Practical Gardening.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 168, 15 July 1916, Page 17

Practical Gardening.

DWTAKF POLYANTHUS ROSES.

By DIANTHUS.

Correspondents will greatly oblige by observing the following rales in fending questions for publication in these columns: — 1 Letters should be addressed Garden Editor "Star" Office Auckland 2. Wr-.te one one side of the paper, *nd make all communications as tondse as possible v Flowers, etc., sent for naming must be sent separately if possible, packed in a tin or wooden box — cardboard boxes are very liable to be broken iii transit and the contents damaged. ■$. The full name and address of the sender must ahaayi he sent, hut a horn de plume or initial may be given for publication.

• TO CORRESPONDENTS. L.T., Eemnera.—The blight is caused by a scale insect, and the trees should be sprayed with kerosene emulsion. This is made as follows:—Dissolve }lb of. soft soap in one gallon of boiling water, then add 2* pints of kerosene. Well churn or stir until the mixture becomes a creamy 'mass. Use <>ne pint of this emulsion t" one gallon of water, and spray the Tree? race every three weeks for a period. The mixture should be kepi agitated while •using. The EtocU solution will keep inJefmitelv. THE WEEK'S WORK. r : THE FLOWER GARDEN. j Conttnne the work of digging and I trenching and the remaking of beds, etc-. ' The planting of trees, slirnbs and roses 5 efccrnld be -pushed on with all speed. • ! If a variety with good points does not J come up to expectations, discard it and j teplace -with something better. 1 If o-apers of small gardens -wonld only ' remember that It is just as easy to grow tae best as to grow the worst, the gardens wonld improTe largely. drysantiieiOTiin nuttings can be pnt in now. Use a Dice iijrht friable soil, and saade them for a few days. and tbev strike readily. " " i Chrysanthemums are in sn many varie-! «es, and as such a few plants are required _ onlinary garden, grow nothing but A small garden with nothing ddt varie»re that do well gives a better return for jess labour than one crowded with good, 5 >M and indifferent varieties, a PP Ues to everything. Varieties ferlorT 6 s °"? •'■ le * • rrars back are in " ■tenor now and need discarding. *£i n ~ s other tand - if a variety does tvell S.fc^ on . 1 oiul find nothing to replace it, I suck to It even if it came out of the ark. j ,_™y of our best all-round varieties of ' roees have been in cultivation for •£) to 40' .Tarieties D v cannot be r«"PJaced with new Mmy of the so-called new i»arietles and nJIl 1 * °? Iy exifft for a or so and , *re then thrown out. ' of ß i| f » re P? T(±asil iS try and get some idea ! tipoV perf °rmancp of the particular varie- - XeT " miDd the yeax taro^n' ,131 carnations are fetch o ™ 6 good c » ttin SS now. and a earif 6 % ck c PDt ™ '" iII siTe 6ome n3ce stot? ! trnck now "w 1 " 11 make n,cc M tw « totems, will be very welcome PernetL] I :lext year ' ™ A the mod « rn verpetnal flowering varieties will give T? T Oll lf tr °i«ed rationally tfa-!*L e3I ' iest BOT, ' n stockrt .should be good y EOW . aod it is advisable to state M the plants are staked now they can St^TJ ,0 kept oprirtt awi are more easily than if l!itl »» tUey get larger, perhaps a wind has toppled the plants Glaflloll can be planted now. These are •hiuS r ,L sn Wects for the garden. They Saps er Planted iv *cis or In ' VBGETABIi-B GAEDZN. fmJ weather has prevented much the^v m " "'" Plantini; done, but 8* on wi°h (iis?il ' s an(l trencnias caD be and rubbish should be got Mβ of by bu «ins or bnrying. The -~* »i fiUctlDg in a heap to rot is very

well where there is a demand for pottins soil. But with the multitude of disenses and pests that have to be contended with nowadays, it Iβ better to eliminate the rubbish" heap entirely. Seed potatoes should be put in boxes to sprout. This makes a lot of difference to the success of a crop. Sprouted semi is earlier, and the resultins <to;i is larger, and the labour entailed In ho .tins seed i< not n faucy unremuncrii- : live work, but is v commercial Hucr-pss. I As soon as the srnuuil is dry enough Tt a r..w of early peas in. These will need watching as soon as they arc in. for sluco and birds soon piny havoc with tlie first few rows. Ix'ttii'c seed should also dp sown a» soon us po.-oililo. A pinch sown In a box will provide plants that will be ready for planting as soon as the weather improves. ■Cabbage and cauliflower seed should also be sown This also can be sown In boxes. A -real number of plants arc not required; a pia'h of seed Is sufficient. Many buy the few plants they require from the secdenien. but it is a much better plan to *ow and grow your own plants. You can then grow tno or three varieties whirl) will come in successlonnlly iDstead of having to plant all of one sort. The expense of the seed is not great. ior a shilling expended will givp enough seed of three or four varieties to last the whole Se i ß °°ew carrots of the Shorthorn rarlety should 'be sown now. These will give some nice tender roots later on. \ few early potatoes should be planted. Pnt ibem in a dry. sunny piece of ground, where there is a possibility of missing a frost, should one occur.

