Practical Gardening.

Auckland Star, Issue 123, 24 May 1919, Page 20

Practical Gardening.

By DIANTHUS.

Correspondents will greatly oblige by observing the foltoicing in Bending questions for publieatioii in ihese columns: — J. Letters sAot:W be addressed Garden Editor "Star" Office Auckland 2. Write one one side of the paper, mud make all communications as conese as possible .»' Flowers, etc., sent for naming must be sent separately and, if possible, packer! in a tin or vrooden box — cardboard boxes are very liable to be broken in transit and the contents: dar.usged. j. The full name and address of the sender mast always be sent, but m uom dc plums: or initial may &,« oiven for publication. r> * S THE WEEK'S WORK. * £ * * $ * THE FLOWER GARDEN. J % -...., . $ *- n-m is ne.-e a. lact, and garoop.s have taken on a much brighter look. ;je * There- will bo pienty of work now that the ground is moist. * 2 Cnrysanthemums that sro over should be cut down at the earliost chanco. * ,i_ Any digging that was left because of the drought should be pushed on. * ji- C-jt back a.->d trim al! herbaceous end soft-woodod plants, divide those that * sj: aro overgrown, regulate and re-plant. £ He Planting erf Anemones can be got on with. They will be late coming into X * flower thic season. " X * Pansics. Stocks, Carnations, Candytufts, and many other spring flowering # V subjects can be planted now. g Sweet Peas that are up should hays small twigs placed round them for the * JJ small tendrils to catch on to. * X An eariy batch of Chrysanthemum cuttings should be taken as soon as * ,;. possible. * I SJ. Planting of new Hoses and the shifting of established treee can be unde-- $ •J: taken at any time now. * 4; !f any scrubs op trees require t.-ansplantina now is the time to get on with it. J * Seed sowing of Anemones, Stocks. Hardy Annuals, etc- which has boon J sje delayed owing to the drought should be hurried on. J j THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. % . A Take uo herbs, divide, and re-p!ant. * Clear Spinach beds of weeds. Make a sowing of English Spinach * J ,;. Now Asparagus beds may be prepared, and existing ones should be too- * jj. dressed, and otherwise attended to. * | Cut any fruit of Marrows and Pumpkins that are ready. Those not needed J 1 it fer immediate consumption should be suspended from the roof of a £ ' :£ dry room cr shed. !£ | Look over the stocks of Onions in store, removing any that are growing 3; I * Seed Potatoes should be looked over: any signs of disease should be removed * : a t once. Tubers should now be stood in boxes to sprout ready for * planting. i g Make an early sowing cf Peas; choose a warm, well-drained position and S g _ sow a dwarf variety. . ' * -s- The P !e "ting of Lettuce, Cabbage, and Cauliflowers can be done now that the j ground is mcist. " jj. A!! vscan*. land should be dug and the ground cleared of spent crops. I£ i- THE ORCHARD. * X Trenching and digging and all operations in preparation for wet westher J -j; should be pushed on. * manuring is beet left to the spring. $ 4: AU fruit on the trees should now be removed. S Piar.t Gooseberries and Currants south of Auckland. * %. Strawberries planted during this month should havo some weli-rotted * manure. Carefully remove all runners left after planting new beds. *

TO COP.EESPONDENTS. ,

require it. but always keep some ventilation on the frame. If no fr:ime is Brailable, stand the box In a shady position out of door. Suckers only need taking off below the ground line with n few rootlets attached, and should he dibhled six inches apart into a bed in the open ground. whore they can be watered and shaded for a few (iays should the sun be bright. The bed should be prepared by having ><>;ne sand and rotted manure or leaf poll added. If no rrame is available, your best method would be to use suckers. AGRICOLA (Waii-anuii. —Writer for nd-vice on the folio-wins: —fli lioes a teccma hedffe need supporting by a fence tn :nal;e bud or sraft a coarse variety of 32 with a better variety? CM Will I write an arrlrle on the kumarn. stating best varieties, and when and how to zn<* them? —il) If a tecoiua hedee is kept properly clipped no support is neuessiu-y. ci> It is no", advisable to hut or jrraft .! liij; it out «ud replant 11 l.ntter variety. (3) I will give an jirtlrle later «n iv this column on the "Kumara," Kivins the particulars required. KiariC (Mt. Eden).—Would like to know: (li Tire name of a climbing rcwe suitable for a rustic fence. |2) When to plnnt same.—Cood varieties for your purpose are AlberU- Barbier. t Tea my "white, Dorothy Dennison. Shell Pink, Escelea. Soarlet. (2) a? soon as can be obtained. DAISY—IRIS lEpfoiui — Wishes advice on(It i-ultivatluß 'the Iris. 12) when to plain and how to cultivate marguerite Mr- sauders. ,si if |t , h ,,u!d be cut uown after Hotrertng. i4i When to put in 1 n^.n" 11 ;"-*- '■"" u - v "• ,u;ik,, y uung do n,tl, an ..1,1 vine to make it B row well. It was cat down l-.y frost, nn.l has srowii well, and the- f.dia-.'e is yellow—.li You <!.> not say what iris it'is you wish to know about hut probably it "is Iris tlnaltana. an early flowertns huK.oua trie I having blue and purple flowers. Tails

