Practical Gardening.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 229, 25 September 1915, Page 17

Practical Gardening.

Information and News for Amateur and Professional.

By DIANTHUS.

rbrrwpomfcnf. wM greatly oblige 6y ohtervi tKe IqUo . rule, in frußng questions for publication in these column* ■_ iuwv™9 rules tn J" Utters should be addressed ardm * ,OT "' "Star" Office Auckland. « 4,"/ m"" °' '** POpCr °** make °" com«onio«x«iona 0,, ocmcir, //' <m etc.. sent for naming mua be sent separatelyi and> if possible, packed in a tin or ,rooden 6oa>— card board boxes sAjw77„ \r7ri £ trmnt and the content, damaged. U t0 6e br ° km *„ Th \ '"" Z ame J"? add : C " ° f the ra " fcr •«•« <*™y» 6« «*»«, but m *,m de plume or tmricW may 6 e givm for publication.

Pr Hodge, of Clark University, once said that the quickest way he knew I to keep our prisons and reformaUirle , empty was to give every boy „ pleee of ground, however small, to cultivate for ten years. I

THE WEEK'S WORK. the KI.oWKU r.ARPKN. The hea*y r.iln of ill- p.-u.l week b«. 1...-" Mii-h that <'ii im>»: -«>i!i a P«hl ti-x-lui; in K"'<'n the mirfa.-e Tbi-ri- I- .1 .■•■μ-i.n amount 'if growth. but not Hi,- via,- amount as laM yi-ar. when it «.n s,. hi'ku. mon- 'irj Til,' pj»t week sriral lot* of annuals -A.-tv nurn In rhe open t»r«liT bu: in- liwiv rains Ixive Kin*-" hat raked the ..urfare. It h.vs been u.-crs*ary to wrsten the surface lichtly i.i enable tie *eed!ln;.-> to »>r.-.. Uirnugb. Jut ..irons winds generally prevail during th.- mouth of October, slaking should 1- attended to A few dflphiDlumii ami other Uil:i;> have made growth eafllcieutlv tall to suffer It left an*lako.i. Tfii *ffk stocks sown In tnr antum.; ii'-ed staking or they eooo go 'iOW lljsnert jx»as (summer flowering rarlclloi iiev<l a Jot of attention now. It Is a cT«e, if thf-rc arc many. Of lA.iikln- aloii); tLe rows unj lUtinj; cor up bfT ami one there. The renting time of da.hlh\s will soon lie ben', sn »c need to hare oar tjfltl* In readlnrse. Cbrysauthemums al«> demao<l attention In this respect. It pays to git the- ground ready some time beforehand lJal>!l.i tubers should be looked over, to see all Is currcct with tier.'. Chrys.mrtipniura ruttlngn also »«d sttention. and If we have not titen liic-iu jet we should dv «> at ouce. Begonia bulbs need looking ««. ami sbi-uld be started acoorainglj. If for bedding, -Jjcj should be itarted at once, tut If required for autumn they may be held back for n time obtained. howereT. by starting the boltia as soon as poeßlble ami then takloe early cartings. These cuttings usually make good plants for autumn work. Cjnxjtlons are pashln;; np their flower pikes fast, and it k< n««i-Tnr-wet -evatocr IS not carnation ireatJOi'r. and there will be a lot of bid follace s*K>ut.' ■ A spraying of lime salphor, 1 In 25, will keep It id check. Onoosc a fine dry day for the operation. TUT, LAWS, The work on rne lawn Is cMelly mowing. Tie grass tbls «fvi of m seems to grow better dan anything else. , To keep the praas down Hi bM been nec-Tssary to mow twice this bs; week. Nothing detracts from a (fowl town as rough, uirkempt edge*. The clipping of Ihe i-dgea Is a* necteeary il-i mo«-lns. If the Jβ* Is to hove thai finished appenran'f nldch dNtinsulsht-3 the professional from the amateur. An occa.'lnnal r..111ti S will do the liH-E a lot of good, esp<-cUl',y after tie soak!,.,; ea4-tier of last week. TOE V>BGrrrAUL£ GuARI>EN. In tie vegetable garden It Is » matter of continuing an before. There Is plenty of work, ac most crt>r-» can be, and should be, put la 'now. i-it'uer iv large or small quantities. . HarlT so-wn peas thax need stiLinj sb->uJd t>e done at once. If not already done A suct-vssiou of pee« should be ki-[U going by e»»rwlui; a ft-w every week or ten days. In warm districts dwarf be«is m.iy be sown in>*. altiiouga where peas are oiitaluabie there Is no turry liunner can also be sown now. out sh<.i:ld rfct-lre protection from cold Kinds. Xo garden hhould be without a row of ibis lawful and prvfltab.e vegetable. Tomjit'ip* In some places may t>c pet out, but tIK'W who yet IS.plants ready an.l out t.y the first or ei-.jud week In Ui'tober will not be mu.U behind. Asparagus needs cutting every day. or at moot two Jjys. The be<l« should ret-.'lv ( - some help l.y an Qjipll.-aliou .)f about oue ounce to the yard or nitrate of soda once a week loblrjxe and cauliflower plants should 'be put out at every opporUnity. A few marmw and 'pumpkin seeds cju t>e put in now. If ion out.«K!e. choose a warm spot an.l cover with, some sort of prutectlou. If-nomine elm 15 ol>taloa*le. nee a box. but In every case It Is necessary to protect from co.d winds.

