Practical Gardening.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 163, 10 July 1914, Page 11

Practical Gardening.

Information and News for Amateur and Professional.

By DIANTHUS.

THIS VVKRH. YOU SHOTJXD iSjw a. little lcttticr er?<\. Sow a. pini-h of cabbage ond cauliflower fccwi. Finish cutting and grt The cleaning up done. Divide and plant up herbaceous plauts which may have grown, too large. Plant up any tjirw roses you are "rowing, and tJn« old. rose bedfi sh'ouldl l>o fronc. over, dug. an* well mjmuxca. Sow a few more swent pp;is: they will ciimn into flower j after the autumn-eown. \ a.nr apple irere rmi have with an oil spray; there a.re several gooii soluble oils offered by teedßmcn. Spray :he pea-rh trees with a fuj]gii-i>lo. eiich as- Biirdeaux xnixtmc. HOW TO SOW PEAS. There is no vepretablp more popular than and yet it is *tranp;e ii<jw Little trouble is taken to •produce a crop. Jt reJlpet- jrreat credit upon the rai-erß of present day varieties •wlnn one considers what crops nre obtained -vvitli so littUtrouble. To those -who -wish ti> flu , best and to really sco to what stajro the cmliiiary pc-a hn<s lven brought, it is necessary to take a littie tvvniblo with thfin. There •was a time when the pweet pea w.ia sown thick n,~ mustard ami cress, but nowadays it has a special society to it-sclj. numberliwi adiraJren=, is given every opportunity lor full <levclopinent. no two plants 'beiny ai)o-ive<l to toutrh each other. Yet in the same jr.irden where s"(\'oe.t ;ue grown, under thnse oonditi-on>. one will .-cc culinary pons smrn tlldokJy. and iriven jus! nrdinarr treatmom. :us if it did noi matter "whether 1-hey cropped or no. The jjne ir- {rrnwn for it* flower*, the other for frniti.-. both of equ.il importanre. Then'why not accord them similar treat-

KIG L If it is not desired to thorouphry trench a piece of frroaind, the following dlaprams repre.sent a very fair substituting me-fchod. J>i? out a trench two feet by two feet as represented iv Figure 1.

no it. Into this trench put six invhe s of mamire. as shown in Fiiruro 'Z. Then with tbo garden fork diff ihifi in:j.nurc into bottom of the trench. Repla<M> the stAi. Alonp the top nf this trnncli druw a drill a.bout three inches deep and aixnit

six incip.s TviJe. eliown in .Fignrr 3. In this drill «JW thp, sped, placing the pons about fmir inches apart; put in t>vro rows, phcinfr the ppp<l alternate. Orwer thp eppds. Watch the. tow carpfully, and ac si>nn n<= tlip pnae show t-lrroup , ]! TV grmind. po alon? tlif row, and it anT hnvo mieeetl. raakp « liolo wiiJi a (libbior nnd sow -.1 pea, ENORMOUS RHODODENDRONS, The K1.,r.il Oonrmi--..'p o>f tlip Koyal Hmliriilniriil Noi-iPtv i-i.nlViTt'il vaviTifl tiit=tin<.iimi »f X iir>; <■!«?« c-r-r;i----ficjte upirn two o.' rhmlinlenrlrr.nfi j-xi.-(v] !>y Sir Kilmtin 1 Ln-lcT. Bart. A'vorciintr -t" wcrnmt?, ihnse wpto rpmarkaMe ami well ciesprvrd the 11011----fiir. Individual hloom* moasure ;i? much as t= : x and t'lrce-quartcr im-hfe scrftis, a.nii in place r,i thf it&ual 'inf .-* > jrment? most of them ffvi-n. givin;; :.!w- flower a much nun ;-. ipii.Mranvi , . la - ;h;> e'wr inosrt- in .1 iriirs run ':<■■ nugrnfl. '!""•■ !*■•■'lag- ■. '.m. «a.~ ■•n iiinp .nvhps in kngT'i and u;i t-n riftcp.i "n«h«>. f>n<> Q.f th** v « rJAtie.- was iiarnH '■oderi and laic othtr Ladcri Pink Diamond