xtoi.im awl a\v:!uuii writes to say: "1 ! should miss ilio.se notes of Tours more I reading, ami Saturday Is not complete till I 1 have .-,-ad ib.-iii. I have always appre-: i-iaied them tor their sound, practical ! qu:'luv- He also asks: (1, Ls spent carbide of say as*- a* lime od rlay soils— may 1 nse it a* I ,iid s i lP >i nine? cl la ■ it possible to obtain Reed of hakea Balifrna In Am-klau.H—Thanks for your kind remark.. I aia always pleased to hear those notes are appreciated. I lli The residue of i-aMum carbide consists | chiefly ..f slated lime, but :i little car- ! Ix.caie and sulphate of Hmc may be pre- i bent. Iγ may l>,. applied ro s ..iis're,j,,lrlas lime at the ran- <.f about 21b pp r square yanl. It sboul.l only I.? ust .,i on vai ant '' land. i_. S.-,.,l ~{ hakea saMgna slioalil b<- obtainable in Auckland. If nor iisteri. ! ■write and ask a seedsman to obtain it ; AMATEUR (Onehun-ai. -Wlsnes to knosv: i <1> Which is the best U!etho<l of yropa- I iratiu.- rhrys-auibe:m::i:.-. cuttings or suckers, i-i The best way to strike them i In the open ground or hoses.—(l) Both, j methods are iood, and flue blooms are ; productd by iiotli. S-ome exhibition ! growers stand ':>y cuttings on the ground that the plants make more and better ! roots, and are less prone to send up su.-kerri. Snckv r- are the easiest and ttie . most reliable method, as there are practically no losses, every piece forming a plant* If su,-kers are taken oIT as soon as po-sibie the resralts are .juit.' equal to cuttiDgs. 12) Cuttings should lie taken off when between one and tiro inches hIRD. Cm them oiT at the -round line. Procure n bos of sandy soil. nroi. and v.ater it. Dibble the cuttings into this. IHace the box either into a cold frame or into another and larger box. and cover w-Itii £ ras=. Shade till rooted. Water as they

Jrls should be liftt-il annually, about midsummer, ami kept nut nf the ground in :i dry state, and not replanted till the liiilbe heßln to prrrw, which is about May. They liko a well-drained warm and wellmiinured noil. i 2) Marguerite. .Mrs. Sanders ran lie planted at almost any ! time of the year, Sprluc preferably. It. will do in any average ganlen' soil. | in n sunny. well-drained position. . <3) It (should i,i- cm buck pocli Ppriiri. although the host re-ults are ol.taineil ; from vomic pKiute reproduced from cut- I rinse annually, in Cuttings should be put in during the Autumn in sandy soil. Make the eutrinss of the Hide jrrowtjis when three or four inches lons. The I'est method Is to put the cuttings in a lure and keep well watered, anil shaded, tin rooted, then plant them out. (."» YounS passion vines should he planted early in Autumn, or failinc then, in the early Siiriim. They are somewhat difficult plants to transplant -with success, and nre beet sown where they are to srow. Give them a well-drained and well-manured soil. (0) An Old vine that has lieen cut doivu and Is not doing well is hest cut out. and a young one planted in Iμ plat?*. They are not. iis a rule, lonfl-llved plants. and nre not worth any attempts at renovating. AMBITIOrS AMATF.IR (Kopnrlk». — Asks: (li What flowers will grow In a bed on the south side i>! a house? There are some rtiilTodlis In it at present. Ui What is the hest W(.y to apply irmnl anhes to the warden? uU Are soap suds Injurious to the Rnrdeu? i 4) Is it n>,. early to plant sweetpeii seeds'.' (."i) Xemenlis sham a few week? ago are not tip yet: do they require special treatment, or is It the continued cold weather?.—ill I\in«les. Polyanthuses, primnsc*. vioipts. would do well. I should leave the daffodils. i-i Scatter the wood ashes on Hie s"irf:!.-e n« »>.in as oWalned. If you save them tl" you set n quantity keep them dry. They are (rood for nliuost every crop, lint especially onions, roses, potatoes, and fruit trees. <::) Sonp suds are not Injurious, so lorn as they ■are diluted with equal quantities of clear water. Do not apply 100 often in one place, as the soap is inclined to form a erupt on top of the soil. If this occurs sffr the surface wirh The hoe. (Ti) Swcetpeas can he sown now. They will rtnnd what frost you set If pro. teeted with a few branches of mttnnka. c>l NemesS.is are often slow in rjerminatinc. and it i* prolmWy the cold, dry weather rhat has delayed them some, ■what. They will prohahly have germinated since the rain came. MICHAELMAS DAISIES. The Michaelmas daisy is one of those plants that will do under the most adverse circumstances, and this probably I why one so often sees clumps flowering 'in neglected gardens. It is such a Hardy '• doer" that it is often looked down upon with scorn. The result is that, although common, it is rarely, if ever, one can see it properly or well grown. Michaelmas daisies are so prolific in throwing out shoots from the root, with

