The December Number of 
-Flower Garden— 
Operations for November 
Fern Culture 
Ideal Country House 
“he Regain 
dener 
The Orchard— 
Operations for November 
/ griculture and Stock— 
Rotation of Crops 
- Farmers Orchard 
The Poultry Yard— 
Poultry Notes 
Utility Birds 
Eggs 
FPattening Chickens 
Flower Garden 
Operations for December. 
Darropits and other members of the 
“narcissus family may be allowed to re- 
main several years without removal, if 
the bulbs have been planted sufliciently 
apart and the soil is in good condition, 
‘The usual practice is to remove them to 
new quarters when they have been grown 
for three years in one place. Whether 
they. are to be lifted or not, to insure 
good flowering bulbs for the foliowing 
‘season, the plants should be kept free 
from weeds; and. the soil well cultivated, 
a light dressing of bonedust worked into 
the soil round the bulbs being decidedly 
‘beneficial. The object should be to keep 
‘the tops growing as long as possible, this 
extended period of growth being the 
factor that will produce fine blossoms in 
the following season. Hyacinths and 
tulips, unless grown in beds separately 
from other plants, should be lifted each 
‘season. They will not tolerate water 
during the resting period, and it is safer 
under any conditions to lift the bulbs. 
TreA-Roses and many of the hybrid ° 
teas, also, should be well thinned out 
after flowering in spring, These plants 
usually develop an excessive number of 
shoots on the branches that were allowed 
to remain after the winter pruning, a 
number of which, if allowed to grow, 
would crowd the head and spoil the sym- 
metry of the plant. As a rule, these 
shoots are, or should be, rubbed off as 
they appear ; but if allowed to grow and 
bloom, should be entirely removed after- 
wards, Old, weakly wood should bealso 
‘cut away if a good shoot makes its ap- 
pearance in a position that will fill the 
vacant space. While thinning and re- 
ducing the plants they should be 
examined, and if found to te affected by 
aphis, black spot, or mildew, should be 
thoroughly sprayed with Nikoteen, or 
some guch wash, for the aphis, and po- 
tassium sulphide solution for the fungi. 
The latter should be used at a strength 
of 1 oz. sulphide to 3 gallons of water. 
The sulphide should be dissolved in a 
small quantity of hot water, and after- 
wards diluted with water in which soap 
has been dissolved ; otherwise it will not 
spread over or adhere to the foliage, 
Chrysanthemums grown for large 
‘blooms should have the top of the shoot 
pinched out if they have not broken 
into lateral growth naturally, and three 
or four shoots only retained on each 
plant and securely staked. Where the 
plants are grown for masses of bloom, 
they may be cut back well, which cutt- 
ing will insure dwarf sturdy plants. 
From the middle to the end of the 
month of December is early enough for 
the general planting of dahlias in the 
metropolitan districts. 
Plants of various annuals and perren- 
nials about to bloom will be greatly 
benefited by the application occasion- 
ally of liquid manure. A simple and 
effective solution is made from sulphate 
of ammonia or nitrate of soda, 1 oz. of 
either dissolved in four gallons of water 
having a decidedly beneficial effect on 
the flowers, and also prolonging the 
blooming period. 
Vegetable Garden. 
Wuere early crops of beans, etc., have 
been gathered, the ground should be 
ranured and prepared for the reception 
of young’ plants of cabbage, celery, and 
other vegetables from former eowings. 
Seed of beans (dwarf and runner), 
late varieties of peas, cabbage, celery, 
lettuce, raddish, melons, etc, may be 
sown accoriing to requirements and 
district. Butter or wax pod beans are 
to be preferred to the ordinary French 
teans. They are stringless and of good - 
flaver. Canadian Wonder is the variety 
of French bean most popular w th the 
market gardeners. 
Lettuce should be sown where the 
plants are to remain at this seagon, as 
they do not transplant well in the dry 
weather. A cool, moist spot should be 
chesen if available. 
As tomato plants grow they should 
be tied to stakes, and lateral growths 
removed, leaving not more than two or 
three shoots to each plant ; in fact, it is 
claimed that better results are obtained 
by closer planting and leaving only one 
stem to each plant, from which all 
lateral growths are removed as they 
appear. When the fruit is set, the plants 
should be mulched and liberally watered. 
The hoe should be kept going between 
the rows and weeds carefully kept under, 
especially such as shepherd’s pucse, that 
is capable of fostering diseares that 
attack the cabbage and allied plant 
Orchard Operations. 
By James Lang. 
Ow1ne to the unusually cold weather during the 
past few months, vegetation of allkindsis ina 
very backward state. Fruit trees ofall varieties 
are quite three weeks later in blooming than 
they usually are: this will make the fruit much 
later in maturing. Those growers who intend 
to make consignments of apples to over-sea 
markets will have to beaz this fact in mind when 
making their engagements for shippiag space 
during the ensuing season. The export season 
generally starts early in February, but this 
season the apples will not be sufficiently. matured 
to ship tillthe end of February, or beginning of 
March, There arealways complaints of the early 
shipments arriving in poor condition in London 
owing, in some cases, to the fruit shrivelling 
andalso to the development of bitter pit on the | 
voyage. ‘These conditions disappear in the latest 
consignments, when bitter matured fruit is sent. 
When the first lot arrives in indifferent coh-— 
dition, it helps to depress the market for suc-. 
ceeding shipments, as buyers become very. 
cawtious as to the price they pay. It will 
therefore be better, especially in a late season 
like this, not to ship fruit too early. 
As the crop of apples and pears is likely to be- 
very large throughout the State, growers wil} act’ 
wisely in exporting as many as possible of the 
most suitable varieties. This will also relieve 
the local and Inter-State markets to a con- 
siderable extent, and secure a better all-round 
price for the fruit. - 
Ploughing and scarifying will be the princi- 
pal work of the orchard for the present, to keep 
the weeds down, and leave the surface soil ina 
loose and friable condition. ; 
Newly planted trees should be lookél over 
and all unnecessary and misplaced shoots 
rubbed off. The tree then puts all its strength 
into the shoots thatare left, causing a much 
stronger growth. Grafts on old trees also 
should be looked to, and firmly secured 2 
prevent blowing off by high winds. If not 
already done, bandages should be placed on 
apple and pear trees to trap the gra) of the 
codlin moth. Spraying will also require atten- 
tion during the month both forthe moth and 
fusicladium. The arsenite of lime recommended 
in last month’s orchard notes can be combined 
with the Bordeaux mixture, thus obviating the 
necessity of a separate spraying for each pest. 
It can also be used with kerosene emulsion for 
the mussel scale on the apple and pear. Where 
curl of the leaf is showing on the peach trees, 
spray at once with the Bordeaux mixture. 
Keep strawberry plantations clean and free 
from weeds by hoeing, also place straw or other 
material round the plants to keep the fruit 
clean. + 
Gooseberries and currants give promise of a 
good crop, and the cool weather conditions pre- 
vailing should swell them out to a good size. 
