Practical Gardening.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 25, 29 January 1921, Page 16

Practical Gardening.

By DIANTHUS.

Corrstspor.t'trnts will greatly oblige by obserring the icllcnrfng rulea »H tending questions for publication in llwsa columnt .— ;. Letters should be addressed Gzrdeii Editor, "Star" Office, Auckland. S. It rite on one si:!s of Hie paper, and make all communicalion* a* concUc as possible. S. Floioerx, etc.. sent for naming nv.mt he sent aeparatitl)/, and, if posaibU, pocked in a tin or wooden bor~cardb:>ard 6ox«s are very liable to be broken in transit and the contents damaged. • •,. Thr full name and address of the sender must alirays bt sent, byt a tiom de plume or initial may be given for publication.

****-X--:^X--******->r-S----K**«^-^HC^^ |. TK£ V?TEEK"S WORK, jj! * * * THE FLOWEK GARDEN. f * Lift, clear., end divide buibir. * * Dahlics end Chrysanthemums enouid have ISia surface soil kept loose around ¥ * «. than.. jj, X Border Carnations phould ho lsvero<i ci 3oon as possible. :£ jC Sow seed or PansiCJ, Swoct Willicm, Canterbury Sells, Hollyhocks, # •,|; Delphiniums. % ijc wstorinns so 36 to ensure ooo<i aul'jniH hlootn. *»* =!• Keep spent blooms removed from any flowcrino plants in the borders to * * proront ceed formlna. J * Prepare Sweet Pea trenches for autumn sowlno. T S Give n ;'immor pruning to a good autumnal crowih on Rssoa. * Wetcr Astors when noccscsry end cjivo crtiOcinl or liquid msrupo,' tin 'jp tho Ull DlSiltS. 4; Bogoniss plerly of room \ thoy should bo sprnyeti cleftr water •{: every cvonln'j. Liquid cow and odoi wntoi* should »lno be oh'on twice xt * weekly. * * ' THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. * i Spray Tomntoss and Dineh out leteraln. i ir- K&op Runner Barns closely picked, anrl livo ths rown a good soaking—an « =! : Pinch out the '-iris of Warrows, Wclono, Putnpklno, elc, to cruso lateralt * ■'fi to form. A good wcloring during Jf • weathor will bo of groat benefit. * * Plant out Celory and shade for a fow days. Keep piants woll watered in * % dry weathor. jj. X Sow Dwarf Beans to provide auccoeoional cro?i. .-. Bend down tfio tons of aulumn~sown Onions to ripenintj. j|; Pull up Shetlots to ripen, and do not let thorn tie in tJ.o hot sun too long. jj: Keep the hoe poinq ameneat nrowlnq cpok?-

