THE GARDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 274, 18 November 1910, Page 9

THE GARDEN.

(By HORTDS.)

(Hortns Is willing to answer any queries. I Correspondents must give their real names and addresses, though not for publicatlo_.) TO CORBES-ONDENTS. Celery (X.Y.Z.). — Celery must be planted in trenches. As it grows it must be earthed up so as to blanch it Celery is grown for the long-blanched stalks, and to produce these It is best -co dl g a trench about a foot deep, and as the plant grows fill in the trench, drawing the soil about' tho plants. This blanches; it. Make a, . trench nnd transplant your, plants into.it. It is time to do the work now. Vines (Grape). — You should only have, allowed one shoot to spring from each spur. Take the weakest away yet. One bunch to each shoot will be a very heavy crop, and. I don't think that your vines will be able to mature the fruit properly unless tbey are very strong and well fed. It does not do to take too heavy crops oK vines in. one year. That is only robbing them of strength for thefutuie, but the quantity to cairy it would be Impossible .for mc to state, not knowing the state of the vines. Pinch each shoot two buds away from each bunch of fruit, -ou can syringe night and morning till the fruit begins to colour. Tomatoes (Novice). — I plant tomatoes 2ft Gin apart. To support each plant I use two stakes. When the plants start growing, I pinch out the centres, leaving two shoots' which-are tied to the stakes. As "the shoots grow, ttley usually produce a bunch of flowers at every alternate joint. Now the leaf shoots must be pinched out, and the flowers left with only the'large leaf at each'point This treatment forces all the nourishment ln the 'plant, to,-, the- two. leading-, branches...anflp ~,the; f ruit. Some grpwQrs'leave oneileader .drily,' but I -have found that-n. good-plant can nourish the two quite well. HINTS. Mustard', Cress, and Kadi—iea.—Sow for succession in a.cool, shady place, and water from start to finish. Lettuce.—Plant out another -small bed, and water' so as to give them a start. Sow a, small pinch of seed for later planting.

Celery.—Prepare another trench for (planting towards tlie end oi this month. ' Older plants in full growth, earth up __} they may Tequire it, always leaving I about eight inches of the foliage above the "soil. When.earthing up do not pock' the soil aboult the stems, leave it in a loose state,' so as. to give room for expansion. _ . - Beans.—Both French and running varieties, fork between the rows, and' earth up when they begin to grow rap- -, idly. Another, few rows of French beans can now he sown in good rich soil; those iwill have plenty of time __» mature,* crop. ... Tomatoes. —The course of treatment. meted out to outdbor tomato plants; dm! ing the next -few weeks -will have a. very matte-Sal effect upon the ultimate crop of fruit. The. .tomato has been, from its well-known thirsty nature,, im-, •properly compared to certain tropical palms, which rejoice when their feet are. in water and their head roasting in ithe, sunshine. This is an exaggeration. Plenty of moisture they must have, particularly whilst the blooms are, setting, "but too much water will soon engender every form of disease to which the plants are subject. Sunlight cannot be governed by the rule of thumb methods, [bust it is prudent to allow them all the light available, and where overhanging foliage- shades a. portion "of the fruit the points of the leaves may he ads-in-tageously removed. It is useless to allow the plants to -waste further energy in developing: .bloom hunches on top while the lower clusters keep casting their flowers. Pinch out the points of all the •plants, now, leaving one leaf beyond the ■third, fourth, or fifth bunch as the case may be. ilanurial waterings will' nor he necessary to the. rapid swelling of the fruit, commencing *with weak- solutions.

"Vines in Flower.—Afford Muscats a free circulation of rather dry air. Raise .the points- of ■ the tranches to the light, and liberate the pollen at midday" hy gently tapping, the stalks of the "bunches, or go over ..the bunches carefully, with a large-sized camel-hair brush, and afterwards dust them, with another charged with Alicante pollen or that of soma other ■different and free-setting -variety. Harohu-ghs 'and similar varieties set freely in a lower temperature.'.. Thinning Bunches and Berries. —It is advisable to make a. selection of the best bunches, and leave only those required for the crop before ithey come into flower. This concentrates the forces on those retained, and by proper attention to fertilising the flower a good set and fine bunches are secured. Thinning the berries should commence as soon as they are set, especially in the. case of free-setting varieties, and where specimens are required for exhibition it should he attended to whilst they are in flower. With the shy-setting sorts -hmning should be deferred until the properly fertilised berries can be distinguished by their taking the lead in swelling. "Remove surplus bunches, under r__2_er than' overcropping the..vines; as itoo heavy crapping is fatal to colour and flavour.

