IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16364, 8 November 1918, Page 12

IN THE GARDEN.

+ (SPZCIALLT WBITTK* *0B ''THE TMSS.") (Br J, T. &NCLAIB.) WORK FOR THE WEEK ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. hydrangea. —The blue colour of hydrangea bushes is not constant, and plants that have formerly produced blue rtowcrß will 6ometimes subsequently only produce pink flowers when they nrs trarsplantsd t" pr : '« ~ nc* fiv-. your pbints lime in any form. The presence ul UOli iXit; &w». Uis. V vUtOUX, and a fc»v pounds of iron filings worked into the so ; l is helpful. Watering occasionally with sulphide of iron, ioz to a gallon of water, is another moans of inducing the blue colour. Goraldine.—The eplitting of the aspidistra leaves is mainly the result of mechanical damage to the leavec, oe a scratch from a pieco of grit when sponging. Tho scratch sets up a wound, vou-H breaks or gives way, and a split reeulta, j which further handling enhuges. U. i ka.vee turn yellow and die; it ia natural, but any check to growth during the past twelve months would accelerate their decease. WORK FOR THE, WEEK. Sow —Cabbage cauliflower, broccoli, savoys, kale, radish, mustard and cress, main crop Deet, onions for salad, lettuce, spinach, New Zealand spinach, peas, salsafy, soorzonera, marrows and pumkins, French, and runner beans, and ridge cucumbers. Plant—Cabbage, cauliflower, lettuces, and tomatoes. VEGETABLES. Broccoli. —It would be difficult to supply the table with a continual variety of vegetables without the help of broccoli, but too often only ono sowing of one variety is mado, and no_ arrangements for the broccoli to turn in at different times is attempted. Tho man who is growing vegetables for his own table is sometimes m danger of having to live on broccoli for a fortnight, and then to have nothing more —a state of things that is far from satisfactory. Tho best way is to make two sowings, one about th© middle of October and the other about tho middle of November. If Late Queen is sown in November of one year it should, with proper management, be turning in in late October the following season, to carry the succession on until early cauliflower is. in season again. . Savoys and Kale.—A successional sowing of these may be put in. Sow thinly to get sturdy plants, and should tho seedlings be too thick thin them an inch or so apart. The plants from this sowing should come m for winter

cutting. „ , French Beans.—To get a succession of young pods a sowing of these should be put in every three or four weeks up to .the middle of January. If the soil is dry when the drills aro drawn out a good soaking should bo given it bofor© the seed is sown. Seakale. —If not already don© all tho blanching material should be taken off seakale. If tho soil is dry a good soaking of. clear .water can. bo given, and when growth is active and tho foliage has assumed its natural green colour liquid manure made from salt, soot, nitrate of soda, sulphato of ammonia, and superphosphates can be applied frequently. Flower stems should be cut off as soon as they appear as seed producing weakens the growth. ■ ■ Young plants set Out this season should bo gone over and have all tho young shoots except the strongest removed. To encourage full growth the soil should bo frequently stirred and tho surface kept free and open. ... Rhubarb—This vegetable is a gross feeder, and if it does not get a sufficient supply of food and moisture the stalks • become puny and tho foliage small. As the leaves aro the breathing apparatus of tho plants the larger they grow the better the plants thrive. Superphosphates and nitrate of soda are good fertilisers, so also' is sulphate or - Half an ounoe of each to two gallons of water is an adequate dose. Apply seperately at intervals of about one week. FRUIT. * Vines. —In the management of vinos the ordinary rule is one 'lateral (or side shoot) to a spur and one bunch to a lateral, which is stopped at the second leaf beyond the bunch. *.Afl. however, the lateral when young is rather brittle, it is apt to snap off while it is gradually bent down to the wires, and for this reason a second one may bo allowed to remain until the tying is accomplished. Again, it may happen that a lateral; at some part of tho rod carries no bunch, in this case, also, if there are elsewhere two laterals with bunches on a spur both may be left to mako up the deficiency, provided that th©ro is spaco for them. Tho leaves must be able to develop to their full size, if they are small the crop will be poor. Hence they should not be so numerous as to crowd one another. The buds which push rapidly forward oh the laterals should bo removed, though one is sometimes allowed to make a single leaf,, no more. Tendrils should be taken off at the same time. They are not wanted, and it is morcly a waste of energy to lot them grow- , ' , , ~ Thinning should take place when the berries are quito small, about the size of sweet pea seeds. First remove all the .smallest, as these do not generally stone nor take the second swelling, next remove tho ones nearest the bunch stalk, afterwards where they are crowded. Always make a point of leaving the best berries, and aim at making the bunch as. symmetrical as possible.

FLOWERS.

Among tho Roses.—Witli the advent of November the work of preparation for the summer garden is practically at j an end. Bedding out, as it is called, is about finished and tho ardent beginner may b© tenjpted to lnuigino that He can now rest on his oars and await with calm confidence tho full fruition of his hopes. It is'a pardonablo and natural enough assumption, but one that is entirely fallacious. The gardener's work is never finished, and least of all during summer months, when vegetation is rapidly approaching its climax. Let us take one simple example by way of illustration. Some of your rosebuds may already be showing colour —indeed, in- particularly favoured spots they may have burst into bloom, but the arrival of these first harbingers of the coming glory of the rose garden should not be regarded as the signal to relax your efforts, nor should it induce one to harj bour the fond illusion that all that remains to be done is to cull tho blooms as they mature. Rather should the effort of the- cultivator be redoubled, so that tho reward of his labours may be the fullest that it is nossible to obtain. He must" now and always wage a constant and unrelenting warfare against the insect and other foes of the rose. Fox some , time past the enemy has be-

come bold in lus attacks., G r< been seeking to obtain a odgment around tho base of every succulent bud, whilo the rose maggot ia busy curling leaves bencath whoso cover he will, unless detected, eat his way into the very heart of the bud and ruin it for ever. The presence ot these foes enjoins upon the rose cultivator the necessity for unremitting watchfulness. Daily inspection ot buslics, standards, and climbers, is absolutely necessary if tho enemy is to be detected promptly. Immediate measures for its eradication must bo undertaken. The syringe, with its solution of soap and quassia essence or 6ome proprietory insecticide* should, of Course, be brought frequently into use, but, even more effectively, we think, especially in the case of a small collection of plants, will be tlie thumb and finger work, which attacks every insect the moment it is discovered. It is not pleasant work for dainty fingors, but the perfect rose, when it comes towards the end of tno month, will provide ample recompense for any repugnance which may now be felt against tho necessity of squashing the aphis and squeezing tho grub. (Nature, in the case of tho toee, xzß with everything else, is far too bounteous in her gifts. She produces a great many more rose-buds than many careful cultivators care to allow to come to fruition. On some shoots it will be found that buds have been produced in clusters of three, and sometimes five. Ir all are allowed to develop the roses would be deficient in size. In order, therefore, to ensure perfect blooms, it is necessary to remove most or all, but tho Largest bud. This will usually be found to be the bud in the centre; bat this should be retained only if it is in good condition. Where it is partly opened and unshapely, or where tho centre of tho bud is hard and damaged "by lato frosts, it should be sacrificed, and dependence bo placed on one of tho newor and less fully developed buds. Buds also which have been attacked by grubs or caterpillars should be removed, and preference given to the best of tho others.