SPINACH. It is strange that oi" , does, not sec .-pimu-Ji ninTo alien grown and lined than : it- i-. It is a-rrrongst the easiest of vegetnbleg tn grow, a-nd als-o one of thp qnifk pst from sowing to come into iisp; it if fit to uee n.s soon as the leaves are largi enough. It i> a delicious vegetable foi i the spring itronths. and should be added Ito the list of vegetables you arc i growing t-hie rear. EXPENSIVE DAFTOSLLS. "Die prices aekedl for the bulbs of some nvM- varieties* of daffodiila exhibited , at the. Royarl Horticultural -Society's .Show in London did not constitute a record, but they neverthele?e prore tha-i. tire popularity of this heauilifnl harbinger of Rpring ;e not on the wane. The following are enme of the prices asked: White Emppror, ii-lX ; St. .Michael, 10 guineas; Oruvsus-, fclo. To the uninitiated thes<' prices may seem to bo exorbitant, but, when one takes into cmßidor:itio'n> .the amount of tinra land! trouble jvquured* to prothice thene varieties, the priwe at-ktxl are not m> out of i!ie way. It may take any tim?» up in ten ypii.rs fntm the time, of sowing the >-eerl 10 the time of flowering, and it. would 'l>o a good percPTiUige if 0,000 Evedlhigri' produced three varieties as the. above. I DAMSONS. J The Royal Horticultural Society <rrante<i a certilicate to Damson ■■iMeTryweatlwr." lit it; reported to be a fruit i*f great tsize, up largi. , ac a ■ plum, -and of a iine «lnrk colour. Tire 1 flavour :e exoeJU-nt. and its high quality ie. not dim™ifche<l , by conrkjnj:. The tree i<i a strong grown, with thick !o*;.herv foliage, and a free bearer, naming into •brsaTinjr in we veers. lXimemis are not larg-ely plnnt.r-'d. fc.r what reason nno j <,ia:ioi My. for. although ihe fruit may be fir.all. it is fax and away to be preferred' to ;he tat=tel(*p. .lapanr.^ - plums whii'h are m> largely pliunted. Damsotiß do not need miifli pruning: in fart, they will carry <rw«l crops without ever «op-in-t; .1 lenife. They are 'hardy, and will grow in tiie Weakest of positions, and make good wind breaks. On-e tiling they i diflike. and tha.t is boo elo»e pnininir. 1 The above variety should \>c one worth I poFPe*snnjr. as it in onJy the r-pf-oml dameon which has received the FX'.C* sincf IS3O. THE PAEOITS - DAHLIA. The followinpr, taken froni "The (Jarden" of October 7. 100 S. will show how -oon .1 flower, even when met with derisinu upon its first appearance, can hccoine popular:—"At the recent cxhihi tinu at the Dahlia. Union at Kajl"? j Court, several bra.nehfts of an entirely new strain of dahlias were hhown, de-sr-ril>e'l by Uie raiser. iL Hollander, as l'aeony-flirwered. The title is by nu means an unsuitable one. as the- llower? are very large. Bin u> Tin across, have lonjr. flattish petals, and arc of a, >euiiI double ohameter. One variety—flo-wer* lof a beautiful satiny white, the petal? lin double rows and having dear yellow ! centres —greatly resembled some of the Mciutan Paeonies. The most pleasing llowers unduubtedly were those devoid of eye petals, and having also but Iwn circle<i 01 ray florets. It is well tn remind those who may hi- disposed tn regard thi-> mnv race with di'favour that there is no tpllin? what may bo in time evolved ifroin them. When .Tuarie/i. tin' original eaetns. «.is tirst intrnxhlrtHl. it was rwi>ived with anything but. cntbiisi asm. becjiusp it presentrtl tiudi a f-tran'/f break away frojn the heavy l>lootn.« iin-hlia growers had l>een familiar with NVit men Mr. Henry ("annell. in intriv during it. muhl ever ha.ye imagined such wonderful development or progeny fron, it a.« was seen the other day at EarlCourt." At the trials of dahlias held during i' lo past, penson, the pacony sec- . t:on was the second largest in numbers . some 200 varieties being shown, of which 32 rarioiirs received secured the ap proval of the committee.

