Gardening Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14284, 27 August 1910, Page 2 (Supplement)

Gardening Notes.

FLOTM2R GARDEN. T!ic> primus of roses is now general, ana t'lf- latt'iip,s of the season is very ia"\ onrabie to the work. As pointed out l.t-t t]j]s work ha.s to be delaved i ' l!i - present time so as to keep back ilie .\ijis from being too forward t.unnff ihe spring, when the late frosts are prevalent, and are. Jikelv to ;!an:aue " t!ie young growths and buds. Ih-yp !<. Jionwer. some los s to the i» pruning should the spring l>e ::i! early one. J; the weather conditions a.e \en line, the sap z sure to rise rjii:rk]y :u; bii(is swell and burst into lirowtii by the end of August. To prime them wht-n in this excitable stage means a loss from bleeding, but with our present late reason the plants are not likely to suffer in this respect. The planting or roses is still very general and ;n lute districts will continue to be for another month. }lany of the herbaceous plants do well if set out at this season of the year, such as Penstejaoiis. Pyrethuius, and similar very fine rooted plants. The seed of all hardy annuals may now be sown in the open ground, but where possible it is better to sow in shallow boxes, and shade the seed with glass or paper until it is well over the ground. The spring flowers are now coming out well, and some of the gardens about -Timaru will soon be a blaze of vellow THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Plant out lettuce, cabbage, and cauliflower. Sow peas, carrots, and small lot ol turnip, radish, mustard and cress onions: k-eks only if wauted earlv. Cabbagu and cauliflower may be sown il required, though if they are put- out now it will be better to wait a mouth or six weeks before sowing seed, or thu crops will be likely to be in use together.

Sow :n boxes celery and tomato and seeds of herbs—thyme, sage, and marjoram are the most useful. The same herbs may be divided and transplanted where they are overgrowing, and also m:nt. It- is strange what a number of people fail to grow mint. I believe it is often because they will not give it a chance to establish, but* cut off the shoots as soon as they show, if it were given a chance the first few month 3 it wotild seldom fail to grow well, unless it is planted too deeply, which. I think is otton the case. Spread thd roots out flat nearly on the surface, and cover with lust enough fine soil to cover the roots. Plant shallots and garlic in rows 10m. apart and the sets apart.

Rhuoarb.—This useful vegetable fruit is only occasionally well grown esceut by the market, gardeners, the chiei cause of faduro being expecting too much from it. The best mode of cultivation is as lollows:—The ground should be worked to a fair depth and well manured; if stable or farmyard manure can be got. it is better than depending entirely on artificial manure. 1 he sets be seedlings or cut from old roots. If the latter, each set should have two good crowns. Thev should be planted with the crown level with the surface —rather above than below ; the rows should be 30in apart, and the sets '2h- apart in the rows. Xo -talks should be pulled for the first season: all should b*s left on the plants to strengthen the roots and make newcrowns. THE ORCHARD. Pruning should l>e completed now as soon as possible as the sap will becin to rise rapuhy early in September, and where it is intended to plant young fruit- trees it should he done within the next week or two as the roots are now beginning to show white fibre. Spraying should also bo pushed on now completed before the middle of September.