THE HOME GARDEN by R. Falconer

Spraying is Essential: Despite the fact that gardening remains one of the best forms of relaxation it is often beset by trials and disappointment. One of the main troubles which often accounts for disappointment is the ravages of pests and diseases. In his combat with them the gardener must persevere and continue to spray frequently to get the best result from his labours. When using poisonous sprays one must consider the risk to the operator, and to the consumer, therefore a warning is necessary to be most careful in handling, mixing, and applying various types of spray material. When spraying operations are completed it is most essential that containers of spraying mixtures should be placed in a safe position well out of the reach of young children.

Vegetable Garden: Salad vegetables comprise a large proportion of those grown in gardens during the summer months. It is essential that these vegetables are matured quickly especially lettuce, if crispness and flavour is to be retained. There are many varieties of these and some of the most popular are: Great Lakes which take about 90 days to mature—Imperial 847 and Webbs Wonderful can also be recommended. Lettuce grows on a wide range of soils but a friable loam, rich in humus is best for this type of crop. Adequate supplies of water are particularly necessary. Blood and bone at about ½ lb. per square yard worked well into the soil a little time before planting should give good results. Sowings of radish can be made as soon as soil conditions become warm. Radishes grow quickly, therefore short rows should be sown at from 2–3 weekly intervals. Where tomatoes can be grown satisfactorily cucumbers can usually be grown successfully. Seed should be sown about 1 inch deep allowing 3–4 feet between the sets. Do not sow till all dangers of frost are over. Beetroot can also be sown. Sow very thinly and be sure that they are used before they become too large and fibrous. Supports for runner beans and tomatoes should be placed in position before plants become established owing to the possibility of injury to the rooting system if delayed too long. Onion crops will now be developing bulbs and should be weeded and lightly cultivated with a push hoe. Continue sowings of pumpkin, squash and marrow. In southern districts plantings of cabbage may be made. Golden Acre and Henderson Succession should prove successful. Melons will not thrive in wet soils or under cold weather conditions. Therefore unless conditions are suitable it is rarely worth the time or trouble involved.

Home Orchard: At this time of the year most trees will have set their fruit and spraying is necessary to combat Codlin Moth on apples and pears and for the control of fungus diseases of peaches and plums. Some varieties of apples are subject to powdery mildew and should be sprayed at once with lime sulphur at the rate of 1 gallon of solution in a 100 gallons of water or ½ pint in 4 gallons of water. Strawberry beds should now be mulched with pine needles or sawdust. Before mulching give a final top dressing with a complete fertilizer. If possible the area should be covered in wire netting to protect the crop against the ravages of birds.

Flower Garden: Complete sowing and planting of tender annuals. Continue to plant dahlias. All flowering shrubs which have finished flowering should be pruned. Plant chrysanthemums in very rich well-manured soil. Sweet Peas should be at their best especially in the Auckland district. Should the weather become very dry hoe the ground lightly and mulch with lawn clippings or similar material to retain moisture. A secretary of the Y.M.C.A., Mr Temaio Paiki, left New Zealand in June as the Maori representative of a New Zealand delegation to attend, in Paris, the centennial of the establishment of the world's alliance of the Y.M.C.A. Mr Paiki has been in the service of the Y.M.C.A. for over 30 years. He comes from South Canterbury. * * * Flying Officer W. H. Morete, of Dunedin, was a member of the crew of a Bristol freighter of No. 41 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, which in early June undertook its first supply-dropping mission in Malaya. The captain and crew of the aircraft were congratulated by the senior operations officer in Kuala Lumpur on a first-class drop.