For A Better Garden

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 281, 27 November 1941, Page 19

For A Better Garden

NATURE- plays some unkind tricks on the patient gardener, for no sooner is there a spell of fine warm growing weather than there is an immediate outbreak of blight. Potato crops in many parts of the province have suffered to a greater or less degree, but, on the whole, judging from correspondence received, there have been few serious losses. Spraying with Bordeaux mixture for protection should be carried out immediately, and continued at such intervals as the weather dictates. In "blighty" conditions, that is high humidity, it may be necessary to spray every 10 days, thus ensuring that all new foliage is covered. In clear weather once a lortnight is sufficient. A Coroglen (Thames) correspondent asks how to make and use Bordeaux (Burgundy) from bluestone and washing soda. Soda is preferred by many potato growers as being easy to prepare and, the soda being not so gritty as lime, it is easier to apply. For a first spraying 41b bluestone, 51b washing soda to 40 gallons of water (lesser quantities of ingredients for small plots) is a good mixture. This can be strengthened to 5/6/40, or even 7/7/40 if there is a lot of blight about in later sprayings.

The copper sulphate can be crushed and placed in a canvas bag and suspended in a vessel holding five gallons of water, or it can be dissolved in boiling water. The soda is dissolved in another five gallons of water and the two solutions mixed together and kept well stirred. Finally the remaining 30 gallons of water are stirred in.

Both Bordeaux lime and soda mixtures deteriorate quickly and should be applied within two days of being prepared.

Another query relates to the use of fowl manure, in this case for topdressing a lawn. It should be unnecessary to state that with the present shortage of artificial feritilsers every gardener should use as much animal and composted manure as possible.

Fowl manure Is particularly powerful and has a burning effect on plant tissue when applied in a fresh state. If desired for use by itself it should be thoroughly dried, then sprinkled liberally with wood ashes and mixed with twice its bulk of fine soil. In this form it is an excellent fertiliser, both for lawns and gardens.

i A Swanson inquiry relates to the . growing of Australian dwarf toma- , toes. When grown in the field, it is not usual to prune these, nor to stake them. However, at least 4ft must be allowed between the plants, as they will sprawl over a large area, rooting from every joint in contact with the soil, and make enormous plants. They are large croppers, but growth by this method does not produce evenly ripened fruit, nor is it so easy to cope with insect pests. If only a small quantity is to be raised it is wise to give some supif if/ consists only of a stake 2ft high. It is also wise to carry out a measure of pruning to keep the plants under control, though the cutting need not be so drastic as in the case of other tomatoes. In manuring, tomatoes, like their ' near relative the potato, require to !be well supplied with potash. A good general mixture can be made

up with 31b superphosphate, 21b nitrate of potash and lib sulphate of ammonia. This can be used as a liquid at the rate of loz to two galgons of water, or lib to 10 square yards. Take care, however, not to manure or water tomatoes too heavily. The usual result is a crop of disease. A visit in strength from the bronze beetle has brought forth a wail of anguish from an Ellerslie gardener. These pests, the matured insect from the grass grub, usually appear in the early summer months, and, while they are catholic in their tastes, usually prefer the foliage of plums and roses. In the Ellerslie garden they are apparently chewing everything in sight, although the apples have been sprayed with arsenate of lead. To be effective, arsenate of lead, which is the best protection, should be sprayed liberally, at the rate of a tablespoonful of paste to a gallon of water. About loz of roche lime should be added to the solution to prevent burning the foliage. Hellebore powder could be used on plants whose foliage is easily damaged by

the lead, either by dusting or In solution as a spray (ioz to the gallon). An Onehunga gardener asks for a spraying schedule for the control of mussel scale in apples. Lime-sulphur solution should be used at the strength of one to 150. The correct periods to spray to secure full protection are November 15 and again on December 1 and 15. As the season is later than normal this year a first spraying now should be followed by the others at similar intervals. * * * * In Howick there is unfortunately another case of silver blight, this time in a plum tree. Samples sent disclose positive evidence of the dread disease—leaves a pale, silvery colour. The fungus eventually kills off branches and whole trees. If an odd silvered branch is immediately cut off, it is sometimes possible to save the tree, but the safest course is to dig up the tree and burn it, roots and all, before the disease spreads to other trees. Yours for a better garden, W. GORDON.