Practical Gardening.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 19, 22 January 1916, Page 17

Practical Gardening.

information and News for Amateur and Profes&ionaL

By DZ&NTHVS.

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*> TO CORESPONDENTS. 6T.R.— Taibape.-The cabbage "fly"' is a very hard customer to deal with, as the lot, dry weather is favourable to its increase whilst it is a check upou the growth of -the plant. The best remedy is to spray with tar water. This is made . by boiling two gallons of water and adding to it whilst boiling one pound of coal tar. Add the tar gradually, and stir well until it is mixed with ti le water. When . dissolved add sufficient -water to make 'rap to 100 gallons, am i s p rnj . tne p i airtg both the 10-vcr and upper snrfaces of the leaves. THE WEEK'S WORK. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Vhe dry weather has prevented very much jrork in this department. There are a few jobs such as hoeing and Stating and tying that can be and need to be done. Where water is available, of course it can ie used with every advantage ju<t now The chief point to remember is to well soak the ground; a hose running slowly for an hour is far more efficient than one running full for half an hour. Jn the first case the water has time to Boat In and does not run to waste as in the Second. The secret of proper watering is how much the ground worked absorbs, not how pinch is Dut on. After each watering- there should follow a good hoeing, and thus ensure that the labour has not been in vain. Carnation layering should be done as fast fis possible. Many people seem to consider that wet weather is necessary for this work. When the soil is damp it certainly mates it somewhat easier, but it is not absolutely iecessary. Layers also root more quirkly when the poil >s damp, but beyond that carnations can be layered in such weather :ik we are Dow having just as well as during a wet Epen. Carnations will stand n lot of dry leather. One often hears it recommended to fceep the plants moist. This may have some advantages, but unfionbtedly it is often the cause of a lot of tronble in regard to fungoid diseases. I find that if the carnation beds have the loe kept going amongst them little artificial watering is required, and the pWr.ts are more Gtnrdy and firmer than when repeatedly treated to doses of water. Carnations will do best when kept on What may be termed '-the dry side " Dahlias are growing fast 'now. and are showing flowers. These are best kept off for a time, unless urgently needed The weather is too hot" for the Mooms to develop properly, and it is no use taking the best out of the plants for the sate of having a few poor blooms. Chrysanthemums are also growing fast Bow, aid in many rases showing buda. It 15 for the grower to decide whether or no tiese are to be kept, but In most cases they are better removed, and to let the aeit break flower. Ground should be got ready for winter Eweet peas. These deserve as much attention as the summer varieties in regard to tne preparation of the ground. Trench deep should be the maxim. As to the depth to go. that is largely a matter for the grower to decide. Whether it is possible to trench too deeply or not has never, so far as I know, been answered. In any case, from two nnd n-hnlf to four feet is safe enough. Most people are quite satisfied with that depth, and leave the experiment of what is too deep to the A depth of 3ft is a very pood depth, and toe advocated by most leading growers. When trenching take out a piece at least 3ft wide. Many confine their trenching to a foot or so in width, and the consequence i? tho roots are confined to a very narrow toot ran. ! THE VEGETABLE GARI>EN. In this sphere there is very little to be cone, unless water is available in large <raantlties. There is, of course, the need for that job which is always in season—hoeing. CThis can be done at all times. Runner beans need to be kept picked off Very close, and if water is available they iare worth a good soaking. Dwarf beans may be sown now if there Is.some spare ground to fill. These do well flaring the dry weather. Celery will need water this dry weather. This is a crop that is useless to grow unless water can be supplied. Onions should be harvested as soon as ready. If the tops are still green, a twist end bending down will help them to dry off. Potatoes 6bould he dug as soon as the tops die down. If left, there Is always a danger of disease spreading as soon as we get a shower of rain. Cabbages and such like are suffering trpm the fly. and a spraying with tar israter should be given. It is a pity that our green vegetables Buffer so badly during a hot spell, for, althongh some of them ev<-ritunl:y grow out at the effects, it means a great check to the plants. It is the same with this as with all other pests. If taken in time and kept under, pne can, more or less, succeed to master it. Once the fly has a firm hol'l it i* rather B strennous job to overcome it. Tomatoes ehonld receive due attention How. The plants are growing faff, and the large buaches of fruit soon pull a plant down if not securely tied. Do not cut off any foliage. Trim off all laterals, but it is a mistake to cut off the foliage of the main stem. The Idea, if ever it was an accepted practice, of removing leaves to cause the fruit to ripen Is entirely wrong. As well pick all the leaves off an apple Or plum tree for the snme purpose. If an excess of liquid manure i.= not given, there Srill not be ira excess of foliage. U caterpillars are about" is arsenate of load. If any fungoid disease is present use Bordeaux or lime sulphur. Arsenate "J lead can be effectively mixed with either of these sprays, and in that way a combined spray can be obtained. HOW TO SOW SMAI-L SEEDS. [ The illustration shows liow to sow , Binall seeds. The packet should be carefully opened, and if the seeds are en- ; closed in a folded piece of paper this ; Bhould also be carefully opened ont fiat; i if a packet, the corner should he torn off. i Die paper should be held between thumb i gad finger and at a slight downward i

