MONTBRETIAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 129, 2 June 1934, Page 6 (Supplement)

MONTBRETIAS.

AUTUMN-FLOWERING BULBS. The moulbretia of late years has been much improved, and the blooms of the new sorts are almost equal in size to the small gladioli. -The trouble with them, however, is that usually they are left too long without transplanting, and in consequence the roots get matted and a clump gives a mass of foliage and few flowers. Three years is the longest they should bo left" without lifting and dividing. Perfectly hardy, they will <lo in any well drained, moist soil, and a sunny position.

Amongst the best are:—Brederode, orange red; His Majesty, orange, shaded rich brown; Pocahontas, rich copperyscarlet; Queen Alexandra, golden orange with crimson bars; Star oi the East, orange yellow; Una, orange, red eye, crimson reverse. From the corm of one year win issue a new corm (Fig. 1) to flower the following year. Only this new corm (Fig. 2) should be retained for replanting. Left undisturbed for years, a string of corme (Fig. 3) i 3 formed, but produce only a lot of foliage, with few (if any) flowers. Corms replanted as Fig. 5 should be top-dressed, when in growth, -with old manure, leaf mould or old potting soil, as Fig. 4. Plant in open situations. ENDIVE. Perfectly blanched endive is a good substitute for lettuces. A simple and convenient method of blanching is to invert a suitable sized flower pot over each plant, blocking the drainage hole to exclude light. The plants should be dry "when covered, only a few, say a dozen, according to requirements, being covered at one time; in the blanched state the leaves soon deteriorate. Allow about three weeks to complete the process. Though, normally hardy, the leaves are susceptible to injury from severe weather; so, to keep the plants safe, it is advisable to place a portable frame over the'ibed, or to replant in a spare frame,, avoiding damage to roots and leaves. this convenience scatter dry litter among the plants when danger threatens; they should be fully exposed otherwise. PRUNING NHW lrY-PI#ANTED ROSES. This is the rose planting season, and a ' good number of plants -will be put out during the next few weeks (at least, the nurserymen hope so). The man who has been growing and planting roses for years knows just how to prune his plants, but the novice -who is just about to plant his first half dozen is at a loss to know if the plants need any further pruning after he has planted them, as received from the nursery. Having laid " out half a sovereign on the plants, it "goes against the "Tain" somewhat to be told that the most of the top should be cut away, leaving only unpromising-looking stumps ■with about three buds at the base; yet

this is - exactly what is required. It may appear -wholesale mutilation, but it is Lest for the plant and future success. It is not always done, even by professing gardeners, but a plant so treated will be a much better success in after years. If the plants are only lightly pruned the top two or three feuds will grow and you get a leggy plant, the roots of which, owing to damage in transplanting, are not able to provide it with sufficient nourishment, with the result that growth is stunted and disease appears. By hard pruning you reduce the top growth considerably and thereby give the roots a chance to grow away ahead of the top. The buds that break away low down, bein" reduced in number, are more vigorous and healthy and the foundation of°a irood, vigorous plant that will continuVfor years is established.

THE BEST DOZEKT DAFFODILS. Recently at fbe R.H.S. Old Hall in Vincent Square, Westminster, a discussion took place as to the "Best Dozen Daffodils." The discussion was opened bv the well-known daffodil raiser, Mr. P. D. Williams. Mr. Williams eaid that in' selecting what he considered to be the best dozen daffodils lie had chosen only varieties which were vigorous and had increased to such an extent that it was obvious that they had good constitutions. He had also endeavoured to make his list representative, of the different types of daffodils and to select varieties which were suitable not only for exhibition, but also for garden decoration and cutting. His selection was Beersheba, Beryl, Dawson City. Firetail. Fortune, Glorious, Havelock, King Alfred. "Mitylene, Sarchedon, Trevithian and Tunis; Mr. W. B. Cranfield, who followed, gave as his selection Beershcba, Croesus, I-'iietaU. Fortune. " Grenadier, King Alfred. Medusa, Mitylcne, Pil•'gvimagc, Suda, Veuetia and' White Eniperoft