THE GARDEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20000, 16 July 1920, Page 10

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. KITCHEN GARDEN, 1 Seeds to • SoAy.—Bvo.id . I.'oans, cabbage, cauliflower., cross, cucumber (in beat), lettuce, peas, radish, spinach, tomatoes (in heat, 1 . What to riant.—Cabbage,, cauliflower. horse radish, lettuce, sea-kale, rhubarb. I Cover the crowns of sea-kale with ashes or some other material to keep Ihe light and air from them. If vbey remain exposed to sun and air after ibis, the Young growth will bo quite purple. When iorcim;’this vegetable, remember that, it should have very lilt:--? beat—too much is fatal, and destroys more crowns than any other error, .the conditions most suitable for forcing sea-kale are absolute darkness and au even teniperatmo of about Tfdeg I’ahr. A warm cellar is one of the best places tor forcing sea-kale, because the. lerapara tore is even and not too moist. I .Himbarb may bo put ni a. higher temperature: hut requires -mucli more inoisI rare. , To keep up a constant supply. ; put more crowns m the forcing' house i or frame. ■ I , Slugs and snails are much jin evidence ' just now among young lettndo and cabbage plants. A liberal dusting with tresb-slaked lime will chock the insects, : but they should be caught and destroyed. Tf attacking the seed-beds, ib "'ill be necessary to go over the beds with a light any time after dark, where the pests will bo found busy, and then it is a. simple act. to collect and kdl ■ them. Vilien broccoli has been cut, destroy ibo leaves, stein and roots as soon aa possible. This should apply to savors as well as broccoli. Probably'the best way to destroy mein is to bury them, trench them in when turning over a vacant quarter. In warm districts, parsnips should bo taken up and, stored. With the leno'};'- ! ,:rn aa >'S. the roots will begin to grow and send up leaves. This movement 'MI! dimmish their quality and value. a-constant watch on peas. If tnet-e are not covered .with wire guards' marrow and other small birds wili eat j then- tender tops. i HARDY FRUITS, I Prepare for spraying—get the materials, examine the implements, an! if any repairs or renewals arc needed get them attended to at once. Complaints arc made every season that the spray -material was not good. 11 careful inquiries arc made the cause of tie trouble is not the quality of the material but the conditions of miniate at the time, of spraying. The most important point is to spray only when flic wood is thoroughly dry, so that the '-■ pray fluid is at its correct strength when jfc reaches the. insect pests. When experiments are made until different materials flic operator uses the fluid on dry wood, and finds out what proportion of water can, with effect, be mixed with-the preparation. ■ Now if we use. 1 in; materials at the advertised proportions when the hark is damp u, becomes too weak to destroy the insects by the time it reaches them, if we look at a colony of red spiders ■hrough a. magnifying glass, when the air is damp, we see. a film of wafer more or less covering the" colony—it may be thin or dense; according to the moisture- in the atmosphere. It is obvious that this film is of some protection to the insects, because, it dilutes tha spray _fluid and renders it move or less harmless, which means a waste of .labour and .material., both of which, arc very expensive "just now. Tim hc-ayv rains have- made sonic land too wot for planting. Do not attempt l y .until *bf> : water has soaked away. On-high, night- land planting may be. proceeded with, but. on flat,’ damg s;il it in better to wait a littleGREENHOUSE. Thir is a- busy .season under glass, as f. r many subjects are starting into fresh growth, and all need some . attention, recording to what, is wuftkrd front Urn plants, 1‘ crus— r AI though- -most ferns art: easily raised from- spores,'dividing is tire ' m '.wt. general form of propagation. The second half of July is the season for dividing and repotting ferns. Plants that are to be divided should be turned out of the pot; cut about Half the ball off, and then pull the crown in pieces from the bottom. Do not cut it, as if you do a lot of flic young fronds will be injured. By carefully nulling ;jie crown to pieces, we divide it without, tle.ht-oying much of the live parts, and fbe divisions start into fresh growth, more even -and with greater rigour.’ , f dt-the divisions into, rather small pots at- first, but put them into larger-sizgd pots as soon as they begin to grow reparo a compost that is fairly heavv U-- m a, mistake to think that ferns require a- light soil, as they are generally Immd growing in heavy soil, but m situa.ions where the surplus water can tass.away quickly. This is why the pots or tubs should hare good drainage to alDv, o, the ranul exit of-water and-in-aress „f air. Rotted turf, brown loam, a little scarp sand, ». few' pieces of charcmd and a small amount of oyster-shell ail. make, an ideal compost: Ferns be'entt f “°f T to , be d,V!clcd ’ and cannot I ? 1-nt into the larger pots. shoulcMiavd f, - Possible. of .the old • soil taaen away;_ loosen - it with a sharp sore !t out . !llul replace it with ", e 01 t'w cornnosr. as suggested ;> ove J;u,t w,th a-handful of Cja?s few-' oHidl '• ‘u UUy otlier Prcenbouse 'mints need similar treatment, and the month' I .’* n '° rk ,S on ® Abetter. Next month the vounc trends will be pushing up. and-unless £n ,r *nf raro w ” will got broken taken many