PERPETUAL FLOWERING CARNATIONS. Tho introduction of the tree or perletual carnation has marked a great adranee in tile popularity of the carnation. or the introduction of this section has nade it possible in warm districts to lave carnation blooms all the year ■ound with comparatively little trouble. riiey have qualities that the border varie:ies do not possess, and some of these ire: They can be had in flower throughout the winter. Another distinguishing [Uality is that blooms are carried on long footstalks usually eighteen inches ir more. When one considers the value if a carnation bloom for decorative purposes, especially when posseted of the ibovc qualities, it 13 very easy to understand the popularity of the perpetualRowerinfi carnation in America, England, in the Continent, and Australia. Tn England and America it has probably more capital invested in its cultivation j than an yother flower. Whole nurseries liul establishments are entirely devoted to its interest, and hundreds of thousands of plants are prown for (he supply of cut blooms for the market. In these they are mostly frroivn under (rlars. It is useless to attempt to prow carnations in Auckland unless your are prepared to jiivo them proper attention. They must be protected, tied up and properly looked after, if good results are to be obtained ASPARAGUS CULTURE. An idea prevafls among many amateurs that asparagus should, under all circumstances, bo prown on raised beds, and some professionals of the old school think the same. In heavy soils it is certainly advisable to prow it on raisei bedii, because the soil is thus better drained, ami in warmer; but on a well drained and rich, sandy soil—the ideal medium for pro wing it—a raised bed is neither necessary nor desirable. One has to study the welfare of the plants throughout the year, and durinp the summer copious supplie-s of clear and manure water mist be given, for it is during the summer that the foundation of a pood or bail crop the following spring is laid. The advantages of prowinp the plnnts on the level is obvious. Those wiio have established beds of asparagus are often at a loss to understand wliy the "grass" La weak. This is often the result of cutting too hard anil to late in the season. Cutting should not be carried on over a longer period than I nhoilt ten weeks. The plants require j plenty of food, which can be eupplied as a top-dressing, or in the form of liquid manure or both. Weeds must be constantly removed, and the asparagus should remain in sole possession of the ground allotted to its culture. .September is a suitable month for planting. Beds three feet wide are suitable, allowing eighteen inches between the rows and fifteen inches between the plants in the lines The roots should be covered with a depth of three or four inches oi soil. THE BULB SEASON. The long overdue rain which fell on Sunday and Monday will give the ground a soaking, and bulbs a good start. The early varieties, especially the paper whites and yellow jonquils, wil be fully a month late owing to the drought. Unless they have been watered they are only just showing through the soil, and in some cases are not even showing yet. Last season paper white narcissi were being sold about the 24th of April, and yellow jonquils on June 4th. Probably now the rain baa come, should the weather continue mild, it will hasten ! growth, and a certain amount of time will be made up. One thing the dry season has allowed the beds to be kept clear of weeds. Anemones will also be several weeks later than usual.

the result that a two-year-old clump is so thick and crowded that good llowerii;g results are impossible. The clumps should be lifted and divided annually— in other words, give them similar treatment to that given the chrysanthemum, with the exception that the Michaelmas daisy will do with less manI ure, and in a poorer soil. Xow is the j time to lift and divide the chimps, t hoosc strong vigorous pieces from the oufside of the clump. When replanting allow two or three feet between the rows or clumps. A piece with two or three crowing shoots is quite large enough. The illustration shows how to divide and replant pieces.