TO CORaESPONDEHTS. i nitrc< iNr.irnin?>i'le\ s-nN :\ sras-. tur j l.!enii.'r.-u!on. It Is ri'ynn*i:r>i erlsttatti!". ilo.ittus:. I! Is a rery u.iod ~s^i><-l--s.".i\r.Vi.' is ktrli-tly pvr<-uu::.l. ar.'l forms J oca tit if ill turf. I v renin]"-.- for Wleht on dahlias; "nil ii",onns shoots liav,. , urled u|.. ..■■•! T.it ■eaves ;ir"> il.>foran-il »n,l .|.. ii.it oi* l ' properly.'—Spray Willi lUne su!plt;ir »«''" I iion 1 i»nri. water 7r> pnrt-, nn.l n.lil I <«• | o! arsenate of k-j;l lo ca'''i pallon "' j spray miiiure. | C 1-:. S. (Aronilalel. asks: fli W-hat '.n v sjiriy ivit'i to keo]i .!■>« v lly on lunup* nm! <-a>»)M!ieV rj. What l« th.- .'aiw '■> the leaves on toamtoes -n ltlionns' uih. , Uryini; up: Is lUm- sulphur tho bf.<t in turo?- ill Tar water, ..r black 1 af W Ti. miike t.-ir n-Mt.-r so.- answer ;•> "J S. 11l Ibis issue. iJi '[he i-mlse ft llic trouli* : is Ic-af bll(,'h-t; spray with li:ne sulphur I liart. water .V.i i>.irt« It If nM-r ;snry v> sprny «-v t >ry t« n uijn to . ii,.-h tin- I rvn'ilc <.iu-e it has oiit.ilned a fooling. JINK (llemvcmt, nsk.>: -\\!ia: llowe-i ' planted or town from now cm would five >>L-o:n.s f,i r .-uitiiii: in JuneV—Tbire a' l ' few tbin-is that can lie sown ti'>nr t.. i tlow'-r in .lune. UulJ>s ran ti» plnnted will-h will «ivo (rood r.-BtiUs. ' Taper White and Yellow (Solpil dor) .Tiin<vul« will Rower In June If plau.tc.l at unci-. Enrly fivfi-t !>e:is planteii now K'lioulU siv(- blooms In .hsne. Follow Ins on tli.-s,. hi .Inly, plant anemones atiJ I other sprlUK flowirlag bulbs. r.K-MO.N iTanjnarnnn!) aek-s ihr followlns .|:i>'s::oi:n:—.li YVii.-n ij. the liu-e io wrc azalea seed? (Ji IHj yomig icaitin t r>-fi< S'-ow-li]!; from so.-ds, sonn last 0.-to'.M-r. j iv-i-'l any sj>p.'lal trejitme:i; ? hli ', .-i/.ilea spiml as m»n as It i.- rip.- fl ml will ; shake otvt of the pol-s- v.) They n::ii nerd n<. es.p«cial Irea-taient. ox.-epl that i it iviii i.,-. hest t>. transplant .h.-rn n.-xt i rp::nr. t-ay. jiUtut !lo:nfiv.- ' a pnr:l.jn of the 1.H13 La;) rw: tM.-r»n: replanting. | !>.<;. writes: Of Whr:i U t ,, :.- )-«- .: tittle f> .wuv nit.-iv 'palci s.x-ls ;.,i I ii-w ! ; deep lo M>a- ilirui? CJi Aro si-esl., :-.«•: ! I Kown whero tbe treo Is x> grjw. -'r'iri a : aursery? <Jli liirst firm- to plan; •■■h youiis ' i .trees?--(1) Sow nikau Keo.L, ;ii ahiuiit any ' ' Ik-si', 'if you have s.'.xe wtiij n'.nv j I you ,-nn sow Oirm n t onre wlt'.i ainri' I iiilraiMage than keeping tliem. Put t!ie-r. ( j an invh d.n-p. They wli! probnb'.y ii-H ! permlDiite till next sprin;. (2i If yuu re.'er ! 1 !'