WORK FOR THE WEEK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9309, 8 August 1908, Page 1

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

To Gardeners. . „- ,- KITCHEN GARDEN; '':£ What to Sow. — Broad beans, cab* bage, carrots, leeks, lettuce, onjbhi^ parsley, peas, radishes^ spinach; tiny* nips ■ ■•' : iv' What .to Plant.-rAsparagus, cato? ; bages, cauliflowers, potatoes, rhubarb, sea-kale, shallots. . ■*"'■•' A Work- must be earned on as tjb» weather permits, but no time^ should be lo3t in making all preparations"^ seed sowing and planting. There ; wiH be cold weather and frosts but with th,^ sun gaining power and the days lengthy ening a higher temperature will be ex-v perienced. and the cold snap will be of shorter duration. Seed sowing must be carried out with care and due regaicl to tho condition of the soil. . If w ©t, wait a few days until it is drier;; seeds will germinate better, a *Kj young plants attain more robust health.; -', When sowing small seeds, such as carrot onion, leek, etc., draw the dril% and" leave them open for a day before the seed is sown in order that the soil may get drier and warmer. Beans*-* Longpod is perhaps the most profitable* It certainly returns the best crop; *mf many declare it to be superior in flai.. your to. the Windsor- Cabbage--Sele<rt, a medium Variety, one that matur^t quickly. Express. is:. pps of -the bfet-ija*."-rieties for" a small garden. Carrdis— : 4 small variety should be sown now, a{ in is rather too early for the larger viij: rieties. Early Nantes is the 4 best fo3' r present sowing. The seed should only just be covered with soil, and thlft should be as fine as possible. If tblr garden soil is rathe? rough, put a quantity through a half-inch sieve, and jusjii cover the seed with this. ' Lettuce— For general use the cabbage varieties a*<& most useful. Iceberg is about the best for sowing now, but if a Cos variety is preferred— Paris White should bflj selected. Onions — Ailsa Craig is a ve?y fine variety, handsome, robust in health, oval in shape and unsurpassed for flavour and tenderness. Bulbs oi?" this variety are seen in every exhibition in England, and in most cases with a.. , first prize card attached. Brown Globe and Brown Spanish are both first-rate-varieties. Parsley — Extra Curled is; the most useful variety. This seed may, be a little more expensive than others^ but the handsome fern-like leaves make" it most valuable for garnishing. Peas — William Hurst is still about the beatvariety for this sowing. It has been grown for a great many years, and, ; though many others have been\put on, the market, none of them have usurped the firm position of William Hurst, Gradus, a comparatively new pea^js) an excellent cropper and of good fla--' your, but its haulm is not as robust -as. William Hurst, i Stratagem should be sown to succeed the first crop; If Wilr? Ham Hurst and Stratagem are sown,', at the same time, the latter will be S^ for use when William Hurst is over. When, making tho drill for tho pea«, make it wide, and not a narrow, grfijj""' as is the general custom. When the, seeds are put in a narrow drill the young plants are so crowded that they cannot acquire the robustness necessary to dcv velop a good crop, because each root- ' system is fighting for existence. Tha best way to make a drill is to take«t> out with a spade the full width of th# blade, about three inches deep; t&e3* distribute tho seeds evenly, leaving 1 * say, three inches between one pea anw k that next to it. The seeds may ajj&' pear thin in the drill, but this distance | willl enable oach to acquire strength 'at!-' I an[ early a^e, and a heavier crop will result. Spinach. — The round-seeded. | variety should bo put in, and as thiif germinates well sow sparingly. Tumipa — Early Milan and White Strap-leaf are tho earliest varieties. Asparagus should be planted as soon as possible. Koep tho roots near the surface, an<Jf put the bed on rather high ground!' V< ry little., if any, manure will W needed; this may bo given later onV, Potatoes. — Earty Rose and Ruby arja> two of the earliest varieties to grow-Vy Early Rose is quite second-rate if growu on heavy, damp soil, but on light land it is good. Ruby will do well and giy<i>.. good results on any soil. It is .alsSi''' as early as the Rose and of slightly beti? ter flavour. Shallots need a jong seaeon's growth to give _ good results.' Plant them in rich soil, in rows twelve to fifteen inches apart and nine : inches between the bulbs in the tow. . Presa. the bulb into the soil, leaving the neck just above the surface. . • "i. • FLOWER GARDEN. * Roses should be planted as soon as possible. Doubtless the spell of wetweather has delayed this work, but no further time should be lost. Evergreen trees and 6hrubs may be safely traits*;' planted during August. Nearly aH ; . New Zealand trees and shrubs 'move better and with greater safety during August than in any other month, therefore attend to this work as opportunity offers. Lawns that were dug up during the winter and left rough ehoulct be broken down and the soil worked into a fine tilth' — the more thoroughly:, the surface soil is broken up, the Defct ter for 'the grass seed. It would b«r wiser to dejier sowing the seed for a\ week or two than to put it in ground only half prepared. Spring flowers aro pushing up their buds : give these plants every, encouragement by hoeing the soil around them and keeping .the surface disturbed. Ranunculus should be planted; those put out in August genorally £jLve the rosultfl. A good

toija suits these plants. Put rh& bulbs four to cix inches aprt, with the ckws 'fownwards, and cover with two inches of soil. GREENHOUSE. m Begonia bulbs need careful watcliIri'g— they should be left to start into growth -naturally. Any attempt to force them is injurious and may result In* the loss of the bulbs. When they Show signs of life, put into rather small $ot* , -shifting later on into a larger fee. Seeds may be sown in a gentle Jieat. taking care that an even temperature is maintained. Gloxinias.iatoh of bulbs started now will flower ft' November. Select tubers that show 'tfgna of growth and put them m fair*ized pots. The safest way is to put Xfcem in small pot* now, And early; in ■September shift into their flowering tfots This intermediate potting can $* avoided by putting the bulbs in the flowering pots at once, and with care tint the soil is not allowed to get too wet, first-rate results may be obtained. #r©paTe a compost of two parts good ■fckm and on© part each of leal mould tfdd peat, with enough sand to keep it %en; press the soil fairly firm, but keep the tuber quite close to the surfafee. Achimenes.— These should be 'fc&ated similarly to the gloxinia©, but Instead of putting the conns into their ifjial pans, baskets or pots, start them &; shallow receptacles, jusrb covering tnem with sandy soil, and when the .growth is about an inch long, carefully Jawnsfer to pots, baskets or pans. By ■" IJbis. method specimens of even growth >tire obtained, which is not possible if iiih pans are made up at once, becauso ! feXf ; *he conns do not commence growth ! *s"i>he same- time. Ferns that have been resting should be shaken out and Most ferns delight in a seaJjSh of rest during fho winter, but they yjffiould be repotted before the new "'founds commence to leave- the crown; 'wherefore it is better to pot a little j^6 ? soon than too lato. Most ferns do well in a compost of good turfy loam, a fisß^tle -peat, oharcoal, sand and leaf [^meuld. Pelargoniums that have been a>K*iJtei'6d in store pots or boxes should : '*llf Shaken out and repotted in single kfSterv? GivtJ but little water until they 1 ,tb push out f resh leaves . =fe^'o-'>:' — ' :