HOW TO TREAT FIG TREES. The fig tree is one of the best of plants for suburban or town garden;. Properly treated, it bears delicious and wholesome fruit, while its foliage Iβ decidedly ornamental. One of the be=t varieties is the Brown Turkey, which seems to thrive almost anywhero; and another good one is the Brunswick. Most people go wrong with the fig in giving it too rich and loose a soil, with

not enough lime —a thing they cannot do without. Then they do not prune it correctly, for they retain the rigorous young growths, which are useless, and cut away the short-jointed, twiggy portions, which bear the bulk of the fruit. In the sketch, fig. 1 shows a strong shoot which will bear no fruit, and fig. 2 a good fruiting branch. Fig. 3 is an example of a well-trained, fan-shaped treft The fig never blossoms like other fruit trees, the flowers, or organs of fertilisation, being situated inside the fruitFig trees may be planted when the leaves change colour in the autumn. The drainage must be good. FARMYARD MANTJKE. Referring to the manure problem, the Board of Agriculture hae issued Food Production Leaflet No. CO. It deals with the making of a manure heap and other eminently practica! matters. It concludes with the following "Simple Rules for dealing with Manure": — 1. Never throw it out in loose heaps. •J. Move it about as little as possible If it has to be moved, store it once foi all in a solid heap as near as possible tc the place where it in to be used, and shelter it from rain. 3. After broaching the heap, waste nr time in ploughing the dung in. Don'l leave manure lying about in small heaps 4. Try to avoid keeping manure durinj the summer —it is hotter then; anc heat means waste. 5. Keep all the liquid in it; don't le< this drain away. If it must -drain away let it drain into a properly constructs liquid manure tank. 1). Remember that the two thing which spoil manure most are air am rain; so keep it well protected from both 7. And remember that every little l>l of extra care taken means both an ad vance in good farming, and what is mor< important at present, an increase ii food for man and beast. S. Use litter as freely as supplies wil allow; it not only makes for the com fort of the animate, and produces mor immure, but there is evidence to shov that it minimises the losses of ammonia

APPLE PEASGOOD'S NONSUCH. Mr. Courtney Page, writing to "The I Garden," says: —While staying at I Worthing recently I had the pleasure ot I meeting the raiser of this handsome and | valuable apple. I have often thought it 1 was probably a ■chance seedling, and my | iurmige has proved to be correct. Apple j I'easgood Nonsuch originated in this vvise: When quite a small child, in 1558,| Mrs. Peasgood was given a very large! ipple and told its name was Catshead. I Childlike, after enjoying the apple shei planted the five pips in a flower-pot.! They all germinated, but one grew far in advance of the others, and was duly planted out in her father's garden on the outskirts of Grantham. She carefully tended it, and in course of time the tree was removed to Stamford; but no blossoms appeared until 1872. In that year the tree bore seventy-one apples, , seven of which were taken to a flower show held at Burghley House. Needless to say, they created a sensation, and old' Mr. Gilbert, the gardener there, expressed the opinion that ac regards the apples it was a one-man show. The ( same fruits were exhibited before the Royal Horticultural Society in October | j of that year, and unanimously received a firet-class certificate. It was sent out | by Messrs. Brown, of Stamford, and it; is rather interesting to note their modest description: "The fruit is like a very large Nonsuch; it is a large, handsome variety of the Blenheim Orange type, yellow with red spots, and beautifully streaked with deep crimson on tlie sunny side. The eye is very large and open, set in a deep round and even basin, and with short depauperated segments: stalk short, deeply inserted; flesh I yellowish, tender, very "juicy with a eweet and sprightly flavour, and pleasant! aroma. The weight of the fruits is from lOoz to 120z.-' When first exhibited it] was thought to be a type of apple Bleu-: heim Orapge, and it was only after it ! had been propagated that its true value became known. It is the largest apple j now in commerce, and many will remem-j ber the fine epecimen exhibited 'by Mr. Honeyball in 1!>14, which weighed no less than liOoz. Peasgood's Nonsuch is an apple that should be grown by all amateurs, being of first-rate quality for: culinary 'purposes and a regular though | not a great bearer; but the size of the fmits makes up for any deficiency in numbers. It does best on the Paradise | stock. The original tree is still flourishing in a garden at Stamford. A SEED SOWING HELP. Take a small can or little glass jar, which has a metal top, and with a small nail punch a half-dozen holes in i the top, driving the nail from the inside, and 'be very careful not to make the openings too large. Then put the seeds in the can, screw on the top, and the seeds can be scattered evenly in the ! rows. An ordinary salt shaker can be i used. I "TOP-DRESSING" APPLES. At Hereford, Kngland, recently, ! Arthur Williams was fined £5 and costs ; for selling a pot of apples that had been i subjected to ■"top-dressing." Particularly fine apples had been placed on the top, while very email ones of inferior quality were underneath. 1 ROYAL GARDENERS' ORPHAN FUND. '■ At the annual meeting on February Oth, the chairman stated that more donation funds were required if the Fund was to continue its praiseworthy work of providing annuities for orphans of gardeners who bad fallen in the war. The annual report records a welcome donation by the P.ight Hon. Sir Thomas Mackenzie, High Commissioner for New Zealand, of £100, from Uore, New ,i Zealand.