XOVELTIES FOR 1910. j < The following (taken from '"The ) Oardener") is \V. P. Wright's opinion 1 upon the best of the novelties shown during the past season. ' Looking through the list one is struck i with the lack of what may be con- i I .--iderod an outstanding novelty. The | list ,is also somewhat shorter than I; usual, apparently the effect of the pro- (, j sent war. The various varieties aro \ (pTOupcd under tlic names of the firms i i>fTc-rin<i them, and in some cases the ■ varieties will not be put into commerce ; till IUI7. E. BOLTOX, CARXFORD. j Cheerful. —A cream pink that is i rather more than a cream pink, inasmuch as the pink is suffused with mauve. A pleasing variety of an ever- : popular class. Likely. 1 should think. ' to produce a good many duplex (lowers. Eclipse. —-Bright blue; a variety' which strengthens an admittedly weak class, and is. it may be hoped, the fore- ' runner of other advances in the blues, j j Ivory King. —Experts have been satisI tied with this variety when it has been [staged, because of its substance and solid colour. It is not an epoch-making 'variety—there are few of those about nowadays—but it has good modern quality." The flowers are well placed j and deeply frilled. i Mrs K. Wripht.—l regard this as best; of the batch, because it has a fine Elsie j Herbert vigour about it. while the j colouration is clear and pleasing. The j edge of the flower is pencilled with j blue; it is, however, of a different type j from Blue Picotee. having greater size j and substance, more, in fact, of the character of Elsie Herbert. H. J- DAMERI-X. HALING ISLAND. HANTS. Lord Kitchener. —I understood that this would not be on offer until 1017. but the irrepressible G. H. Mackereth lists it at twelve seeds for 1/6. Jt is a real beauty: not far removed from E. A. Tanqueray, I admit, but ' sufficiently distinct, as things go in j sweet peas. Both are brilliant in the I extreme. They are between scarlet and , 'cerise in colour, with an "underi current"' of fawn. Fiery Cross is of ' j the same class, which has a bright 1 future. : Mrs E. C. MeEwen. —J am afraid that 1 I do not recall seeing this cream pink, ■ ■ and if I am convicted of having grown land forgotten it, I must eat the bread I of humility. I j White Pcrfcotton. —I am quite in 'touch with this—a fine white, which, i however, throws a few creams. You have to make the best of them. 'A. DICKSON AND SONS, HAWL- ' MARK, BELFAST. President. —High water mark among I i the orange scarlets, without a shadow ..iof doubt. A person-here might say that Edward Cowdy was better, and one there that it -was the other way '. about, but that would be the end of lit. President is right at the top, any- ' i way, even if it has to balance itself on ! a precarious pedestal with Edward T Cowdy beside it. The colour is brilliant !in the extreme, and there is nothing T wanting in vigour of growth. 1 DOBBIE AND 00., EDINBURGH. c These famous raisers have a short iiat, and its restrictions show clearly , how well they are in touch with public i sentiment. Eenry oto.~-T.hjfl is & typically.

SWEET PEAS. i 1

The dwarf polyantba roses arc so) pretty and so useful in the garden that | it is a wonder that their popularity does j not increase at a much greater rate. For forming an edge around beds and borders these little roses are hardly sur- I passed, while they are equally useful, for massing and bedding. Year by year j the list of varieties steadily grows, many i of the novelties being really valuable additions to our collection of garden rosea. The following are some of the! beet of this class:— I Orleans Rose.—The large pyramidal trusses of bright rose flowers produced; by this variety are unequalled by any other. It is a strong grower, with light green glossy foliage. Yvonne Rabier — Cream white flower, borae in fine clusters. It is of strong uniform growth, with dense foliage. It is much scented. George Elger.—The buds are long and pointed" of a coppery yellow opening to yellow flowers. Danae.—Habit bushy and branching, yellow flowere. Leonie Lamesch.—Deep coppery-red, shaded yellow. Mad. Norbert Levavassem. — Rosy crimson, growth very robust. Gardenia.—Pure -white flowers, freely produced. Rosalind.—A bushy grower, covered with bunches of small bright pink Glorie dcs Polyanthes.—Bright rose, with white centre j flowers produced • abundantly. ' _

