THE GARDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 182, 31 July 1908, Page 7

THE GARDEN.

(BX HORTUS.) [Hortns is willing to answer any queries. Correspondents mnst give their real names and addresses, though not for publication.] TO CORRESPONDENTS. Transplanting Crafted Apples (D.A.). — Yes. under the circumstances, .you may now rransplaut those you successfully grafted in last spring. Mulberry Tree (Sub). — These trees succeed best, especially when comparatively young, in cultivated, deep, rich, soils, "hence turfing over the roots of your tree has been inimical. Slightly mulch the sward with manure, apply manure water, and cut out bodily any central yeak branches that can be spared. HINTS. Spring Hearting-Cauliflowers will be vastly improved by manurial waterings. Winter Flowering Begonias should be propagated from fairly matured short jonted shoots. Turnips. —When a few inches high they j should be thinned, the operation being j repeated in two or three weeks. Sow j seeds for suecessional summer crop on a limited space. Mint Roots dug up, placed thickly iv boxes, and covered with fine mould, and I shortly placed in heatj will soon produce i green mint for sauces, etc. Greenhouses having been pretty well emptied, an opportunity occurs for rearranging the plants which remain. Overhaul each, repot any requiring such attention, give others a. niulching of fresh soil, and attend to various other details. Overhead climbing plants might be conveniently trained, walls limewash -, ; e.d,.J3tagiiigscleaua.ed,jJiAdthe-surfaces of borders freshened up. Sow seeds of all kinds of vegetables and herbs to make up for failures owing to past inclement weather: also peas and beans for succession. It should be quite I safeto sow main crop-runner beans now; also a small, sowing of dwarf kidney beans on a warm, sunny site, provided ■ the ground is not tdo wet; or seed might ' be sown in boxes for future transplanting. , Beet, carrots, and salsafy should be sown for main crops immediately the surface of the ground is dry enough , Sow the first a foot asunder in drills. . and an inch deep. As this crop will ultimately be thinned to eight, or ten I inches apart, the somewhat large seeds i should be dropped a couple together at i about five inches apart. Sow carrots in • shallow- drills ten inches apart, and avoid ; too thick sowings, which cause unnecessary work in thinning the after seedlings. E Make a- point of sowing the grand im- . proved intermediate variety. Sow sal- . safy also in drills nine inches asunder. ; Hots beds prepared for on the lines , lately suggested are, owing to the mode- ; rate depth of fermenting materials, soon ready for planting or sowing. The frames 5 should be promptly fixed upon the newly--1 made beds, and the sashes shut, down [ close, to induce the heat to rise; then j rich compost to a depth of six inches . should be placed up as near to the j glass as possible, allowing room for the respective crops to grow, and no more; t and, in this connection, the fact that the 3 bed, etc., will sink somewhat must nol , be lost sight of. For carrots press the 1 soil down uniformly firm, make it quits level, and do not unduly bury the seed t Potatoes and radishes are * habituallj , grown together in the same frame. Tin potatoes should have been artificially sprouted in boxes, as before suggested; P the sets only need just covering, because future mouldings should be given them, J with additional soil, space for which mus ; be allowed between the sets and the glass. When the sets are planted leve the surface, and promptly sow long ret ' radish seed thereon, and shut the sashci *• down close, to induce quick germination, LOBELIAS, ANNUAL AND ! HERBACEOUS. [ The genus Lobelia, named after M. j Lobel, physician to James 1., contains nearly one hundred species, with numerous sub-species and garden hybrids. They inhabit chiefly the warmer parts of the world, and are common in South America and the Cape; in Europe they ■ ! are rare, though two exist in Britain, j both of which have blue flowers resembling the ordinary bedding Lobelias. The , commoner, having- blue, rose, particolour, and white flowers, are hybrids raised from the South African L. bicolor, .L. eriuas, and the Australian L. , ramosa, and, latterly, pumila, a dwarfer strain, are all suitable for edgings to taller growing plants. Those known as the Ramosa type have larger flowers, L. * heterophylla atroviolacea (azure blue with 1 white eye) larger still. Though all the ' above may be propagated from cuttings of the younger shoots appearing about • the base of old plants, the best way to increase them is to sow seed late in September or in February, and to prick them out in boxes, sufficiently- wide apart, as soon as large, enough, or not later than April. Happily, they all succeed in cool temperature of from 38 to 45 de- , grees, but should be kept up near to lithe glass. It is important to procure I \ good strains of seed, especially if the ! i plants are to be used for edgings; usually such as are propagated from cuttings j form the truest outlines. Perennial i Lobelias, a sadly neglected group, growi ing upright, forming, spikes three to » four feet high and carrying large crim- - son and other coloured flowers, have ♦ been BtraMz improved by, florist* ffhe

original forms were Xi. fulgens (Mexican) and the Chilian."L. ignea,, or "fiery," form, to which has" been added L. fulgens Fire- ■ fly,.L. f. Queen "V ictoria,.L. f. rosea, L. f. Prince • Arthur, i. i. Lord Ardilaun, L. Eivoirea,' L. gloriosa, and many others, besides" hybrid L. Gerardi, in shades of colour -from -pink to deep violet. These plants carry their bloom spikes without the aid of sticks for support. They are ' mainly purple leaved. Requiring protection in whiter, they may be transferred to boxes, buried in soil in light sheds, etc., or protected with litter in the warmer parts of the country. Lobelia syphilitica is a superior hardy herbaceous plant, having, besides •'he normal blueflowered variety, subspecies with rich purple and rose colours. These flourish in damp situations.