GARDEN NOTES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12897, 31 August 1907, Page 7

GARDEN NOTES.

(Br Hortcs.)

Weather conditions are still favourable to the spring planting of shrubs and trees. Should the spring bo a showery one this planting may be continued all through the month of September with certain success; this especially in the back country near the hills, where the season's growth |.' later in starting than near the ceasbline. Spraying of fruit trees is now general throughout tho provinoe, and will continue to bo almost all through September. If this work is done thoroughly, the very best i results accrue from tho application of the blight destroyers, but if carried out in a slovenly manner much of the work will have to be done over again next season. The heavy rain of last week has quite beaten down the surface of the soil, and it will bo necessary to uso the hoe or rake to break tho crußt formed, and so let in the air and light which aro so necessary to> ,the{ plants' development. Where seeds are to he sown tho ground will be mulch improved if again forked over before the seeds are sown. A loose seed bed is an ideal one in heavy lands, but not so necessary in a sandy porous soiL FLOWER GARDEN. In this portion of the garden the spring flowers are. now making their debut. Snowdrop, crocus, winter aconite have been in flower for the past few weeks, and will be followed by the narcissus, hyacinths, anemones, etc., all of which will need some attention at this season of the year. Weeds must be removed from the base of these flowering bulbs, and the soil slightly atirred' around them, but' not too deep. Where neoeasary staking the blooms should be undertaken; this refers to those which carry heavy heads' ot bloom. This staking must not .be formal, but arranged so that the spikes of bloom will be set up loosely and gracefully. Anemones are-liter than usual this year, but are coming on fast since the rain. The flowers promise to be abundant in quantity and particularly large in eiee. Where ranunculus are just coming through the soil the use of the hoe or a hand fork <on breaking the surface will help very, much in tho progress of the plant's growth. .■-'- Sweet Peas should be sown now. and those who desire the beet results should take some little trouble to prepare the soil before sowing the seed. As stated previously in these notes, the best plan is to take out a trench similar to one used for planting celery, say, from 1 to IJ feet deep, and about the same width; half fill this with rotted stable m»nue { and place over it a layer of soil, in which the seeds should be sown. As the sweet peas advance in growth,. somo more of the soil may be put in the trench around the roots of the plants. In the blooming season copious draughts of water may lie applied during dry weather. With such treatment a show of sweet peas is.assured which will extend over several months. Which are the best varieties to sow is largely a matter of taste, but the following, in their respective colours, havo been placed at tho very £op in the sweet pea competitions held in connection with tho National Sweet Pea Shows (England). The best whites, Dorothy Eckford, Blanch Burpee, Albatrees, and Nora Unwin; the best vio let and purplo varieties, Duke of Sutherland and Duke of Westminster. best crimson varieties. King .Edward VII.. <Mars, Queen Alexandrina, and Scarlet Gem; the best cerise, Coccinea; roße and carmine. Phyllis Unwin, John Ingram, and Lord Roso bery; pink, Gladys Unwin; lavender, Lady Grizel Hamilton; hltie,. Romolo Piassaanir mauve, Mrs W. Wright; maroon, Black Knight; magenta, Ucn-. eral Gordon; picotee-edged, Lottie Eckford; red-striped, America; bluestriped, Unique, Princess of Wales, and Helen Pcaroe; orange Miss Wilmott, Helen Lewis, Lady . Mary Currie, and Henry Eckford. Of ©ours© this does not include all tho best varieties, for like ill the popular -flowers of the day there is a superabundance |of good things offered, only a few I of which can be grown by tho average I amateur gardener. The list, however, I includes a selection of the very best which havo been proved of exceptional quality by several of our local sweet pea enthusiasts. Quito a number of the varieties mentioned were exhibited at the Sweet Pea Show held in the Exhibition last January. i KITCHEN GARDEN. It will be fitting advice at the present time to point out that deep cultivation and thorough tilling of the soil will affect very largely the results of the season's crop. Shallow surface cultivation Ls tho cause of many failures and disappointments in connection with all branches of garden work. This is particularly true when related to soil which is of a stiff nature and into which the fine rootlets of many of our garden plants cannot penetrate. This same soil responds, howpver, to tillage, and will, if well broken up, return crops of the finest quality and in great abundance. Not only so but its fertility is maintained for y«ars if it is regularly worked, in contradistinction to light ?oib which become exhausted after being cropped for a few seasons. Established beds of asparagus should now be dressed with light dressings of salt or nitrate ef soda. Newly planted beds of this succulent vegetable should not be dressed tin fltwt season after planting. Early sowing of parsley should now be made, in fact, if sown earlier strong plants fit to pick from would be ready by Christmas. Early S_6 such as Chelsea Gem and Win. urst should now be freely sown and early varieties of potato* such as Aableaf, and the Beauty of Hebron, both pink and. whit*, can be set out with safety in open spaces.

growth. .■-'- Sweet Peas should be sown now. and those who desire the beet results should take some little trouble to prepare the soil before sowing the seed. As stated previously in these notes, the best plan is to take out a trench similar to one used for planting celery, say, from 1 to IJ feet deep, and about the same width; half fill this with rotted stable m»nue { and place over it a layer of soil, in which the seeds should be sown. As the sweet