exquisite shade of creamy pink. I was very pleased with it when I made its acquaintance, which I think was nt the National Show last year. It should prove to be ono of the best peas for the table. 1 noted it at Westminster as a cream-ground Hercules, and look forward to seeing it again. Rosy Rapture. —A white, heavily margined with rose. I Warrior. —A really good shining i 1 maroon which 1 noted at Westminster j I last July. The flowers are admirably 'placed and above reproach in size and I form. 1 Mr Stevenson also has Red Cross, llJonour Bright, and Vietorv. Honour Bright is near Edith Taylo'r. Victory is of the Fiery Cross nnd Mrs E. A. Tanqucray class and vpry brilliant. STARK. AND SONS. GREAT RYBURGH, NORFOLK. lilucbcU fpenccr.— .This is a good Spencer blue, which should become popular. At the same time. 1 may say that tho blue of Starks' which I had Inst year under the name of Blue Monarch was even better. SUTTON AND SONS, READING. As usual, this groat firm devotes particular attention to standard varieties under colour headinps, but it also offers the best novelties, among them Giant Frilled Pink, a selection of modern typo of beautiful colour and gigantic size. SALT IN THE GAB.3EN. Hardener? do not rer.liee the value of salt as a fertiliser and coil cleanser. Salt i≤ not. of coutsp. suitable for all crops, but great benefit is obtained by dressing asparagus beds with it freely during or the first week in October. Go over the bods and scatter the salt freely and evenly, if possible, before a shower, and follow with a light dressing a month later in the case of asparagus. A light dressing of salt, as well ac animal manure, for'land on which cabbages and roots are grown will give fine clean crops, and soil peste will be driven away or killed. FOR LADY GARDENERS. There are many ladie3 among our readers "who arc interested, and often do a lot of the work about the garden. It is well known to fee "bad form" for a lady's hands to get rough or unsightly, even if it> is caused through handling a little of "God's Own Country." The following is a good anl easily prepared recipe to prevent the hands becoming rough after handling coil: Keep a pot containing powdered pumice-etone, moistened with glycerine, lemon juice, and rain water, in equal proportions. After washing the hands in rain water, if possible, Tub some well in, rinse and dry thoroughly. By this extra care the hands will be smooth and soft. It ie abo a good plan to fill the naib with soap before starting gardening. This prevents tlst soil getting beneath the nails.

modern sweet pea—modern, I mean, in < the sense of extreme frilliness and mul- i tiplication of petal. But it is more than t that; it is also representative of that I modern class in which tender shades of ] cream and pink blend in exquisite bar- i monies. The old sweet peas never give ; us these charming combinations. i Jean Ireland. —There is little doubt that wo have in this glorious variety • the best picotee cream. It has high j quality ot bloom, combined with great i I vigour of growth. I dare not say that I . [it will prove to be above the temptation j) lof "running," which sometimes over- ■! ! comes the other picoteo creams, and I 'probably it will be necessary to avoid | J high feeding. 15c that as it may. it is j a grand variety, full of the best florists' quality. Margaret Fife. —I am not sure that if Bolton's Victory had been on offer I should not havr been tempted to institute a comparison unfavourable to Margaret Fife, but it is not. and there iis an end of it for the time being. I do not, of course. say that the colours ;are identical: 1 do not think they are —at least, as I saw them last July on tli" show table. Margaret Fife is doioidedly deeper. Tt is a flower of modern i type, and will hold its own among tho pale lavenders. HOBBIES. LTD.. DURHAM. NORFOLK. Among several novelties standing to the credit of this firm, I san speak Ilirmly for two—Duplex Mauve and I Rbeims. And T hear great things of ' Hobbies Crimson. i Duplex Mauve. —A variety of treime.ndous vigour and with large flowers Jof rich colour. Certainly one of the jbest of its class. I Rheims. —An outstanding success with Imc last year: full of strength and richness. It is one of the now splendid class of orange scarlets, and fully capable of holding its own with the best of them. Mrs Kate Hammond. —A beautiful salmon pink, reminiscent of Audrey Crier. I hope it will prove to be fixed. R. HOLMES, TUCKSWOOD, NORWICH. Constance Acomb. —This variety is . distinct from any that I have yet seen in colour, as the buds have a line of , mauve on a cream ground, and the expanded flowers are cream, freely suffused with mauve. Lord Fisher. —I have not seen this in I gTOwth, but have seen flowers, and should describe it as an almost pure J maroon of the bright class. I mean that [ it is of the red shining maroons, not of the dull sooty set, and free from , purple or magenta. It is a fine flower of modern show quality. ' E. W. KING AND CO., KELVEDON. Attraction. —A soft shade of pearly pink, very pleasing and beautiful, while ; the flower at the same time has size. ? Progress. —A lovely shade of salmon ■ i pink. If this is fixed and can be kept I 1 true, we shall not -waste so many un--7 I availing tears over Audrey Crier. f Rowena. —A very pretty bi-colour on - J cream ground- Those who favour this i small but very useful class will note 1 Kowena with particular interest. I J. STEVENSON, WIMBOENE. ' At various times I have commented on most of the Dorsetshire raiser's varieties, but I must gift a brief notice t of them here. T Golden Glory. —A salMon of the Bar--3 bara type, and, as far oM I can see, good \rithout being distinct. I Peace.—A delightful variety, of an