IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16220, 24 May 1918, Page 4

IN THE GARDEN.

(specially written* for "the frkss.")

(BT J. T. SIXCLAIB.)

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS,

Amateur—There p.rr several ways of getting rid of slugs. Sprinkling " tlie ground with apteriie. or powdered alum will b.* found effectual. Common salt, if it can be kept away from the roots, is a good preventive. Liquid ammonia well diluted, and used through a rosed water-ing-can. will kill any it touches. Boiling water cioes the same, but, of course, must not bo poured over plants. Water at the temperature of 130 degrees enn bo applied with safety to plants that arc at all hardy. The suckers that your chrysanthemums sre sending- out aro it eigrv that thi plants are in frood condition Tit the roots. You can lift the plants and .winter them in boxes if you like, or you can leave them in the border and iil't, divide, and replant them in spring. Interested —Your letter came to hand ioo late for an answer last week. The bluo pea you have is probably lathyrus pubescons. Sow the seed in a pot in August, and plant in permanent position when ♦he plants are large enough. April and May aro the two best months in which to plant lilies. The bulbs should not bo left out of the ground long, and should not be exposed to the weather. If you. have lifted any, ana they have shrivelled at all, you should wrap them up in moist eocoanut fibre or damp mo3S,' *o that they will regain their normal plumpness before being re-planted. It is rot absolutely neewsary to toko up crladioli bulbs every year, and it is too lato now to move any early sorts, 03 they will be making growth, both at root ar.d top. Late flowering kinds can bo lifted when the top dice down, and spread out in an airy place to dry, after which the crowns can bs separated, cleaned, and stored till planting time. The present eorm sometimes adheres firmly to the young one, and care must be taken when detaching it bo as not to injure the young one.

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

VEGETABLES.

Forcing Sea-kale.—'The (supposed mysteries of forcing and retarding have not infrequently been known to deter the keenest amateur gardener from much that he might with perfect confidence have attempted. Certainly where sea-kale is concerned the process of gentle forcing is extremely simple, and all lovers of this delicious vegetable are advised to start early next month so as to secure an early crop by one of the following methods.

In the first place seakale cannot be forced early cxcept when the crowns have been well ripened. Begin by lifting some strong, healthy roots from the open ground and heel them in in some shady corner. This % has the effect of checking the growth, and makes the crowns respond more readily when placed in heat. After having been lifted for a week or two they can be placed either in deep boxes or large pots Or-else in a bed of soil over which some rough covering of leaf-mould can be placed. Almost any kind of shed or cellar can bo utilised where a temperature of 4odeg. to oodog. can be secured. It is important, of course, to ensure thorough blanching, and for this purpose measures miist be taken to exclude the light above the plants, as well as in the pots and boxes. a packing of leaf-mould can be used for. the purpose, the only point of importance to gunrd against being that of too high a temperature, which might bp encouraged if a watch is not kept, owing to the heating properties of the manure or of soil in which the roots are forced. • I

Another, and even more satisfactory because slightly slower, process for obtaining early seakale is that of leaving tlio plants out of doors and simplv covering the enntas with pots or with boxes, which are again covered with a tliidt coating of half-decavcd leaves. Tt is important for this method that the crowns be first allowed to feel the frost, although the ground itself must not be frozen when the heating material is put on. Gentle heating manure may be laid over the bed j»nd heaned upon the pots and boxes. Tf such materials as the above are not, available, however, it is auite possible to blanch excellent seakale with the aid of straw, sand, or ashes. Whenlarge nuantities are grown, it will bo. found of ijreat practical help to place two boards on edge along each row so that leaves or straw which may be I placpd around the plants for blanching aro kept from blowing awav.

I "Where indoor forcing has been lesorted to. as described at the beginning, of this article, a space of si?T or seven weeks only will need to elanse before cutting can begin. Cutting should be done elorelv, and flioulJ include a small part of the woody crowth of the crown in picli case. Crowns which hit-"p been lifted and forced are of no further use. and "an be thrown away. Cuttings from side-roots enn Iv. made wlt— fho crowns are being lifted to rest. Make the cuttings about four inches Jon-r. cutting the tops straight across and tb« bottoms slantwise, tie them in bundles, and heel in in Fome sbndv position: place the tons a couple of jnche® or <••(> below the surface. Outdoor seakale. thmitrh mildly forced, npo-1 neve*. be disenrdod after its season, as the plants will throw out fresh shoots when warm weather obtains.

FRUIT. Planting Fruit Trees.—Proceed with planting hardy trees and bushes in open weather, when the ground is in a workable condition; avoid planting when it is saturated with rain or crusted with frost. Exposure of the roots to keen, frostv wind is also to be avoided. All necessary preparation of tho ground for the reception of the trees should be completed before planting is to be done. If it is retentive of moisture, it should be effectively drained ; nothing is more adverse to successful fruit culture than exposure of the roots of the trees to stagnant water in the soil. Trenching is generally necessary. and should follow draining. If the subsoil is bad. do not bring it to the surface, but break it up and leave it in the bottom of the trencn. If manure is necessary, as it will be in poor soil, avoid using it crude or fresh; apply only that which is well decomposed, and keep it away from the roots. In planting, see that the hok<s are made wide enough to permit of the roots berng laid out in a natural way, I radiating from the hole to the circumference without any doubling back on the lines they should take. Before laying out the roots, examine them carefully to discover any that are bruised or broken, and cut away those that are broken, and clean bruised parts with a sharp knife. Be careful in setting the treer m As place not to bury the Yriemj deeper m the soil than it has been before; this can be settled by examining the stem from the roots upwards; the bark changes colour from a light to a dark tint at the point where the earth's surface and the atmosphere moot, and that point is the proper levoj to' preserve in Betting toe slant in.ita jiew

position. Cover the roots with the finer portion of the soil, working it under and over 'them with the fingers till they are completely covered; fill in some moro soil, and tread firmly over all, and finish by levelling up the hole and again treading firm.

All newly-planted trees and bushes should be protected from being shaken by wind with stakes. Bushes and young pyramids may be well secured by stakes, but standards, especially if tall and the tops are heavy, should be furnished with guy supports of some kind. Attention to these stages and ties will be necessary in order to keep them perfectly secure till the tree is established. To complete planting operations it is necessaTy to supply a mulch of fresh manure over the circle in which the roots are bedded, but it is well to defer mulching till spring.

FLOWERS. Keep grass and walks free from leaves and other rubbish, and roll them frequently. Examine stakes aiftl other supports of roses and other shrubs requiring support,, to secure them from injury by winds. Climbing roses grained on walls,-pillars, arbours, and pergolas, require the same attention, but should first have some thining out of crowded growth by t!;<> cutting back to half their 'length of extra long young shoots, and all the old exhausted ones, leaving the final pruning till spring. Any planting of trees and shrubs may be done when the weather is open and mild. The present is a suitable time for repairing gravel paths and for making new ones, also for repairing turf edgings and worn-out patches on lawns, where such repairs are to be done with fresh turf; but if to be done by sowing seed, it must be left till September. The laying of turf can only be done properly in mild, open weather, and when tlio earth is not saturated with moisture. Tho clearing away of spent remains of hardy and tender flowers should be done fjuickly, so that orderliness and cleanliness may be established for the winter. Plant roses without delay. Strong growing kinds may have their shoots shortened somewhat to prevent their being blown about by wind to the damage of the plants, but no general pruning should be done till August. v