THE GARDEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16455, 17 June 1921, Page 4

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. KITC HEX GAH T> E X Seed?, to . - Broad beans, peas, Vt'ha ‘ to plant. —Cabbage cauliflower. lettuce. Small plants rf peas and lettuce will need some protection from small birdsThese tender plants are tempting to the birds, notv that many of the fruits are out of their reach The usual wirenetting cover is the most effective, but a., few strands of black cotton, or thread, is a good protection. Once l ho birds touch these all but invisible strands they take fright,- and do no return for a long time. Mould up Ihe young '-reps of l ,f ■*' and bears Don t draw the :-r,l qu uclose to the plants, but nuk" a riot.c or s-oi! along each side of the plants torn or five inclu'S from ’hem Thi- 'd! leave the plants in a h-tle furrow. and the ridge on either side w>’l shelter them from strong, cold winds. Push on with any alterations there are to make. In a few weeks the new season’s activities will begin, when there is no time for extra work. VI NETTY. Vinery. This is the time to make any alterations to old vino '•order.-, making new borders and planting vines. The. sooner this work is completed the better, so make au effort to complete it on or before the cud ol this month. A few notes on some of the roost useful varieties of grapes may be Black Hamburgh is without doubt the most popular and usednl variety. Il is the best for forcing, and also lot growing in o. cold bouse. 1' is the most suitable for the amateur, the professional gardener and the market grower Chie vine will fill i nr v/i house and do equally we!! in a small one. It lias a good constitution, and makes a free, growth. Tts wood and foliage are not excessive in size and its fruits i ipen well with just ordinary attention Perhaps its one lanlt is 'that it, fruits too freely and tins 11‘cosetting habit induces many (o overcrop their vines. Over-cropping is the cause of poor colour, small berries and shanking. These- faults result in , partial loss ni the crop, and poor prices if sold A well grown crop of Black Ham burghs should average from one to two pounds a bun'..';. The berries set. freely under any method of cultivation. There, are two varieties of this popular grape, and the difference is m the berries. One variety lias ovate berries, quite smooth. The other is of the same shape, but has a distinctly hammered appearance. I lie colour is bluish black and well grown samples aro covered with a heavy bloom.

The next in popularity is .Mi- , canto, and most growers declare that j this variety will give a heavier crop per j foot measurement of rod (or cane) than any other variety. It has a good constitution, and carries large bunches, averaging from two to six pounds It is a good market variety. Its skin is tough, and the fruits carry well over long distances. Its quality -is quite second rate, but a ripended sample will hang a. long time if the berries oil. evory bunch have been well thinned. If they are too crowded. they soon being to develop mould in damp weather, and rot away. Gros Maroc. —Although not so well known as man> other varieties, this is a good market grape. It has mod-erate-siaed bunches with tine large berries. A g-ood, well-finished sample sells freely, but for private use- it is quite second-rate in quality. ft- has a strong growth, with large leaves, and should have more space in the. vinery than Black Hamburgh. Mndrasfield Court. Although not well k Mown, this is one' of the best of .'.rapes. Some, say it is the very best variety in cultivation. Probably it is, with one reservation -when well grown. Although it. has been grown in our gardens for many, years there are but n, comparative few who succeed wej' with this splendid variety. Treated the same as other varieties, the berries arc prone to *' split ” just as they begin to colour. This is its weakness, hut. by allowing a free* growth, and less pinching back of its lateral shoots this fault can be overcome. Its berries are large and orate, and they colour and ripen quite easily. Its flavour if. a rich muscat, and the flesh is very tender and sweet- One of the most, successful cultivators of this sterling variety was I,hc late Mr Meredith, m Gfhrston Vineyard, near Liverpool. England. His method of cultivation was on the extension principle. increasing the number of rods each season These young canes carried heavy crops of splendid grapes, with no sign of cracking or splitting, w hich is so common when the growth is restricted tt> the one-rod system. GREENHOUSE. During sunny days one is tempted t.» water tin’- stores of bedding plants freely. This is a mistake, as it tend bo stimulate them to active growth, with the result that in the next spell of damp, cold weather they will have a check, and “damping off" will destroy many plants Get a store of soil in. and slack U for use during the coming season. Tho prcpariitio.n. of a. stock of polling material demands more than a passing thought. One must consider when it will bio required, and what- plants are to be potted. As a rule soil for pot - fcinv is stacked much too long before i: is wanted, with the result that the fibrous part of ir. becomes too rotten. Turfy soil stacked for twelve- or fifteen weeks is (or should he? just in good order for use. The. grass plants are dead, but tlxeir roots are- still firm This is just the material for potting, and it is much better than it will be six months later, when the whole mass wilt crumble up- like powder.