THE GLASTONBTTBY THORN. I Thi= tlrarn tree at <;iiutonbury. Kngland i* regularly , in full leaf -111,1 tlowcr nbnut Christina.* time ImidwintcrV. It ' i- Mid to lave originated from iln> ~t ;t fT of Joseph of -Uiiriathea. wlm. when at : Ulastonbury. lhru<t hiu .-tan" into I'.ie j 2TOUIId, and tJIP -tali", putting fiirtll I root.s ami leave-, hpcanip what i= now ! known at- --Tlip Glaxtunhurv Thnrn. ,, Whether there i- authentic rea-rm for ilris idpx or not <un hardly be pr-ivp,). ' but it i> a wr-t that t!iis trep develop* j a precocity not u*iial. OuUin<r s <>r suck- i er< takPn from it a.l*n retain this )>rc- • rocity, an 1 there are -pv.ral tlvorn-trpes about Knjrland which h.i\r bpi-n takpn | from iho original, and thpy. without i-x----i-optinn. art , in full loni an,l l!on-/>r nb'jut i <;iiri.-tnias timf. ANTIRRHINUMS. , liir siiir.iupr of l!) 13. thp R.\va! HoTticnltliral v 'O'.-ie;y carrjpd out an esuneiv.' trial nf varieties at tlifir fiardcn a; Wifky. T;vd h:in.lri-i a:'J .-vr-cii stocks frnm Enppsh a;t<l Continontal and mrr.-¥rrmc:i ;\or>- pin un trial. 'Th* , following a.re given as be?r. TALI, .-ECTION. ißeauty. crimson: >foe "ir'n!. Pedidrah a.pricrit.; Vucen Virtoria, wli'itP; Salmon Pirek. purple rcro: .YplU*k Jitng. y,e]l&w. MKUIX".M PEOTlbx. LAmlx>r Qiinp-.i. jjaiulwifo vHJow lir.tpd with rose: Beacon.' vermilion rod tipped oranpp; Bcnlirc. cor.il red and Tots* 1 ; Carmino Queen, enrmin-- purple; Con-.i-neTim. lipry rpd: ('rira«on Kinir, rrimson; Daphr»». rr-r-y carmiiip: JVSanc*-. firp rtd : Fir<» King, chnrry ttil and oranjo; (roldrn Morn, yellow- and rcr-p: <Jnltlp:i Qiippn. yellow: Mai/.p Qm-pn. ycilow and j rrpp: P.ink QufPn, tv.i-t carm-in?; Ro?y | Mnrn. m* pink: ilnll g-arriPt and | yellow; Write Beauty, while; IWhite Quppn. wliitc; Yellow- yupcm. ypjlow. Thfisp wpre all frivrn iho <rovpltd award ill" mprit for their fine colours, free branching habii a.n«l putiUniurrus tU>w?r in-g orpr a pprioti, nf ilowej-,* an to Lwclvp in?.hi«s in length, Snmp tifp. but a.re not likt-lv to be ouCc-laaspd lor sirmo ynari^. Thp antirrhinum is a plant which no g-ardpn can ilo wiUiout, but 0:10 oflMi e«"s plants rxispd from very differenl Ktx>L'ks and with lhrti> iits -with <>t.hT>r Bpptls- thp <iifl"orpno« Itelwem a good and a bad Ptrainj i.-a vi\rv widv. AVir':i list of prnvpl varieties ■':: ali'OTjlril he pof=fsib|p for crprfhody -n osbtflin thp rp<]i!iri-d oolonr of fire; class qiiaJity. HINTS WORTH KNOWING. Mil.lew on rosps p,in be chei-kp.l by spraying iln> plunts with J p,. r >ent sohi lion of l.Vhol. Ilarbn* i.- a «nlublp oil for sprayinjr fruit Itpps. It mixiv ro.idily with will H-at<T. It is pvpi'diont to niway* dU'olvp n little wn-shinir -inla in thp v.atpr which to lie used for mixing nil spray*. Dissolving a liftle soda softens the -water, and OIISP9 it to mix more readily. 'Hip <-,iuse cf failures with •■prays cm of'.Pii bp attributed tn thi« pausp. Thp following i< .1 fr.io>] method nl watprpronfiti" boot- for rrardeninp pur-po.-cs: ~l*ut -urne bpp-iwax in a jar. well cover with Neat's foot, oil, and stand near thp lirp till thp wax niplte. Stir, and allow to <;i t cold. If it, i.- thick. add more nil. To !!*;>■ i;. warm, and apply with a. stiff brush. Warm thp boots in front of thp firp lo <lr\- thp oil. Limp sulphur i.- very pood for spraying purposes. It i-an Ito procured ready for mixinp with water.