WORK FOR THE WEEK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6362, 17 December 1898, Page 2

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

TO GARDENERS. ' Kitchen Garden. — Refer to previous notes -and k-eep all routine work well in hand. The hoe, especially, should be kept constantly in use. Tomatoes are making vigorous growth, and this should be regulated to avoid the waste of energy that is socom;mon in our gardens. Make a practice of going over the plants once : every week, to pinch out all lateral growth that is not wanted. This will direct the vigour of the plants into the development of blossom and their fruit, which will mature much earlier than it would if all the growth is left for a time and then severely thinned out with the knife. There are many ugly fences in gardens that could be covered with tomatoes, trained to wires or stakes. This would make the garden more beautiful, and the unsightly fence would return a good revenue. Now that tomatoes are growing fast they need very little water. When these plants are growing vigorously, the gardener generally waters freely, and then complains that the plants produce more wood and leaves than fruit. As a rule, tomatoes growing, in Ihe open do not require any water from the time they make a good start until the first fmits are swelling. Too much water retards I the .setting of the fruit. Clear early potatoes as fast as they mature, and plant winter stuff in tli£ same ground- — it will- not require digging. Put the plants in just as the potatoes are lifted. It is a good plan to dig one row at a time, and plant a row of the largest plants from the seed bed. This ensures a good start for the winter stuff, because there is but one row to water, and this is attended to, whereas if there were ten or a dozen rows there would not be enough time found to thoroughly water them. Fruit Garden. — Apples that have a very heavy crop should have been thinned long before this. We have constantly advised thinning, but in many gardens it has not been done. One reason given for delay is that so many fall off during the early summer that this more thaif thins the* crop. [ Just so ; and for this very reason we are constantly urging our readers to thin their crops as soon as the fruit is set. It is the | I pip, or seed, formation that is such a strain ! on the trees, and often they axe not able to develop one-third that have been formed, and two-thirds are thrown oft. Now, had one-half the fruits been taken from the tres the other half would have been developed and matured, and the gardener would have a greater, number of- finer fruits in return for the little' Ijiboiir of thin- i ning. Trees that were planted 1 last winter shouldbe. watered if the ground is very dry ; unless they receive this attention" they vvill socn flag, .and then red spider .ysTil attack them. That terrible pest, pear leech, has made its unwelcome appearance, and the trees affected should be syringed with hellebore (one ounce of white hellebore powder to two gallons of water). Do this at once, before a great number of leaves are compl-itoly spoilt. .Vinery.— ln late houses thinning should have been completed, and now each vine should be examined to see if too many bunches have been left on, and if this 's the case, cut them away at oncej general ly there. should be one bunch to a foot on the rods, but no rule can be laid down. The true test is not- what number of bunches are left, but to what size and weight theje are likely to grow. Some varieties have much larger bunches than others, and these should be allowed to cam- a lesser quantity while where the bunches will not weigh over half or three-quarters of a pound, a larger number may be left.. It is necessary to take gTeat care of the two leaves on each . lateral, next the main rod, as the buds at. the base of these leaves must furnish the bunch of grapes for next season, and if the leaf gets injured in any way, the bud will suffer arid the bunch of Moom for next season cannot be properly' developed. Grapes in houses that are heated will soon begin to colour, and this should be the signal to cease' stopping the laterals, and let everything -grow. This practice will be found the best ; the . grapes take on a better colour, they are less liable to crack, and what is very important, root formation will actively proceed under this treatment. - Flower Garden. — Remove all old flower heads from pseonies, poppies and other flowering plants. These only- make the garden look untidy. Roses will ' need some attention. Unless rain has fallen by the time these notes are read, water, and this in plenty, will be needed, especially on the bushes that were planted during the present winter. If any signs of' aphis are seen, syringe with -warm soapy water. Shoots that have flowered should be shortened back. This will encourage the formation of fresh growths, and another display of blooms in tlia autumn: Climbing plants should have their growth regulated, or they get so tangled that they are anything but pretty. Roses have bloomed . well, and the first crop of blossoms being over much of the wood 'that has given an abundance of blooms should' be cut away to make room, for the -fresh' shoots that arc growing; it is these new young growths that will give next season's crop of blooms, and so they should be carefully attended to. Give them all the room possible ' - ■■■■■■ '■.■■v^,>:^ s .i;;^^

to develop, and make them secure from wind. Lawns will require water ; a good soaking and roll immediately. Cut, the grass as often as time can be found, and dfg out weeds as fast as they appeal 1 .