WORK "FOR THE WEEK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6901, 15 September 1900, Page 2

WORK "FOR THE WEEK.

TO QAHDEITEHS.

Kitchen Garden;— All crops "should be assisted as much as possible— peasr by being staked immediately they are through the ground-; cabbage, cauliflower and spinach by moulding up each row. In doing this do not draw the soil too close to the plaints, but leave a space of about six or eight inches, to form a ted of trough to catch the water when ram falls. For broad beans moulding is not sufficient, and they should receive the support of either sticks or string, run from end to end, on both sides of the plants. The early planted rows i>i potatoes are pushing up, and must be covered to protect them from frost. Several' quarters were badly affected on the morning of Sept. 5, those that had not been covered . being quite blackened by the frost; All tendei seedlings that are growing in cold frames should be shaded from the hot rays of the sun, and also from the cutting winds that often blow after a hot day. Seedlings are often quite crippled by these two extremes of heat and bleak winds. Young crops of spinadh slhould.be thinned- early and severely. Give each plant quite' ten inches ctf space between it and the next in the row. Thi3 will ensure a. good supply of large, fleshy leaves so much desired by the cook.

Hardy Fruits. — Should there foe any grafting to be done, do it at once. Any old unfruitful apple trees can be cut back, and useful varieties grafted on the old stock. It is not necessary to cut the trees quite close to the ground. This old-fashioned practice has been abandoned, and now'quite a number of grafts are put on a tree. By this means a good crop of fruit can be obtained from the newly grafted variety in about three seasons.

Vinery.— Give plenty of air, but be careful how it is given. Should a cold cutting wind be blowing, tihe ventilators will not require to be opened as wide as they would on a still day. They will, of course, be opened on«the lee side of tlie house. In cold houses the temperature had better be kept as low as possible for a week or two yet, as there is every possibility of late frosts, and should the young growbhs be over-soft, there is a big chance of them getting frosted. Vines that were started with the and of fire heat will be showing their bundhes now, and this should be the signal for increased ventilation to ripen the wood and foliage. On hot days keep the floor damp, and the side walls should be syringed say three! tames ■& day. Examine the border, and if diy give it a good watering ; a little is useless, so give enough to thoroughly soak the soil quite two feet deep. After this watering a good sprinkling of bone-meal may be v used to assist the vines.

Flower Garden. — If dahlias (have been left in the ground all tihe winter, they should be taken up, divided, and part of the tubers replanted. In selecting a piece to plant back, make sure that the eyes are alive, or there will be blanks in the border. The eyes can be seen at the base of the old stem or at the top of the tubers. It is often the case that all the eyes on a clump of dahlias die during a #veb winter, when the tubers are left in the ground,,, owing to, excessive wet or hard frosts, so that eadh (piece that is-re-planted should be carefully examined., Many varieties of herbaceous plants will need some attention in thinning out the shoots sent up by the old stools, in order to concentrate the fordß of the plant to a few growths. .This . will result in larger and finer spikes of bloom. Phlox should be severely thinned, and if an increase of plants is wanted those growths that are taken away should be put into sandy soil in a cold frame, where they will soon take root. Anemones, the beautiful bright spring flowers, are now making a big show, and deserve more attention than they usually gefc" One mistake often made in their culture is. that they are frequently planted in wet, cold soil, and under such conditions they often die during the winter months. They require a welldrained soil. There is some disease that attacks their foliage; perhaps it is some form of mildew, as the leaves turn black and die. Sulphur and wood ashes will soon restore the plants to good health. Often at this season the better varieties of carnations are attacked severely by green fly, and unless this is destroyed or checked it will •so injure the plants that they will not flower satisfactorily. A free use of soot will destroy the pest. Many hyacinths are past tiheii' best, and the dead blooms should be removed. It will perhaps be better to strip the bells from the. spike than to cut it. The principal object.in removing these is to prevent the seed developing, as this is a great tax on the bulb, and would diminish the size of the truss next spring. Take care of all the leaves in the bulb until they turn brown.

Greenhouse.— Keep seedlings growing. This is one of the secrets of success, and it is on this account that we advise sowing the seed at different times, so that the work of pricking off and potting up is spread over more time, than if all is sown at once. The young seedlings of begonias should be ready to prick off. The soil should be light and rich; make it quite damp before using it. The surface soil in which the tender plants are put should be very fine ; the finer the better. After pricking them off they must be shaded until they start into active growth. Too much sun would mean sudden death to many. Gloxinias need similar treatment, except that they aTe not quite so particular about fine soil. Old tubers that ihave been shaken out and started should be potted on at ones. Use good soil, rather on the heavy side, and give the bulbs plenty of root room at this first potting. The more root room they get the larger will be the blooms. Pelargoniums will require more room and more water now that the weather is warmer. If left too close to each other they will draw and keep soft, and if neglected in the matter of watering green fly will sf*on establish itself on the plants. Those that are in their flowering pots should bd assisted with manure water once or twice a week. Fuchsias like a moist warm position, and under favourable conditions make good growth. They should receive liberal shifts at tihis season. They are hardly ever over-potted, for the larger pots they get the more growth they mak«, and the more growth the more flower. Cyclamen's that have passed their best should be put in a cool place to prepare them fot their summer quarters. Make sure that they are free from thrips, as these pests completely retard their growth, and often kill the plants. If there are any especially good varieties of primulas they should be saved for next season, but generally speaking it is best to raise fresh stock every year.