■> iiiknu Keeds I should advise you t<. I »]»• them in a mirsery, but »>wlui where I : ihey are to rtvw l< all right. It is. of , i course, inori' <<unveni(>nt to ha\'- tae ; ' seeds sown in a ntirfery. where tlicr i-.m ' ! b<- i 3) 'JT!i« aurimin —t)Mt In. I a.wm Mar.-ii or Apr:i-is tbe iMMt time I I "a plant out yittsng trees (aikati), but any \ I tlmo between Apri! and ?eptemTwr will , "■■• 1 A.C. -I'araoll) writes: —I linvp d:-<----j aMiuinted in my rose bwlies. Tbe leaves ' have been affecled Willi ••black spot,' I I and others have tliriiwl yellow. The bushes have mad,- !>ut liir.V and \ there is 11 (|iiuntltv of dead wo.ml. The 1 toil w;ls fairly weil worked, but rerhir.is I 1 have no: jivtm It tho requisite manr.rI Ins. Is srrepn maiiiiritiK li<-nefi<-l:i! to .-lay 1 .1.::'. - -- Your r..?es an- in nr.-.l vf Bprayina i :iud uvanurlns. They should be rprnyed with a solution of one part lhiie sulphur solution ami fifty j'urtn water. Tlie spraying must lie thnrr>uj;h and should i" , done every ten or fourteen days for th'liext sis or olsrht weekr. Nert winter jrlve a spraying wiih a wiu'er fiiujjlckle. The plauts are not uiukinS jtroß-tJi owiu? to the '1.-ii-i-: of available ?ood. Tbe test thins for you to .]o is t.i ■procure tome stable manure and Rive the beds a yood tlressinjj. You fi\'*- ?ot ii and 2P7>l.t it :it :iny time 1)y iv?. A -three <ir f«mr iiwhes ihii-k will not bo too inu.-h; weHrotfeil manure if proc-tirable: If n.>:, obtain lit fretJi and put it on. T;ie:\ during i'nu I winter <lie it in. <'!vo a dre.-slus of next wlntw. There will I lie further ndvioo. j:ivo:i in due sea.son j which you ran follow. Green manuring I very good f«r ..day scil.i. 'j.S. (-Wiinnirarel) askri for the f-orrect way t> mal:p 'tar wiitrr for sT.rayins: i-abbiigc, .<?!■•., a< a preventive <■! "lly." Add a 1 p.mn-d <iT ordinary k:is iar. a lit;':e at a 1 time, otherwise it '..< difficult to mix It, ■ to two or three palJ.ins of Ijo'.lin.ir water. i The water iniT-st Im> kejit on ijie l>oi; ami ; <-or.rftantly ns-lt-ated until «1! the tar Is mixed. Tills .mti then I*> d!-lnt«Hl for I nuing by adding one part to fifty parts j water. ' l.t will pracii.-ully kci'P indefinitely if gireu a jf.omi stirring 'before i ui-ing. 1 ANTS (Auckland) wri'tns; — Yen yo" sive tun I a remedy to ge: rid o' a nr* 7- Mix Hour, and white arsenic to the roniiisloii.•>- of pfruy wHh water. I'ieees of the mixture (ire placed about the nes-;s ari\i bauntfl of the ants. 'It imi*t ii« k<-,>t s-afe from children and aulm-alrf; this nin l)o <love I>y always covering X when I -placing It about.