■Late Virres.-r-The timely disbudding or young shoot thinning, which has been referred to, must .have "the points. o_ all lateral growths piaahed out at one or Ano keavem bejyond ___« tram* or iraatet

of 'bloom to be retained. By* this process the tendrils' at the points of the shoots will also be removed—a very necessary course. Conti—ue the early morning and afternoon »yringings until the vines commence flowering. Where the Toots- exist under glass, good watering should be given them j»« this tune. Outside vine/borders not occupied.by other plants for- slightly in such a manner as not to injure the roots, and leave it rough for the better penetration of air and warmth. . . Tree Pru_.ing.-r§ummer pruning may be. begun on the more luxuriant and vigorous trees, and the most vigorous parts.of each tree., should have first attention V There" is really, no 'reason why cue superfluous shoot should be left on any fruit tree over and above what is wanted to' develop and maintain its perfect structure and furnish it abundantly ■with fruit buds. All growth retained in excesß of these requirements Is waste. If.it is allowed to remain, it is cut away at winter pruning. This is sheer waste of the energies of'the tree, for any superabundance of annua] wood growth is produced at the cost of the fruit and the health of the tree. A tree crowded with superfluous shoots cannot ripen either the current crop of fruit or the shoots and buds destined to bear the future crop. Attend early, therefore, to the removal of those shoots which ire worst placed for maintaining a proper' balance' in the different parts of the tree. "Those that grow athwart their neighbours, excluding light'from them,-and causing irregularity and-confusion, should be removed bodily while"growth--'is' yet young -and tender .' cnoughijto" beupi—ched, o_t iwt—ufinger and thumb: These remarks apply more pax-, tieularly to trees of some maturity, which are filling their allotted 6pace in bearing fruit. Jn the case .of young trees not-yet fully developed, nor bearing, the objects that must ibe kept.in.'view by{th_ pruher are somewhat. different. "The main object is to secure the rapid, development of the .tree. To this end the leading shoot' of each main, branch, and lateral required to complete the structure of the tree, should be allowed to grow its full length-without any shortening; laterals, on the." other hand, not needed in building up the structure, may jbe shortened back to- within, three or four joints of their junction with;': the main branches, with the view of. for—ling blossom buds or spurs. It may not be? necessary .that all such laterals be .shortened _1 this way. The -peach and nectarine, and especially the, Morello- cherry, form blossom buds, and bear their best fruit most freely on the: young annual shoots and more rarely form short ..fruiting spurs than most other hardy fruit trees do. Sufficient, young shoots, therefore, of, these to. :bearYa'.lcrop should, be. retained'fuiriehgth.: But they must not !be so numerousr.-a-V-oVovercrawd. one another; their leaves should not overlap and shade,each other. _ . „ ■_■: plai-ts^to'-—lainfe ih_ ~lem in health, now require even more attention than during the winter season. . This is owing to the fact, that they are forced to grow "during" the I warmer nights how prevailing; in a dry, stuffy atmosphere' and have too little light by day,.else too much dry heat withm sunny windows. Temper these adverse conditions as much as possible by giving to- greatly shaded ones more light'; sunny ' window* ones shade, at mid-day,, and to all as much fresh air, as possible. Where greenhouses exist, frequently change, plants taken, indoors for decorative purposes. This ■is the season to. repot, dwelling-room ferns; requiring larger pots, and a shift into pots, one size—uger only is advised... Dahlias require deep, highly enriched ground, and this should now be prepared for them if not already done. Such, ground as is prepared fork up deeply; turning ffc up lightly to dry, and freshen" it as much as possible, before the time, of | planting. ;i -YY;.,.Y V.;:., Y.