WORK FOR THE WEEK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9092, 23 November 1907, Page 1

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

To Gardeners, Flower Garden. — Give constant.intention to all plants that have, recently been put into their _ummer quit* ters, particularly those that have been transplanted from boxes or' seedfbeds, for two or three weeks, in order, to give them a. good start. Watei* thoroughly when necessary , and af tet a very hot day sprinkle them overhead? ' About four o'clock Keep the surface sril open by frequent hoeing., ' or tha constant watering will' wash the ' surface soil into a hard crust. It? is surprising how much faster plants grow if . the surface soil is constantly disturbed. There are quite a number of reason* for this. ' One. is the ready ' access . of moisture through the Uoose^ ooett; surface." This moisture is' taken' in every; night, because the heat of the sou attracts the moist atmosphere daring th* hight* If, on the other hand, the sur-« fate is hard and caked, this night moie* ture cannot penetrate^ and so its- benefit is lost to the. plants. \ Another rea-; sou is thai> when a shower; of rain falls it runs off the hard, smooth surface, so that -the plants' do. not get their full benefit 'from the rain. These t^o,r_-j-> sons should' be ____cier_t to ihetire the* frequent hoeing of both beds and borders until the plants have re-establish^ ed themselves, and begin to make a robust growth. There are some placed where the hoe cannot be used, say between the plants in . a clump of annuals, or among ' the edging plants round the flower-beds, -till a small \hand-fdrk or- pointed stick will serve the , purpose. The ripening foliage of bulbs will tempt many to cut it off. Resist thii* teinptaftion and leave it' on .'severaweeks longer. Although it may make the garden look a little untidy, it will afford some shelter from wjrid to manj? a - tender plant just bedded -out* Anemone seed, if required, should ..hei collected and sown at • once. Select* Beed\fram the beet plants. Although! all the resulting seedjinTp may not bo first-class, the chances or getting .good flowers are greater than if the seed is taken from all and sundry, without! regard to their quality. To secure a/, reauy ' first-class strain, all weedy plants and those with inferior co-our and robustness should b© pulled up and destroyed before the first flowers aro sufficiently advanced to have ' ripej pollen in them.' Bj taking theNpopr varieties away thus early the' -otter plants will not run the risk of being polinated from inferior; blooms. \ Flowering^ shrubs .hat need pruning should receive attention immediately the present season's flowers are over. Pruri vi sinensis and P. roseum need, rathe* • severe pruning to keep them in good condition^ Spiraeas, deutzias, fabiana, .aricas and. many others can only' ba kept in good condition by pruning. These shrubs flower next season on. tho growth they make this summer, and, if the plants are not pruned the old wood becomes hard and sere, many of thq smaller branches die, and the.whple.' plant will fall into a sorry conditio^. Lawns, should be. frequently cut arid fairly closely all through this month.. The closer the surface is cut'the'tet* ter, because young growths will keep! springing up, and these will keep green; all .through the summer with a fait supply of water. Greenhouse. — Seedling primulas will require much attention from now^ ori until they are potted into, three-inch pots. _Tse light, fibrous soil, witli.. plenty o? sand, for the sinensis' varied' ties. These must have a free sbi|, while they^ arc very young.- / Givo plenty of air, to make , the. .plantf. sturdy. Primula pbconica should.^ha^ . soil a little heavier than thei / othetf ; varieties, and perhaps a little more air. . Do not over-pot primulas, probably rioi -' other plant suffers more from overpotting.. Many cliryeanthemums' .ari cut back during _this month.,' -It. ": ther cuttings were put in. pots filled witty light, sandy soil they would soon' root and make nice dwarf decorative plants for next winter. These cuttings requite no heat— just a cold frame "to protect them from drying winds and hot -unshine." If cuttings vga [■ put in a three-inch pot, and when rooted potted into five-inch pots, they will make very useful plants.