LAYERING CAJIUATIONS. Tv ni.tintain a Kt»."k or rnrnation , jilants for producing blooms of the llnest : \ pc, propagaiioii nr.;.«i be resorted to i"cry year, layering the «hoot<- beiiij; the "most reliable method to adojit. >oiin a.- tho plants have eea-ied lloweri;ij layering should eornmenee, a.~ early layered .~"inoi.- have a much better ■•liance of be.-iiming established plant. 1 bt f-.re the arrival of wintry weather than those layered later in the season. | A number of layering pep* or pins formed of wood or metal (as shown in ; Kip. 1), should be prepared in rcadlnes.". also some tine soil, consisting of ejual part 1 of -.'ontl lo;im and leaf mould and i half a part sand. Stir the surface of! ■he bed, ami place »bout two inches of 1 the prepared ?-uil about the plants. Select only the strongest and healthiest ■ i-hoot* that have not borne (lowers; 1 <Iri p off the lower leavce (known a? j prass), Luke the growth in the left hand. ; and with fc sharp, thin-bladed knife i make an upward planting cut or incision | i:i the underside of the xtem, commenc i ing about half an inch below a joint, and cutting through the joint in the manner hliown in Fig. 2.

Having mad." I lie incision, bend the , stem of the plnnt, almost upright, in | order to open the cat, and insert the , , tongue in the prepared soil. Then peg i ■ the shoot firmly in position. (Jroat < are j 1 mti»t be exercised in carrying out the I J o[» ration, especially in bending and pcjr- ' { f;i"K down the layers, or the cut portion , I ol the stem will snap in two. and he ■ i useless for layering, the best plan in I : such oases being to make the broken i shoots into cuttings. ; The out portion of the layers eliould j I be buried with prepared'soil, which must lie made fjuito firm. If shoots are layered all round the plant a mound of soil will completely surround it, in the manner shown in Fig. 3. Having layered the desired number of ! growths, give them a thorough watering from a rosed can. Moisture is necessary to assit root formation, so watering- must be carefully attended to. j GROWING BULBS IN MOSS J FIBRE. J The success vrifc'n which Roman hyuvinllis, freesias, narcissi, and other j brills can be grown in moss lib re iiii china vases without drainage proves, that it i* the most clmruTng and efTec-j tive method of growing bulbs for those w'.to 'have neither a largs parden nor, the conveniences of greenhouses or frames, or who have a difficulty in oMainj imr suitable soil. The advantage of thii system : s that the vase.3 can "oe placed anywhere about the house, in the drawing or dining room, without fear of any m«ss from water or soil coming t'liroujjh the base of the pot?. Thp ilbre is ob- | taina ,f b!e from seedsmen in most cases j ready for use. Failures are, usually due to the iibre riot -being kept in a pro-j l>srly nioi'et condition, 'from Hwjng .pressed too ;firm!y or not thoroughly mixed. The nio-s fibre should T)e rrirbed until free from lumps. Adi water a| little at a time., vain!» it at ihp rate of I four quarts to oach half bushel of moss fibr?. If the mixing is done properly the fibre will increase in bulk by onethird, ami if a little is taken in the] i "ialid and squeezed no water will drop] out. When po-ttin.3 put a few pieces of j charcoal in the bottom of the vase t.V ' absorb impUTitio and keep the mixture 'sweet. Then put in one to three indiesj j o.f the fibre, according to tiie depth of the vase: plaoe the bulbs gently on the fibre, and then fill up the va.se to with- ! n one inch o? the rim. "When potting the for.Mw are best fnit one or two inches beneath the surface, and although tm> ccmpo.it must "ne well round the ■litilßs it U not i)a<"pf"-ary or de. j :ral7;e to pro?? it at. ali tijpMiv, otherwise <'he routs do not work freely in the fibre. Tlie bulbs have a tendency to push t""pmsftives 'U.pwards. A\lien once notte.l they will re'juire little or m> attention foT the first two or three weeks, but after that jrrcat caro eliould be to keep tlie compost fairly moist, but on no account must it t>e kept sodden or too

FEEESIAS IN POTS. AVifli-grown pots or bowls of lrecs'ji-. are always highiv apreciated during the winter nr.d spring, for their light, elegant bfcbit. powerful frsgronce, and the freedom with whk-h iho flowers are prorlueeJ. dotting should 'be done d'armg the present month. Twelve corras may to a 7-in pot. -A. ourapost of r'eii, β-broun 10-am, with a little bonenieal and coarse sand added, make an ideal soil. Drain t'hc pots very thoroughly, an:l cover each conra to a depth of two inches. The ipots should 'be stood close together on slates on a very sunny border, though until growtli appears it i? best to shade them slightly, or they will contsantly need water—and the less of this that has +o be g'ren the bettcj. At the s:'.n;e time, they inr.rt be kept just anoist. or rootir.;; will be seriously impaired, to the detriment of growth and floiyerinjr. Cmcc •the tips of the foliage spear ilirouj.'h the sail expose fnp.;n to all the siml'giit possible, and give water freely whenever this is requirod. Directly bud? a.ppear it i* advantageous to feod from time to 'time wit'a weak liquid manure, as this is of great as*ista.r.<:e in increasing the size of the flowers and 'building up the conns for the following season.

