126 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [11 Feb., 1918. 



The apple American Beauty is not much known here. It is highly 

 coloured, having a large number of prominent russet and grey dots on 

 the skin. In that respect, it somewhat resembles a highly coloured Rome 

 Beauty, but it is more oval in shape. The flesh is white, firm, and 

 juicy, and the flavour somewhat sub-acid. Hedrick, in " The Apples 

 of New York," says that this apple has almosit gone out of cultivation 

 in that State. In view of this, and also its sub-acid flavour, it is not an 

 apple to be commended for Australian growers. 



Vegetable Garden. 



Celery crops will now be a prominent feature in the vegetable section. 

 The seed may be sown from January to March, and succession plantings 

 should be carried out occasionally during those months. The growth of 

 celery should be quick; a fair supply of water and a good rich, loose soil 

 are helpful to its growth. 



Ample water will now be required in the vegetable garden. The sur- 

 face should be kept well hoed, and mulchings of manure given wherever 

 possible. 



Cabbage, carrot, turnip, radish, lettuce, peas, cauliflower, &:c., seeds 

 may now all be sown, and young plants from any seed beds planted out. 



Flower Garden. 



Constant watering and hoeing will now be required for successful 

 gardening. Cannas will require manuring; the old flowering stem 

 should be removed to make way for the new growths. Dahlias and 

 chrysanthemums will need a great deal of attention, staking the growths 

 as they devlop, disbudding, thinning out weak shoots, and removing 

 unnecessary growths. The dahlias should receive a good soaking of 

 water during the hot weather, and liquid manure or quick acting ferti- 

 lizers given when the flower buds are developing. When clu-ysanthemum 

 buds are very small, liquid manure should be applied. Roses may now 

 be summer pruned ; all weak growths should be removed, and the strong 

 ones shorLened to a fairly good bud. The plants should then receive 

 occasional waterings with liquid manure, and be kept well supplied with 

 water. 



All flowering trees and shrubs that have finished blooming should be 

 pruned, the flowering growths removed, and, unless the seed is required, 

 all seed heads cut off. 



Cuttings of pelargoniums, zonale and regal, may now be planted, 

 delphinium spikes that have finished flowering cut down to make way for 

 new growth, the 2>lant being watered and manured. Seeds of perennial 

 and hardy annual plants, especially winter-flowering sweet peas, Iceland 

 poppies, stocks, and pansies, may now be sown, and a few bulbs for 

 early flowering planted. The beds should be well manured and deeply 

 worked in anticipation of planting the main crop of bulbs. 