slope, it is the angle of this elope that will determine the rate at which the seeds will be sown. The portion of the packet projecting beyond the thumb and nnger should be gently tapped with a email stick. This tapping and the downward slope of the packet can be r e o- u . lated to sow the finest seeds almost one by one. THE ROCK GARDEN, Perhaps no form of gardening has caught on so well as what is known as rockery or alpine gardening, and this is, no doubt, due in a large measure to the keener study of natural conditions and the discernment of the principles which underlie successful treatment of the plants suitable to this form of gardening by enthusiasts who have taken up the study. Another factor, perhaps, which is largely due to the acceptance of rock-gardening was the swinging back Df the pendulum from the days of formal bedding. For years formal bedding held sway, and so long ac gardening was the privilege of the few with large estates md a bank balance in proportion it was possible to have bold displays by formal rardening. With the change" of time and thought and the increase in numbers )f small gardens something more suitUjle was looked for, and informal garlening of different forms, such as lerbaoeous borders and alpine gardenng, became more common. Another factor is the large number )f plants which have been introduced )f late years. The majority of these ire hardy perennials, and will stand rear after year without deterioration, lowering at different times of the year, md hence, instead of giving a £audy ihow for a few weeks, are effective hroughout a long period. The advantages of a rock garden arc nany. It is a form of gardening which 5 suitable for the smallest plot, for it s possible to have a good rock garden in l plot no larger than the kitchen table. <"o matter what the size of the garden, . collection of plants can be got torether some of which will be in flower he whole twelve months. Once properly irepared, a rock garden can be kept in >rder easily, without any hard labour, 'lants of various sizes suitable for every losition can be found. The rock garden of former days was, s a rule, a heap of stones, overgrown rjth periwinkle, with a few ferns doing heir best to get a frond or two out 0 see the light of day. and the wholo dank, dark, dreary rubbish heap, the bode of slugs and snails. Beauty there ras none, and little wonder that under hese conditions rock-gardens were ashed into comers and were not conidered worthy of attention. To-day rock-gardening is an art in ,-hich the genrus of the landscape garener, the artist, the botanist and the xpert cultivator has been joined. A osition is found for each plant as atural as possible, and is given a treatlent as nearly natural as means can evise. The result is that rock-garden-ng to-day is probably the most aristoratic form of ornamental gardening hat is in vogue. It is within the 6cope of the poor man s much as the millionaire, and gives ac reat a joy to the cottager as to the i\vner oi a castle. The term rock•arden is a term which is hardly appliable to this phase of gardening, for the greatest mistake usually made when 'uilding a rocker}' or alpine garden Is hat more attention and prominence is iven to the rock or stones, and the lants in consequence have to take a econdary position, and often are not onsidered at all. A much more appliable term is al-pine gardening, for the lajority of plants used are those inhab:ing the alpine or mountainous regions f the world. Th« majority of people onsider that the first essential of comlencing a rock garden is to obtain a irge quantity of stone. This is quite rroneous. Certainly these little gems f the floral world look best when they re seen within a setting of stones, ut the first and great essential of lpine gardening is to obtain the plants, ive them all they require in soil, and ■t the rocks or tstones be but an accesory or as a frame is 'to the picture, 'he old ideas of a rock garden are to c set aside, and no expensive system f stony spikes and pinnacles is wanted. f you wish to grow alpines you cannot c too simple and inexpensive in your leas. Very little stone is needed; it s easier to have too much than too ittle, and a very fair alpine garden can c. made without a visible piec<e of tone. The only essential part of stone ■ora an alpine's point of view is that it hould be buried underground, so that lie roots may travel and cling along its ides and penetrate underneath in carch of moisture that is there. So that ,-ith a few little blocks eunk well into he coil, some quite small slope or gently levated bed in a cottage or little garden an show for very little cost of money r trouble a splendid display. The two essentials in the first place or the formation of a rock garden are n open situation and perfect drainage. >pen the situation must be—by open is leant that it should be free from the rip of overhanging trees. When trees verhaßg, only the cultivation of plants

