THE GARDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 304, 20 December 1912, Page 9

THE GARDEN.

(By HOETTJS.) [Hortns Is willing to answer any qnorfe*. Correspondents must give their real name* and addresbes, though not tor publication. J TO ---.RESPONDENTS. Daffodils (MA"-).—Daffodils grown In fibre last season. What treatment would be best for them nest season? The bulbs of 3 these and other hardy bulbous plants I , grown in flbre are seldom lit to tlower j satisfactorily the following season, no' matter where or In what medium 'tbey' 5 may be planted. They are weakened by i 1 tbe absence of nutriment, and require a period of growth In good, rich soil noti recently manured, in a fairly sunny' spot 1 In the garden. Plant them out in the : ) autumn, about three inches deep and * three or four Inches apart. j Amaryllis (O.R.).—lmported amaryllls bulbs i are generally in a dry shrunken condition on arrival here, and without roots. With a knowledge of the nature of the species I It is easy to bring the bulb Into its I natural period of activity, but, if not thus acquainted with its nature, it Is best to 1 put the bulb into a pot of loam and sand i and place It In a dry moderate temperai ture. where there Is no danger of further t shrinking or of premature dampness. As soon as the first sign of growth Is seen " either in the formation of roots or the I swelling of the head of the bulb, pot and transfer to a raised temperature, which will be found suitable. To such bulbs ' small pots should be given, but as often as they fill with roots they should lie ; moved. Tbey will often bloom, however more freely in a pot in which they have ! been established for two or three years. VEGETABLES. The transplanting of seedlings will ' cause growers a busy time, in instances where the drought has been most severe and artificial waterings impracticable. As soon as fairly substantial rains occur advantage should be promptly taken of the latter to plant out every seedling endive and lettuce, as there is" likely to ' be a shortage of all in the ensuiit" autumn. Fallow lands should be pre" . I pared for the same by breaking up their 1 surfaces and drawing the necessary dr.lis. : Fork between the rr-ws of all young ; [growing vegetables. Earth up those that' require the hill system of cultivation. To! I melons, cucumbers, marrows, and pump- ; : kins give plenty of water to kerp them j '.growing, mulch also tn conserve the, .moisture in the soil; tomatoes, pinch our. j . superfluous shoot.-, and tie the letdingi 'ones up to the supports; spray oecasio.-.-j ' ally to check blight. Plant the inter! I mediate crop of celery, artl prepare! j trenches, for the later crop, to have them . j ready for planting out sometime no..t .month. The litter of all spent crops'; . should be cleared off (.he ground an,! taken to the rot-heap; tlie soil should be dug roughly to expose it to the action of the sun and air; this will ensure it to be thoroughly sweetened for future crops. SOOT AND WOOD ASHES. A mixture of soot and wood ashes is very useful in all gardens where plants are raised from seed. It is usually iv the early stages of life that seedlings are attacked and destroyed by insects, and I there is no more certain way of keeping these depredators at bay than dusting the. I beds with the mixture named. Of course, it • must be understood that care is neces- ] sary in the use of this mixture, for if I too much is applied the seedlings would |be as seriously injured as if they had | been left to the attacks ol the insects. J All that is necessary is a light dusting, 'but this may be renewed if washed away | into the soil. It is not only a preven- ! five against insect attacks, but i 3 a ■ stimulant, and its presence in the soil '. helps the seedlings along when they have I 1 rooted strongly and begin to grow j freely. It is especially valuable for I celery, which if dusted with it while '. .in the seed bed will escape attacks from | slugs and snails, a most destructive pest, i | Cinerarias, marguerites, and chrysanthe- j j mums are also secured against the sam:' | foe by its use, and the turnip flea will j I give no trouble where soot and wood I j ashes are present. The best time to dust the seedlings and plants is when I the plants are slightly damp with dew j or rain, and, as stated above, successive j dressings can be given after showers. But ; Ido not overdo it. Little and often is; ! effective; to smother the plants with it I ! may prove fatal. i I ' I POTTING SOIL. I I Xo** is the best time to secure soil for potting purposes. The soil should be I taken in dry hot weather, and placed in ;a heap, where it will rot and sweeten.- ---' for from six or twelve months before ' . iit is used. The best soil to obtain for j this purpose is about six inches of the J top spit of a paddock which has been for a number of year 3in grass. Turves should he lifted and placed with the. j ' grass side under. The size of the heap j' will depend on the requirements of tbe cultivator. Gardeners were formerly very particular as to tho colour of their j soil, and a good hazel loam was the j favourite, but the loams mostly used by our nurserymen at present are almost I , yellow. I have met with excellent loams I ; of all tints from a aull yellow up to a heavy brown, and am of opinion that no • fuss need be made about the colour. As ' ( to ordinary soil it will be obvious to everyone that there is a great difference between a turfy loam rich in organic matter and a garden soil which has been dng and cropped repeatedly. Admitting that the texture of the soil itself is proper, the longer the land has rested the better will the turfy surface be for | choice purposes. Indeed, I have met with samples which could scarcely receive any advantage through the application of manurial matter, providing it had ■ been stacked in a heap for nearly a year, containing in itself all the essentials required for the highest degree of culture. THE WEATHER. Next week will bring us the Christmas holidays, and it is to be hoped that we will be favoured with plenty of rain before they begin. Dry, sunny weather, although enjoyable enough for tbe holi-day-maker, when it is long extended becomes a matter of great anxiety to the gardener, who day after day sees the burning heat withering up the crops he has worked so patiently to tend and - encourage, and these disappointments arc I i deserving of much sympathy when they , I occur from conditions of weather such as the heat and drougnt have furnished this season. To one who takes pride in , a beautiful lawn, it is naturally dis- | tressing to see it gradually assuming a dingy brown tint, wherein only plantains and other weeds seem to thrive and keep their colour. Plants of all kinds have suffered, and, although watering can do something to alleviate their sufferings, it is only a little after all, and much labour is entailed, in its application. New lawns and lawns on sandy and other thin soils often need _ quantity of water to keep the grass green, and this should j . be copiously applied during the evenings I _ of hot days. Artificial manures used at ■ ( this time must be heavily watered in, ' or they may do more harm than good. | .