lo Aug.. T910.] .\)isivcrs to Correspondents. 545 



Seeds of lettuce, tomato, cabbage, carrots, peas, radish and broad 

 beans may now be sown. 



Potatoes may be planted out. 



Where a frame and hot bed are in use, celery, cucumber, vegetable 

 marrow, and pumpkin seeds may be planted. 



All seedlings ready for planting out, such as cabbage, cauliflower, 

 onion, and lettuce, may now be planted in the beds. 



Herbs of all descriptions should be sown. 



Flov;;^er Garden. 



The pruning of roses and deciduous shrubs, if still uncompleted, 

 should be hastened on, so that it will be finished as quickly as possible. 



Digging, clearing out weeds and rubbish, and general tidying up of 

 the beds will also need to be kept in advance. The earlier that this work 

 can be finished, the better it is for the garden, as the soil is for a longer 

 time exposed to the sweetening influences of the sun and the atmosphere. 

 If this work is kept well forward, no delay can then occur in planting out 

 herbaceous plants and annuals. 



All hardy annuals, including sweet peas, will be needing attention now. 

 They should be kept free from weeds, and if they are already in their 

 permanent situations they should be kept well thinned out, so that every 

 plant may have a chance to develop, and to grow vigorously. 



The planting of shrubs should also be completed by the end of the 

 month. A very common need in most gardens is a supply of winter- 

 flowering shrubs. No difficulty is found in producing a splendid variety 

 of flowers in spring, summer, and autumn ; but there is generally a dearth 

 of flowers in the winter. Therefore, in the garden scheme, it is necessary 

 to provide room for such plants as will produce winter blooms. A selec- 

 tion of winter flowering shrubs is given, so that these may be planted this 

 season if required. 



The well-known Pyrin japoinca, the Japanese flowering quince, is a 

 popular winter favourite ; and where room can be found for it, it is excep- 

 tionally welcome. There are several varieties, ranging from scarlet to 

 white. The Camellia, Daphne, and Veronica, of various species are all 

 useful winter flowering shrubs. CufJiea platycentra and C. ] orullensis are 

 two profuse flowering dwarf shrubs, carrying orange and red flowers. 

 Erica arhorea, and Diosma alba are acceptable white flowering shrubs of 

 the heath family. Hahrothamnus elegans (red), Agathoea coelestis (blue) 

 Oihonna AtJianasioe (yellow), Lasiandra macrantha grandiflora (violet), 

 Heeria rosea (rose), and H . alba (white) are all useful and hardy winter 

 flowerine: shrubs. 



AJ^SWERS TO CORRESPO^^DENTS. 



The Staff of the Depivtment has been org-anized to a large extent for the purpose of giving information 

 to farmers. Question" in every branch of agriculture are gladly answered. Write a short letter, giving as 

 full particulai-s as possible, of your local conditions, and state precisely what it is that i ou want to know. 

 All inquiries forwarded to the Editor mtist be accompanied by the name and address of the writer. 



Garlic — W.F. inquires as to cultivation of Garlic. 



Answer. — Garlic requires practically the same treatment as an onion crop. 

 The land must be thoroughly cultivated and enriched with well-rotted stable manure 

 which must be properly worked into the soil. Plant out in rows the small offsets 

 or bulbs keeping them about 6 or 9 inches apart. They may be planted in early 

 spring and should be ready for harvesting in late summer. Keep the soil always 

 cool by occasional waterings and bv frequent cultivation. Above all, allow no 

 weeds or foreign growths in the beds. 



