WORK FOR THE WEEK. TO GARDENERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5056, 15 September 1894, Page 2

WORK FOR THE WEEK. TO GARDENERS.

Kitchen Gauden. — Tbo Boil in many gardous is still unworkable owing to the excessive rainfall. Thiß will delay Beedsowing and other operations for a considerable time unless fine weather Bets in. In the meantime other matters can be attendad to, such. &b the forcing of rhubarb and seaksle. The latter plant, which yields such a delicate vegetable when properly grown, ia easy to propagate, either by seed or by suckers which are usually taken off ■when the plants are lifted forcing. It tho best o£ these are selected and made into cuttiaga every year, and ara planted in addition to the stock which has been forced, a good supply of plants will ba secured. There are several modoa of forcing aeafeale. A simple way ia to cover the plants . with, sawdust to the depth of two feefc. This process produces very clean, tender shoots, well blauched, which are ready for cutting when tho leaves appear. Bub the procsss is slow aa compared to a warm bod of mixed leaves and stable mauure, about five yarda square and two yarda high. Thia bed is trodden down moderately, and when the heat is generated a central space is formed by taking oat the material, so as to leave a wall three feet thick all round. A wood frame is then placed on the sicte ■walls, and covered with boards, upon which two feet of the material removed from the central apaco is replaced. An octrance is made on one aide, and a door fitted to it; to bo able to attend to the necesasry operation*), and for the purpose of ventilation when uscessary; at other times it is covered up with the fermenting materials. The seakale plantß aro planted on tho floor within this plaoe, in prepared light and rich soil, and fresh plantß introduced as required. By this plan. a conßtanb supply or 1 seakalo iu tho beob condition, which is when it ia about, three or Sour inches lpng, can be relied upon. For small supplies no plan excels tha use of pots placed over the orgwna and covered with corns kind of material which will prevent the air psnetrating inaide, hut tha pots must be placed over the orowiis before any growth commences. Flower Gauden. — Vevy little progreuis can ba made in this doparttuent until the soil has become ia a drier condition, but the planting of hard-rwooded shrubs may be gone on with. Of tiiese, thera aro many beautiful oortß of Epacris with flowera of every ohttde of colour from pure white to crimoon. Theae plants aro easily grown, profueo bloomere, and will hoar outting bo freely that the planes may be reduced to almost the eize they were before the season's growth commenced. Boroniaa aro elegant shrubs ; some have fragiaut flowsrs, and one or two apecioa continue to bloom for three or four months, beginning in the middle of winter. The chorozemas are bright-coloured, freeblooming plants with long flexible ahoot3, producing in spring oranga and rod flowers iu great profusion. Correaa are easily-managed shrubs, which seldom fail to give it plentiful crop of thoir red tubular flowero, which open in succession for a long time. Mitraria coccinea ia another easily-grown shrub, its distinct mitre-abaped flowers rendering it worthy of a place ia any collection of flowering shrubs. But this list may be extended to a great length, and it will he sufficient; to name other desirable ahrubs, such as Magnolia conspicua, Draeophyllum gracile, Daphne Indica and Coronilla glauca. Greenhouse. — At this period, when the young growth is commencing, it will ha found that insect pests are on the move also. Examine tha young ohootß of citrous for thripa, pelargoniums for green fly, tho l&aves of cinerarias for the leaf borer, and abutilona for that terror of the gardener, the mealy bug. These poato muafe bo kept in subjection by fumigation and syringing wish tobacco water when practicable without injury to blooms. Thrips can be dislodged by syringing the plants forcibly, laying the pots on the floor of the house. A walch must also bo iept for slugs, which bJtaa destroy a potiul of seedlings of a choice plant in one night. The potting of pJant3 should be pushed forward now that work in the flower garden is almost at a standstill through, the sodden condition of the ground. •