that are naturally used to that position should be grown. There are no lack of these plants, but it very materially reduces the number of plants that ■can be grown, and it is only woodland plants that can be grown in such positions, and not true alpines at all. Having selected the site, the question is how to commence. The next care is drainage. If it is a good slope that is to be used, perhaps the drainage is naturally perfect. If not, it should be made so. If the rockery is to be made on level ground, the site should be drained. The next matter to attend to is the soil. Alpines grow well in any rich, well-manured ground, such as old garden 6oils, although crude manure is not to their taste. They revel in a light soil, rich in decaying vegetation. The majority of alpinca require lime, so that it will be necessary to add some to the soil. A good dressing should be given, on an average about two spadesful to a barrow-load of soil. Then as to stone: This is somewhat a wide question; almost any stone can be used, and if no expense is to be spared, it might be brought from a distance. The majority, however, will us« that which i≤ at hand. There is one point to be avoided—do not have your rockery a complication of broken bricks, clinkers and other odds and ends of rain intermixed with stones. There is but one material to be used, and that is stone. If only a dozeu pieces can be obtained, let the stones be only ones that are seen. The stones should" be buried a few inches below the surface level, and always at a downward, inward slant. This is to carry moisture to the roots of the plants. Stone, of course, can be as attractive in itself as any flower. A noble boulder rightly placed is something complete and perfect, and if ouly one such can be placed, it is enough. Then comes the designing of the rockery. Undoubtedly all good work is the result of initial design. Nature is never haphazard, and copies of nature must never be haphazard. You cannot get a dignified result by humping a quantity of stones indiscriminately together, but do not think you cannot get a noble effect just because your ground is small. In spaces no larger than a small bedroom any Japanese townsman would have at the buck of his house Lsome apt and perfect little valley or mountain dell. This is done by nothing more than an exact sense of proportion, and by care spent beforehand in considering the possibilities of the ground and materials. It is impossible to give plans suitable to all gardens, or any garden, for that matter. Each one vanes in detail, and consequently if all is to be 'in keeping, it must -be made to measure. Perhaps the ground may demand that you form a peak, or a large boulder already in position may acquire the other parts of the rockery, building up to it. In this way some point may be the main feature, and the other parts must be built up to tit it. Forethought is the great need. The whole should be tho.ught out before it is started. The right proportions can then be obtained, and the whole scheme is similar to (minting a picture. There are two elementary points of construction which it is necessary to observe. In the first place, be very careful that all the interstioi'S between and behind your rocks arc firmly filled and rammed with soil. This must be done as the building proceeds. Cavities are fatal to plants. The other point is to see that the stones are firmly set into the ground, so that they are solid and will not be shifted with floods or by the foot when treading about amongst them. Stones in nature arc not disconnected; each block is always in a sequence. Straight lines, angles and such like should not be tolerated, but that the whole should join up in a harmonious ordor and form a. .coherent whole, Most people when commencing a rockery have a great liking for pinnacles; they will place the stones with a sharp point upwards. In nature stonos always lie with the heaviest 6ide downwards, and when building a rockery the plan is to copy nature and place the stones with the heaviest side downwards. PRESERVING BERRIES AND LEAVES. "A very good way to preserve hips and haws for decorations is to procure some spermaceti from the chemist (fourpennyworth will suffice for a large number of berries) and heat it in a cup in a saucepan of boiling water or over a kettle. When the spermaceti is quite transparent and liquid, but not bubbling, dip in the berries and twirl them in the air till the spermaceti forma a hard coat over each berry. This will keep out the air. "Flowers and autumn leaves respond very well to this treatment also, and can be relied on to keep their natural form and colour for six months at least. '"In preserving berries in this way care must be taken that no water geta into the spermaceti, and also that the berries are kept revolving while the spermaceti hardens —otherwise it will only coat the tip of each. POLYANTHUS AND PRIMROSES. Seed of these may be sown either in boxes or in the open; the seedlings will be of service for flowering next spring. If .the soil ie at all dry moisten it prior to sowing the seed rather than, afterwards, and if good room is allowed there will 'be no necessity to prick out the seedlings; but they will make grand plants if taken in hand early next eeason. If the seed was sown early in September it will be an easy matter to grow the seedlings to a good size during the summer, or quite large enough to give a fine display of bloom next spring. If tihe seedlings are now in a crowded state prick them out 2in apart in boxes or pans of good loamy coil, and keep in a frame till well rooted, after which a sheltered or cool border and fairly good soil will euit them best. Both polyanthuses and primroses divide readily after flowering, and all the best forms, notably the yellow flowering variety of the former, should be marked now, and being duly divided and taken good care of it will ibe possible to mass the colours next season. Seed-saving is not advisable unless the strains are extra good and no inferior forms have been allowed to flower among ttoem.

Any time during this month daffodil bulbs may be planted. Be careful to k«ep the label with each variety, and any clumps of bulbs which separate readily ehould be carefully divided. It is not advisable to leave the bulbs out of the ground after February, and they should be kept in a cool, dry place. Provided new ground is ready for them, the bulbs may be ie-planted at once. In order to have fine flcrwere, ail but the very small varieties should be planted at least six inches apart in tows 12 or 15 inches apart. The new ground should be prepared by deep digging, and the addition of as much leaf-soil as can conveniently be added. The tops of the bulbs may be placed three inches below the surface, and they need not be disturbed for two years.