WORK FOR THE WEEK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9430, 2 January 1909, Page 2

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

To Gardeners. KITCHEN GARDEN. Seeds to Sow.— Beans, cress, endive, lettuce, mustard, onions, parsley, peas, radish, savoy, spinach, turnip. The recent heavy rains have stimulated growth into a luxuriant condition; so much so that gardeners will soon be wishing for a spell of dry, warm weather, especially 1 for those crops that suffered so much injury from the two hailstorms. Beans and other {>lants that had ell, or nearly all their eaves destroyed, will need a little encouragement to recover their lost vigour. Nitrate ol coda is about the best stimulant to use for this purpose. Break the soda up ac fine as possible — if it can be pounded into a condition as fine as flour, and mixed with four times its bulk of dry soil, it will be in a good condition for use. Put a quantity around each plant, then hoe the ground. The best plan is to give several dressings at intervals of a week, instead of putting too much around the plants at once. JEarly potatoes sbouid be lifted should there be any signs of the tubers growing out. The skins may' not be quite ripe, but if lifted with care they will soon harden; if jefb in the ground they will soon deteriorate ana be practically useless. Late varieties should be moulded up while the soil is moist. Quick maturing varieties may be planted now, for use as new potatoes in the autumn. Winter greens of all kinds should be got out as soon as possible. The ground is in capital condition for this woj-k. Parsley, for winter 'use, should be sown in good soil, but make it firm before sowing the seed Radishes should be sown about every ten days during January, and from the time the seed is put in the 6oil should never want for moisture until the crop is finished. These favourite roots, to be tender, should be produced in the shortest possible time, and the only way to maintain a constant supply is tty' making frequent sowings. , HARDY FRUITS. In many gardens apples < have been so severely damaged by the hailstones that they should be removed at once. If left on the trees they will rot instead of ripening, and therefore it "would be wise to relieve the trees of the fruits that are damaged, and tuus enable them to develop strong buds of blossom for next season. Pears have not suffered quite as much as apples, but many are more or less injured. All damaged fruits should be removed. Pear slug has made its unwelcome appearance, and no time should be lost in dusting the trees with lime or spraying with a solution of hellebore powder. FLOWER GARDEN. Seeds to sow: In open ground — Anemone, antirrhinum, aquilegia, balsam, campanula, dianthus, hollyhock, myosotis, pansy, polyanthus, nortulacca, primrose, stock and zinnia. 7 Weeds are sure to spring up after the recent rains. Keep the hoe busy among the plants to keep them down and the surface soil open. Campanula seed should be sown during the next few weeks — a frame will make a good seed-bed ; the soil should be fairly light, and shade the seed until it germinates. The most effective and useful variety of these lovely perennials is C.pyramidalis. Once tried, their beauty will ensure them a constant place in the herbaceous border as long as flowers are grown. - In England campanula pyramidalis is cultivated in large numbers both for private and public gardens, and where there are large con-, eervatories to furnish C.pyramidalis alba makes an admirable pot plant. Its spikes of pure white blossoms grow about two feet high, and remain in flower for many weeks, while in the open border they often attain a height of four to five feet. Tho seed germinates well, but the plants should not want for water in tfce early stages of growth. Once the roots are well established the plants can stand drought for some time without showing much 6ign of distress. Myosotis seed should he sown in a shady corner. The seedlings soon apnear, and when they have four leaves should be pricked out in a nursery bed, setting the plants about four inches apart each way. This old-fash-ioned spring flower deserves more attention than it receives in this dominion. Probably the reason it is so much neglected is because the seedlings do not get the attention necessary to produce good strong plants ready to put into their flowering quarters in April. These plants are of easy culi ture, but to obtain good results they need as much attention as stocks or asters, arid when they getvthis they provide a [wealth of bloom for many weeks. Many complaints . are made that portulacca seed has not done well this season. Doubtless this is owing to the heavy rains making the soil cold and wet. Where the seed has failed, rniake another sowing at once. This is the season for budding roses, and amateurs should bud a number of those that give best results in their looality. It is much more profitable to grow a number of those varieties that thrive and give good returns than to have one plant each of a large number of varieties. GREENHOUSE. Re-potting Cattleyas.— Plants that I have recently passed out of flower should be kept under careful observation, and should receive attention as soon as root action commences. The process. of re-potting must be decided by the "condition of the material the plants are growing in. If this is in a good Condition, only the loose parts and dead moss need bo removed and replaced with fresh compost, but if the material is worn out it should be carefully shaken from the roots, and the I plants re-packed with 1 new oonipQst^

roots are not injured. Finish each plant off by giving a surface of live sphagnum moss. Be sparing with water for a time; keep just a moist atmosphere during hot weather, and when it rains, or dull weather prevails, maintain a dry atmosphere inside the house In case of a cold snap, light the fire to keep up a brisk temperature, especially at night. A low temperature and excessive moisture during dull weather will surely cause a severe check to the plants.