A PLANT PROTECTOR. The bad weather will soon be with us and °in most gardens there are plants which suffer from the excessive wet durj ing winter. To lift them and put in I frames or greenhouses is out of the quesI tion. and to build an expensive frame over them is also out of the question. j

The iKustration shows a means by which with three pieces of wire and a pane of glass a very good protector can be made- This will be found very useful for placing over seeds, tender varieties ol carnations, etc., for protecting lettuces, ! tomatoes, melons, etc., during early spring. It is surprising what a difference a little protection of this kind makes to i such plants. A few of these should be | found in every garden. RHUBARB. Winter-bearing rhubarb should have some well-rotted manure worked in among the crowns and all round the plants. Supply water and liquid manure as soon as growth commences rreely. Keep the dead leaves cut off aunuier-bearing rhubarb. Leave the leaves to die naturally. 1 A CURE FOR " DAMPING OFF." Among all who have raised plants I under glass, there are very few who ! have not learned to know, fear, and hate ! the trouble known as "damping oft.' ' Just what causes it may not foe widely j known, but its effect, like that of I thousands of tiny, invisible hands grasping the eeedling "stems at the surface of the ground and strangling them until they flop over and die, has long been a familiar, dreaded sight in greenhouses '! every where. An immense chorus of ■ I welcome and gratitude should, therefore. ; greet the publication, in the '"Florists' I Exchange" of February 22, of a method lof preventing damping off, a. method ■ which, on excellent authority, is eaid to be one hundred per cent efficient, and j safe and simple into the bargain. It I consists merely of disinfecting the soil by wetting it thoroughly with a solution of formaldehyde of a strength of one fluid ounce to the quart of water, turning and mixing it as if making concrete, then leaving it to dry out before putting it in the flats, pots, or seed pans. Since i it has been found that the damping off j fundus often starts from the edge of a i receptacle and -works inward through : the soil, it is advised that the containers and labels, unless new, be soaked in a, similar solution. It is also advised that soil so treated and not needed immediately, be kept in a tightly covered box J I where "even a cat cannot walk over it." tJ co that new germs and fungus spores _ j will not be introduced into the sterilised , earth, which, having been freed of ite . former bacterial flora, provides an unexcelled place for a new crop of organisms to get a start in. If the gardener uses sand to cover his newly-sown seeds, this, too, should be treated.

KASPBSaRIES. If the old canes oi raspberries hay» not yet been cut out, the ■work should be done now without delay. Thin, out •the new canes to about half a dozen o' the strongest. Clear awar all weede, and mulch the ground all round the slumps with half-rotted manure, or decayed rubbish from a rubbish hole. EH» not dig the ground between the clumpa or raspberries. TOOLS PRESERVES BY LINSEED OH. All farm and garden tools made of wood, or having wooden parts or bandies, if given an application of raw linseed oil when first bought, would be found to last much, longer and wear smoother to the hands. The wood should be cleaned, and the oil applied by means of a rag or a brush, and put Jin the sun to dry. Two or three applications should be given, until the wood , will absorb no more. The oil fills up the pores of the wood, and prevents decay; and spade and rake handles and any I other similar articles ■will be found to last much longer with this treatment ! than without.