.10 Feb., J910.] Orchard and Garden N otes. 83 



should be made for all forms of the moth. The more insects that a grower 

 >can destroy at this time of the year, the less he will have for next year; 

 .and so he is reducing to a minimum each year the attacks of this pest. 



The bryobia mice, wrongl\ called the red spider, has increased con- 

 .siderably with the cold weather, and for this the tobacco spray should be 



u.sed at once. Where the mite has obtained any hold on the trees, growera 

 .should decide to give their trees a thorough dressing with red oil next 

 ■winter. The same remarks also applv to the woollv aphis. 



Vegetable Garden. 



The vegetable garden will require abundant water at this time of the 

 year ; liberal dressings and mulchings of manure will also be needed. 

 These conditions, together with hoeing and soil stirring where necessary, 

 -are needed to produce succulent summer and autumn vegetables. All 

 vacant plots should be well manured and dug deeply over in anticipation 

 ■of the planting of winter and sprmg vegetables, the manure being worked 

 in as deeplv as possible. All vegetable and animal manures should be 

 well rotted before being used for the garden. 



Seeds of leek, Brussell's sprouts, summer cabbage and cauliflower, 

 •carrot, turnip, parsnip, silver and red beet, peas and French beans may 

 .still be sown. Celerv plants should be planted out into rows, and celery 

 seed may also be sown for successive crops. 



Celery is a very popular winter vegetable, and it could be much more 

 ^grown, if it were thorough!) miderstood. A bed of celery should be in 

 every garden, and it is certainly very easy to produce. It is valuable as 

 a salad, a boiled vegetable, and for flavouring soups ; it is also a reputed 

 reliever of rheumatic pains and affections. The seed should be sown from 

 December to February, according to locality. It is best to sow the seeds 

 in boxes or seed pans, covering them with glass to induce quick germination. 

 The soil should be very fine and friable. When the young plants are 

 from 1 1 to 2 inches high, they should be planted out in boxes or in 

 .sheltered beds; and as they grow and become stronger, they should be 

 planted out in their place in the garden. Rich, cool and moist pulverised 

 i;oil, well worked, and kept free from weeds, and careful attention, are all 

 the requirements of the celery bed. The celery plants are generally planted 

 • out in trenches; and as they grow, earth is heaped up around the plant 

 so as to thoroughly blanch the stems. An American method of blanching 

 is to place a board on each side of the rows of celery plants, and secure 

 them closely in position, so that as much light as possible is excluded. It- 

 is claimed for this method that it is a far cleaner way than the earth 

 ■^Dlanching ; but the latter system produces a better quality of celery. There 

 IS a variety of celery known as self-blanching, ijeing naturally of a 

 whitish growth. It is not to be compared to the varieties which are blanched 

 ^by forcing, but it is very useful for soups and for flavouring. 



Flower G-arden. 



In the flower garden, the most popular and showv flovers this month 

 will be the Canna, the Zinnia, and the Salvia. Of the iormer, the most 

 favourable types for gardens are the orchid and the gladiolus flowered 

 ^•arieties. Flower lovers should at this time visit gardens where the various 

 varieties are labelled, and take a note of fresh varieties for next season. 



Cannas are very easily grown, and as they require very little attention, 

 'they should succeed in almost any garden. They seem to succeed, better 