I PHXOXES FKOM CUTTINGS.

Herbaceous phlox.* are readily in ' created by nii-ans of cuttings, which, f taken no* or for the next week or m, will not only root quickly, but will Jo ! vclop „<, a* to make Rood plants before , autumn, and will carry an appreciable! spake of blooms tli.H 'season. Strong. I sturdy growths from three to four inches li'iij; should W chosen. The lower leaves shoul.l be removed, and the stem , cut beK)w a joint. The ilhistration »ho«t-l a cutting at A. as it is taken off the pUnt. and at IJ the same prepared, ready for insertion.

The cuttings should bo inserted in some light, sandy soil in a shady posi tron. The cuttings may either be put to pots, boxes, or the open ground. The best method is perhaps to use a deep box, so that the tops of the cuttings are level or just below the top. When the box is full put a sheet o-f glass over the top. and you have a miniature cold frame. The glass must be removed as soon as there is any growth, and the cuttings gradually brought into the full sunlight. As soon as nicely rooted, or in other weirds, a& soon as growth starto vigorously, the rooted plants should be planted out into the border. Herbaceous phloxes are not used to the extent they should be in the border. They come up year after year, and arc of little trouble. All they need is to be divided every two or three years, or cuttings inserted and the young plants put in. When the clump gets too large there are too many growths, and the heads of bloom arc not nearly so fine. JKLANTING CAUEEFLOWER, ETC. Our illustration shows how- to and how not to plant with a dibbler. At A is shown the proper method. When' closing the hole the dibbler should be inserted as deep as the hole, nnd then moved in direction of arrow. B shows a wrongly-planted one. The hole is too narrow, and the roots have their tips pointing up-wards. There is an air-space

PROPER METHOD OF PLANTING. W. at the base of the plant, the plant be in : what is termed "liuiip." C shows the same plant when the hole is closed, and the plant is supposed to be well and properly planted. Such a plant will wilt, and'take a long time to pet on the move, and in some cases die altogether, and then inquiries will be made us to what ie the matter.

DIBBLERS AND HOEES.

a- mnm.ER 11- CrVHKKI TI,Y KHATED HOLE. ('— tVIIOMiIA SlIAI'Kli HULK. At A is shown a useful dibbler made from an old spade or fork handle. II shows a properly shaped hole, made by inovinp the dibbler round until it is larpe enough. (' shows a lonp narrow hole, which is no use for plant inp. It is too narrow to pet the roots in properly, and the chance is that at the bottom,"below the roots, will be left an airspace, and the plants will suffer.

TWO GOOD ANNUALS. Globe Amaranth.- Thw old (%shionpJ annual is one of the most useful Hum- ! nor decorative Biil.ji-rU. and there arc many positions where it- briirht crimson tluwi-rt. are rlT.x-tii.i-. Nut the l.a.st of its merit* is I In- length .if time tli.it the llcnu-rs remain fresh an.l in pood rnnditcin. Seed ho«n no» will produce plants that will k.-i-|i in c.v.d 1.1,.,.mm? order for MX or ri-ln wivln aurinjr the mm- ' nier. The white \nncty in also worth prnwins. \\liillii\ia ffrendilliiTa w one of th« !ea.-t known annual*, and is overlooked li<t-a\i>.- it in lint very showy, but it » a wonderfully pretty little llnwi-r. and ie sure to U" hk-1 In tlinw who ilo not c-oruiilrr mere l>rilliuiii-> to b<- the one yri'at <Y*enti<U in Movers. The flowers are purple in clour and l.elUha[*l and i!riMipin». The pUnt likt-.-t a free, rather light, and tolerably rich coil; it prows about one fix>t higti It may be sown during September and October. SOWING SPINACH. Our illustration at A .-hows spina,!) -.own straight and properly thinned. At II is shoAii the nluvpnly method and no thinning. More and bettir ,-|.ina.-h. over i longer period, will be obtained from

one of the two lino* at A than will b« obUimil from both lin<* at It. and the appoarunro. will —no ncvd to mention it!

