WORK FOR THE WEEK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7293, 4 January 1902, Page 2

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

To Gardeners. Kitchen Garden. — Where former directions in the way of giving a. good! mulching of manure to p«as, 'broad 'beans, scarlet runners, etc., 'have not besn attended, to, the work should not be deferred another day, for with a few days' powerful sunshine the surface soul will be as dry as dust, and proper growth arrested through the evaporation of moisture. Especially necessary i« titis attention to crops growing on hght and shallow soils, as tfhe mulching will not only prevent the surface soil from being parched by the sun, but it will keep the roots of the plants cool and conserve the moisture. Carrots ar« snuos'b appreciated while young and -tender, and to secure a constant supply several sowings should be made. It is a. mistake to sow too large a bed at one tiune; a small quarter sown about every two months from August to February would give a plentiful supply. Either Ear-ly Nantes, or E. Gem should be sown, these being about I t)he two "best in cultivation for culinary use. Onions are growing very fast mow, iind where large specimens are wanted for exhibition some assistance should be given. There are quite a number of means by which large bulbs may be obtained, but 'best results are attained by sprinkling a little fertiliser over tlhe plamts^about once a- week and keeping the ground -moist 'by watering -when, necessary. • Liquid' manure is also an •excellent utimitikttt. Make another sawing of peas in trenches that have been prepared much the same as celery -trenches, taking care to tread "the seed in firm when' sowing. Now is a good time to make a sowing of parsley. Select a warm, well-drained position, near a well or fence if possible, so thafc some shelter may 'be give© during the bad weather in June and July. Cabbages. — Remove all decaying leaves as fast as they appear, or they wIjI become very offensive during 'hob ;weather. Weeds will grow quickly, after tfhe recent wet weather, and they must be kept down by constant and careful hoeings. Vinery. — Now ths fruit has been, cut from the early vines give all the -ventilation possible. If the entire glass roof could be' removed from this date until the end of April it ifould be of great benefit to the vines. Syringe the vines on hot days ; this will keep insects down, give the growth a healthy appearance, and materially assist the development of buds for next season's crop. Now IJha'b more ventilation is given-, the borders both; inside and out should be mulched with some manure to conserve the moisture and keep the roots that are dose to the surface cool; On aio account must the vines; want for water. Later varieties will, need careful attention dn watering, stopping and ventilation, and several require special attention- Madraefield Court, perhaps the most handsome of black grapes, is not often seen in good condition, owing to the berries cracking. Many methods have been suggested to prevent this trouble, but the same treatment will not give the same results in different vineries. It is absolutely necessary to have complete control of the water supply to the .roots. Given this, there should be no difficulty in producing fine bunches of this splendid variety. Too little water when the berries are swelling and too much when they begin to colour is generally the cause of " splitting." Some advise "shade," but with a good supply of healthy foliage shade is unnecessary, because the sun cannot shine through vine leaves. With plenty of ventilation during the night as well as day, a liberal extension of lateral growth from now until the berries are ripe, and a restricted! supply of water at the roots, thert. should be very little trouble from cracking. Muscat of Alexandra, should be grown in a house by dtself , as it requires a rather higher temperature than any other variety. Unless id £as this the bei<ries will not attain their proper flavour or deair golden colour. Give plenty of moisture while the berries are swelling and restrict the- lateral growth tflie same as for BlacJs Hamburgh. When Muscats are well ripened they will keep in good . condition foi several months. ' Flower Garden. — Any pruning that needs attention should be done at once, as plants will grow vigorously after the wet weather. To keep single roses in, good condition they need careful pruning directly they have finished flowering. Cut them back rather severely, and they wiE soon push out strong shoots that will be covered with flowers next spring. Climbing plants should be attended to, in the matter of regulating and tying their growths, and so make them secure from wind. Too often climbing plants are neglected during the summer months, and allowed to aend all their strength into the highest parts, causing the lower branches to become weak and perish. In regulating the growth, make sure the lower part of the trellis, 01 fence, is covered; the top is sure to get plenty of growth later on. Do not leave the shoots too crowded ; a few strong, tho-roughly-ripe shoots will give more flowers than a crowoV, of half-matured growths. Cosmus and other plants suffer from strong winds should have strong, but neat,

stakes at once ; they need not be very ' long, but should be strong enouglT to sup- ! port the plants against the high winds. i J eg down Verbenas, phlox Dnimmondii, pecunias, aaid orher creeping plants until the ground is covered, then allow them to grow aud flower unchecked. Hyacinths, (Jrocus, and other bulbs that have been lifted, should not be left lying on, the ground, but be removed to a cool "shed, where the rain and moist atmosphere ca-o not reach them. Here the bul'be will ' '■■ <'" much better than when they are baked by a, scorching sun one day and soaked with ram another. Wage incessant war against weeds ; they will be very troublesome after the recent wet weather; also remove all dead blossoms and seed pods, and thus prolong the supply of flowers. Lawns will require close attention after the late rains, us the grass will grow faster, and require cutting more frequently. The surface will be rather uneven, and should be rolled carefully, so that the higher mounds, or ridges, are pressed down.