THE GARDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 57, 7 March 1913, Page 9

THE GARDEN.

(By HOBTDS.) [Bonus Is willing to answer any queries. Correspondents must give their real names and addresses, though not for publication,] LILY OF THE A'ALLEY have occasionally seen a few good spikes of the M}y of the A'aUey grown in Auckland. Our climate is too warm for the flower to be grown with any success, though in a sheltered corner a few Softer spikes amy be produced. They require a good, rich, moist soil and not too much sun. You can easily procure plants from WelI llugton, Christchurch or Dunedln." 'PRUNING LEMON TREES (A.B.).—A iemon tree needs very little pruning, but all weak and strong watery shoots should be removed, taking care to keep the head moderately free and open with a good symmetrical form. The pruning of older trees will consist in the cutting out of all decaying branches, and in keeping the head fairly thinned out. When It ig necessary to remove a large limb, make a clean cut and carefully trjm the edges with a sharp knife, then cover the wounded part with crafting wax. This treatment will prevent the sap fermenting on the wound, and check the tendency to barb or collar rot, which. If not attended to, will ip a short time destroy the tree. BOOK ON GARDENING. TRANSLATED i KROM THE CHINESE (ALECK).—We I have never heard nf such a book. You I might Inquire at the I'ublic Library or at the leading booksellers. Perhans some I "f our readers may know of the book j In question. I HINTS. | Glndiolii that have done flowering if the foliage is ripened must be taken out of the ground to prevent the shooting of the new groAvtb, which comes very quickly at this season. A short rest is beneficial to the bulbs. Dahlias.—See that they are propertied tc their supports. Pinch out superfluous shoots, cut off spent blooms: never allow the plants to mature seed, as this will rob the later flowers of a good deal of nutriment. Give liquid manure frequently, as the dahlia is a heavy feeder. Chrysanthemums.—See that they are properly tied to their Supports j nm| feed liberally with liquid manure. Freezia bulbs should be purchased and potted as a first batch for earliest flowering. They succeed well placed four to six into a 48-sized pot. or more into 32-sizod, and should he firmly fixed therein in sandy loam over good drainage. They will sprout and growmore sturdily in a frame than amidst other plants (too far from the roof) in greenhouses. Avoid over-watering until the bulbs arc fairly well-rooted and growing. Plant houses nre best kept airy and somewhat cool during what remains of summer. This is necessary in view of prolonging bloom display to the utmost and the better ripening of the wood of climbing plants and such hard-wooded subjects as are to be kept through the ensuing Avinter. At the same time,sudden changes of temperature occur as autumn advances, fresh air should be limited so that cold draughts likely to chill those with tender foliage are avoided. Three of the principal agents in the horticultural success are light, warmth and moisture. The growth of most plants is accelerated by the abundance of all three, while the ripening of fruits often depends on the first two, and sometimes plants, attain a premature growth By.'-Hhesid- -jbeirigj ih' 'excess : of the laWW*'moUt.UTc; ! But this is not always true; some plants, whose Avell-being depends on the amount' of moisture they receive, remain almost stationary when that useful agent is not abundant. Such, for instance, is celery, which in some places remains for several weeks in the hottestpart of summer in a state of apparent Test, and only starts into active growth when the rains and a cooler atmosphere set in.- - Artificial waterings become more and more necessary as dry weather is prolonged, especially to lettuce, summer cauliflowers, kidney beans, and the like; and whenever practicable • manurial waterings should be given. Whenever stable drainings exist in bulk this willnot be a difficult matter; otherwise it entails labour, but is well worth the outlay. In all cases avoid too powerful stimulants. For instance, if guano, sulphate of ammonia, or other artificials are used, place no more than from half an ounce to an ounce into each gallon of water. Such aids may

be readily applied, however, by slightly sprinkling them in powder form beside the rows of all crops, hoeing ' it in slightly, and then watering. In no j case must they be scattered over the plants. Copious waterings should always be given, and for preference between six and seven a.m., or aa late in the day as possible. Stir the surface of the* ground well after such waterings, as. soon as it becomes dry enough to work upon. Needless to say, artificial waterings are far more effective if applied in conjunction with casual showers, such as seeni to occur intermittently in some districts, and may be given at any time of the day with cloudy weather prevailing. AMERICAN BLIGHT American blight, otherwise known as woolly aphis, is a very prevalent apple tree pest in this country. It fortunately does not attack other fruits, not even the pear, but its ravages on the apple are quite sufficient evidence that its presence must not remain unchaUengedv This insect is a near ally to the common greenfly ' or aphis ' of greenhouse and other plants, and it has the same ability to rapidly multiply its race. ' Its presence in summer -is easily recognised by the tufts of wool produced by the young blights, and in winter by the rough, corrugated, canker-like wounds left on both young and old shoots. If closely examined, downy specimens of the blight can be found hiding under the roughnesses made by the split or cracked bark. Besides infesting the branches, the blight also attacks the roots and underground part of the stem. On these it produces galls and Swellings similar to those on the branches. It has been noticed that the branch brood may migTate to the rootsj and the root brood likewise ascend to the branches. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance in combating this pest that the colonies below ground are destroyed as well as those above. As a remedy, there is nothing to beat emulsion, though caustic washes are also good during the winter season. If a. quantity of emulsion is wanted, make it out of dodTs' in a pail. In the pail place about three pints of water and three pounds of soap; allow the soap to. dissolve, stirring the while with a stick. When dissolved -pour in carefully a gallon • of kerosene, stirring the oil and soap together until both boil. Allow the boiling to continue for five minutes. If old trees, that are mossy have to be treated, it is a good plan to add caustic soda to the emulsipn at this point, but for young, clean barked trees this is unnecessary. Take the pail off the fire, and sprinkle into it thiee pound* of exushad. caustic soda,

and stir until the whole looks like I whipped white of eggs. The emulsion is how ready, and the quantity thus | made needs to be diluted with twenty gajlons of hot water. If this cannot be! done at once, tKen use at the rate of \ one pint to two gallons ef hot water, j With old trees, first well scrape away' ajl loose bark right down to the ground, and be especially careful •to clean out any nooks', crannies, or-cor-rugations. Paper should be laid on the ground for the scrapings to fall on to, to be afterwards gathered up and burnt. Next remove the soil from round the trunk-and down to the main roots, and scrape out any colonies of blight seen. This done, 'veil syringe all the branches and twigs, so that every part is reached with the emulsion. The larger branches and trunk should be treated to a scrubbing with emulsion, using long bristled brushes, so as to get into all the crevices. If the trees are small and such as can be easily reached in all parts, it is better to paint the whole with the emulsion, using a sash tool for the smaller brandies and the scrubbing brush for the larger. The summer broods of blight are best kept in check by dabbing each as seen wit!; a painter's brush \ dipped in paraffin emulsion or methylated spirits. On rfie trunk and large branches paraffin itself can be used. It will be seen that it is best to combat this pest during the winter season, and then supplement with a sharp look-out during the summer for any chance colonies, and' ; so prevent re-infection. But the subterranean colonies must be killed off as well as the aerial, or failure . will result. • '