tvttt. On the ot'uer hand, if allowed to ''become dry, if only for 'half aa hour, the pores of fbe roots close up, and the , boUra in qiany caaes go blind or fail to i <iev«iap 'blooms. Extuuuio the vases ionce a woek, {rivo a little watfr if i netiPsaary; t'" ; - luvossity vv'al auiok'y ho , : inHivateci. for r.i hdoii es «il e-urpl-as. j water is .i:j.;o: ; :>ej Llie fibre. !becfftn«3 dry I lat tbe top ai!<i brown in eolwir. Hive i enough water to mot=i,en the whole -'f I I lie til-re, on tho other hand, ii.it in j i thought, there i* too nrjch water i» tlie j vise, t'.irii it on oth- ,-ii.le and allow t'lif j surplus water to drain out. When the. j bull* have been uott«l the. vasM should :_ be kept, in 11 <i:ir!c and niry cel'.ar trr | room: 11 it worse H;r.n a ••ort'in«:d | o.iphoa'd or a small airless dark room.l When i!i<- bnlljj !>ave gTown one. inc-hi out of tlie !ibre they ehoiTid l>o broi:g-!:t I into mure lipht. airil given as inui-ii arr j laa possible, l"3r if a:r ij not given t!ie| j foliage beeraiies uni'.atUTßll.v long and j j Th,; follow-in? variotiee 2jav« !prrn-«l themselves to <io well: — ErananJ ■ Uyaciniiin. S'arKssi i'aper Wb'.te, S.'iiieiJ d\>, and all the polyantlms fli»wer«dj •■nr>tuv. Amor.-;r-rt the Trumpets. OH- . vdllnns. Kins \ifrett, Henry Irving, 1 ''•j'olileri >pw t F.nifxTor, \'jctoria. and: , Mad Je >,W»T. <)f tin , star shaped, iMr.i. LiniiTi. >'-impanel le ruy-'oe'iß, Iveir.oruirop, l.eo-nie. Burr: Cun»?.v-'nis. : ornat.us. <>ii<>cii of l/.ri-, ' worth. (Witter. T;:)lp.= , fipireaa, andl ' liliuuis also 'lo well hi moss fibre. I pla'ntiitg daffodils. '. I)afr,>i!ik filioiikl b- planted in every '<ra:dpn. It? hanl'iiMn and ease of miltivation, jrretit variety, nnd diirntirm of; bloornintr season ull combine t-> maki; it 1 0 <<00, l garden «ut..ec-t. while as a cut ! (lower it lon«i« il.»clf easily to nffe-livo 1 decoration. V\ li.'n- Kpace permits the i bulbs alu.u',l !"• j»rn»n in bed?; plant.-.l in a ii'ired bonier tin- best results are; r-tifainml by plarir.tr them in c-lumps of about :• dozen of any on' , kind, about four indies apart: if mixed tho result i< i uti«Kti«f:!:<orv. N.i not on any account 1 (five them ariv innnnre. Cvar-e , ! b'.nr ];i*x niav lie no;: in about a fort-- • nifll-t. before ni.iniii!'.', nnd bn-ili- "la.fr ma - ' '•» on tl"- -itrf:-.'.. Inter on. If the ln;!b* are not required for rxbibiti.in j tl'i-rr i>» no neeeddtv to npplv any fer- ' <:Ti f r P..me of our !>■•*( umatejirs p'ptit ! ,Tnm>arv ni'.l o*ii<-ra w:iit until Fcbruirv :ii"l When tlie crl 1 i- t workable is tl"- l.o«< tme. bnf ii i< ncivi". ' ahlo (o ._-et n'l l,;ilb» in l-.efr.-" the end nf \ljrHl Tl-.. ,rr.vl|n!l (-'-O.lld l.c veil . I frmed before nlnntinf. ot"! dn" , The prener depth to plnnt V'll rl.>p»n<l i , l-Ti-t/ s''7.P of the bulbs. Tlie ton of 1 : M,o Vnf.r. r.liouM be from three to five j inches below the Mtrf.ic c.

Ijirge hulbs .". to r, iaihes deep ■ !sruall bulbs 2 lo .': inches deep. I From planting time until the foli.ijrc I appears tho surface of tho bed? must be ! regularly hoed to destroy weeds. It IB essential to keep the ?oil clean, ah weeds afford cover for snails and which if ■ ;iei{lected will soon damage a large number of blooms. If these pests should prove troublesome, a little lime. Buperphoephatc or tobacco dusted in the even- i iiij,' between the plants will keep them in check, but the wisest plan is to keep down the weeds. AUTUMIf ROSES. Koifcs will be ei:.-J-.'r.ifred t.> makej fresh growth, an.l !i bloom in the, atttwmn, if t/he is fpr.nkiel w:th! sulphate of ammonia or a jr.>od fert ILicr. ' or if svatere<l once a wpe.'< with will diluted liquid manure. K'ep old bio-uii" j and seed nods removed for the sake of , appearance, and to relieve the plants. :