T 8 NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 



night should be the rule, doors and ventilators left open, and 

 occasionally a brisk dash of the syringe given to keep the 

 leaves clean and healthy to the end. If considered desirable, 

 this would be the right time to remove a portion of the sur- 

 face soil of the border, and replace it with a fresh compost 

 formed of nice fibry loam, with a little bone meal added. 

 In late houses, where the fruit is only showing color, a good 

 soaking of manure water and a light mulch over the surface 

 will tell advantageously. When fully ripe, stop and thin the 

 shoots, and keep the atmosphere rather dry. Remove all 

 young and superfluous growths. Ventilate early in the morn- 

 ings, and be sure to leave a little air on at night ; and in all 

 cases a watch should be kept on the foliage for one of its 

 worst enemies red spider. Young vines planted this season 

 should be carefully attended to as regards syringing and 

 watering, in order to push on growth and secure an early and 

 thoroughly ripened rod. 



Melons. Stop and arrange the shoots of plants in- 

 tended for a late crop. Keep the shoots rather thin and 

 clear of secondary growths and tendrils. In the cases of 

 ripening fruit be chary of water, but give air freely, and in 

 order that the fruit may have the full benefit of light and 

 sunshine, elevate it somewhat above the foliage. It is a great 

 mistake to allow melons to get dead ripe before cutting ; 

 they will be far better both as regards flavour and keeping if 

 cut the moment the fruit swells and cracks round the 

 connection of fruit and stalk. On the other hand, plants 

 swelling a crop should be liberally watered with manure 

 water. 



Flower Garden. Towards the end of the month 

 numerous kinds of herbaceous plants may be propagated by 

 cuttings. It is much better to do this now than later on, as 

 the cuttings will have a better chance of making the roots 

 which are so necessary to enable them to stand the AVinter. 

 The last week of this month unless the weather be very 

 dry is the best time for putting in cuttings of evergreen 

 shrubs, such as laurels, sweet bay, escallonias, pittosporum, etc. 

 Cuttings of roses put in towards the end of this month will 

 probably succeed better than at any other time. Seeds of 

 favourite flowers should be carefully gathered as they ripen, 



