to'7odeg during the day. The' great object should be to keep a steady heat, so that the young, tender shoots -will not suffer from extremes of heat and cold. When the leaves are visible a little ventilation should be given each day if possible, if only for one nour, and every advantage must ue taken to give this when. sun is shining. Late grapes •may be cut and stored by putting the end of the lateral an bottles of water. By doing this the vines can be pruned and got ready for next season's growth.. , Examine the inside borders to make sure»|:hey are not too dry, as there is always a,-danger that the borders in late houses may be so at this season. Greenhouse.-^—Bulbs that are being forced should have plenty of light, to prevent them being drawn up with flimsy foliage that.falls aown over the : edges of'the pots. Grown thus, they-are next to useless for decorative purposes, because not only have the flowers to be supported by.stakes, but the foliage too, so tfiat there- is nearly as much stake seeii as flower and leaf. Cyclamen need careiul watching during the next few'weeks, as there is great danger from three causes-—(1) too much water, which will cause stagnation of .growth and loss oi flowers; (2) too little water, which means a host of thrips, which are difficult to get rid of once they are established; (3f too little fresh air, and the consequent weak foliage, which is of little use and no ornament. Give the plants as much., space as possible. If each plant stands quite clear irom the next to it there will i>e plenty of room for air to develop all round the j plant. ThuSj the soil and plants will be kept*in a healthy condition. When one remembers' that they give a large number of flowers that are useful for every purpose, |

and that the plants remain in bloom for | nearly three months, they deserve extra attention and plenty of space. Bulbs in store, such as begonia, gloxinia, dahlia, etc., should be examined during wet weather. Begonias may be. turned out of their pots and the soil shaken from the tubers, all sound ones being stored in sand in-a cool place. Any that are not quite sound should be put in shallow pots or pans, filled with dry sand and placed on a light, airy shelf in a warm greenhouse. Gloxinias may be shaken out in the same way, but these should be returned to a warm, dry greenhouse or stove, and stored in sand or a little peaty soil. Dahlias may have some slugs hidden away between parts of the tubers. These should be destroyed, or they will probably eat the young growth as fast as it pushes out. Some varieties make very large tubers and many of them. These can be reduced considerably, to enable the roots to be stored in a much smaller space. Take every opportunity to give air while the sun is shining and use as little water during July as possible—much water means much damp and great loss of flower and foliage. Promptly remove all dead and decaying leaves and blossoms. Cut chrysanthemums down and put the plants away to provide cuttings, which should be put in next month. Keep a watchful eye on cinerarias. Green fly will attack these plants, therefore the gardener must be on the alert, and immediately they appear destroy them before they have time to multiply. The same watchfulness must be given t6 calceolarias, pelargoniums and arum lilies, for, strange to say, green fly is generally more, active amongst these plants during the winter than in summer.