GENERAL GARDEN WORK.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 16, 19 October 1910, Page 39

GENERAL GARDEN WORK.

The Vegetable Garden. October is the busiest month of the year in the garden. All growing crops demand constant attention; weeding, thinning out, earthing up, and trans planting. Late crops of potatoes should be got in as early as possible, and those above ground should have the earth drawn towards the roots and sprayed

once a fortnight. If rain falls soon after spraying has been done, the crop should be gone over again. All kinds of dwarf and tall French beans can be sown at intervals of ten days, or weekly when a constant supply is required. Choose a dry, sunny position for these crops, and 'have the ground well worked. Main crops of peas must be sown during the month, and earlier sowings, when ready, slightly moulded up ami staked where necessary. Tomatoes and Cape gooseberries can be set out in well-prepared soil, giving the plants plenty of room. Kumeras may be transplanted about the middle or end of this month. These may be set in rows or in hills live feet apart. Seeds of melons — water, rock, and piecan be sown, also cucumbers, squashes, and pumpkins. Water and rock melons should have six feet of space lietween each hill, and pie melons, pumpkins, squashes, and marrows nine to ten feet. All of these crops like plenty of wellrotted manure. Cucumbers and melons raised under glass should be planted out in genial weather after being well hard ened off. A good plan of getting these well started into growth after planting out, is to procure small boxes and knock out the top and bottom, placing a sheet of glass over them. Slugs and snails

are very troublesome; use shell lime, or Hough ou Slugs for their destruction. Larks are very destructive to young peas and other seeds just pushing through the soil. Scatter a few grains of poisoned wheat, which will thin them a little. The Flower Garden. In the flower garden, bedding plants must be got in their places as soon as possible. Begonias, gladioli, and other bulbs should be got in this month. Dahlias should be propagated by cuttings from the old roots. Where this cannot be undertaken, the old tubers may be divided —using the parts showing buds or eyes —and planted in the garden. Dahlias can also be successfully grown from seeds, which should be sown with out delay. Roses will benefit by a mulch; keep down green fly by syringing with Gishurst’s Compound or Nicotine Soap. Sweet peas are now advancing in growth. These should be staked or supported by some simple contrivance, and lightly tied with rallia till the tendrils get a good hold. Carnations require attention to keep the slug pest down. Get ready stakes for supporting the flower stems, and tic these up as soon as ready. Seeds of annuals of many kinds can be sown, not forgetting a patch of mignonette. Ornamental grasses arc very useful for decorations, and a few varieties should be sown in every garden where cut flowers are in demand. Late flowering bouvardias Should be pruned close, and any vacancies filled with new plants. Lawns require frequent mowings and also rolling. Walks and edgings kept clean and trim. Narcissus, which have finished flowering, must be left to ripen, and on no account should the foliage be cut till quite ripe.