THE COLEUS. The coh-iis. strictly speaking, is a stove plant, but in common with manyother hotlsiu.se subjects, it succeeds in tlio somewhat lower temperature of a warm greenhouse, and lis handsome foliage renders it especially useful for mixing with groups of miscellaneous plants. A great diversity of colouring may- be obtained by sowing a pueket of seeds of a reliable strain. Sow- in September or October in well drained pots, and cover the seeds very lightly. Better germination will be ensured if the r pots arc pliced in a close propagating case. Wafer carefully at all times, and a* soon as they are judged to be large enough prc-k oIT the seedlings into pans. In doing this do not bo tempted to make use of the most promising plants, while discarding the smaller and apparently liwipnilicant ones, these latter oftcu de

lO.VG METHODS SHOWING RESULTS vclop into tin- richest coloured s;>eciincus. I-atiT un [»it into 4-uirh pole, and finally into th- inch nize. To pro. verrt drawing keep the plants always near the gratis, but protect them from strong sunshine until they are strong enough to withstand it. When th* [>ot« become full of roots '.he eenistance of weak liquid manure will be usefuL HAND SOWING OF SEEDS. When seeds have to bo put in by hand Use a Ion}; Mat board twelve or fifteen inches wide. Mark out the drill along one edge of this, then kneel on the board and scatter the Reeds thinly and evenly. Cover them lightly, and press down the whole row evenly with the edge of the board. EDELWEISS. Probably no alpine plant ha« such world-wide renown as the edelweiss, or, to give it Its botanical name (I.contopodiirm alpinum) meaning, "the lion's foot." .Some people picture the mountains of Switzerland covered with ; t. \Mule credited with proving in the most inaccessible places, which, in common with other alpine plants, it not infre qiicntly does, it alao occurs in large and easily attainable quantities in some dl* trie!*, anil what is more, may easily be grown in the garden, providing good drainage is afforded it in addition to a sunny a-sp<t-t and a large admixture at lime rubble in the soil. It i« easily raised from send, and anyone -who ie looking for uncommon but easily grown plants cannot do better than add this to their collection. It only grows a few inches high, and forme tufts. The tlower-hcadri are star shaped and white, j having a woolly or flannel-like appearance, hence one of its common names "flannel flower." The flower-heads arc of the "everlasting" type, and can be picked, pressed, a.nd dried, and retain their natural appearance for a long while.

SEEDS OF S TO SOW DURING SEPTEMBER AND 3 FOB SUMMER AND AUTUMN BLOOM. O Botanical Name. Popular Name. Height lu beet Colour of Flowers. CiHbrtephnj oortpnsis Aster Victoria Aster Comet Aster Ostrich Plume Aster Superb Bedding 11 Selection of lj co lours, I* Including ■white. 1 pink, blue, pur pie. CI rlct, rose, etc. i_li White Mauve Bhie YeHow 1} JTI oiros* and jellow Only four of the most Important strains are men Honed, valuable /or the border and catting. Centinrea Sweet Sultan Eiqnlnlte fringed blooms borne on long stalks ChryMnthtmom . Annual Cbrystntbeinnm Tie star varieties ere among the mont OTipful a n n n a 1 Cnryfi^ntlif T incms UfllKhtfnl annual 1 " for massing In the borders 3 Clarkia elrjr»ns... darkle Scarlet Beauty 2 6» 1 mo n scarlet Clsrlda Firefly 2 Rose crlm2 Salmon Clarlrta Doable ■ Salmon riarkla Snowball <jodetia. Bridesmaid o White 1 — White tot fused rose 5 _li Pore white Ixvatcra ro»ea... Godetia DneheM of Albany r.odetl*. Doable its How 1} _2 MUM 3 Whit.- and rose 0 BJue and ■white 1 {Mixed One of our best tall annuals A useful border annual Pretty trailing plants Lust funnei-sh-nped bloom* Many beautiful colours A valuable branch-. Ing innml. 1-ivplnus Ilertwpsl Annual Lupin Thloi DnjmtnoncTl Annual Thiol Balpllioisis Trumpet Tongue 3_2j Mixed Scabious Sweet Scabious 3 Mixed Double Zlnnl* 3_2j Mixed Zinnia clegans .. .