IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16946, 22 September 1920, Page 9

IN THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK

r.w.i.v wnriTi:\ koi; "thk 'Jiv J. T. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. >vt~. — »\ rr n :ov;: 7711 x ii v:''n equal pirti (f <lrv roil, and fcatU-i 1 h i • ■: "'i th-'; =oii, forking or '•W-,*'™ in. A ii'tie of this » v ',ty, '.•.•■poriale* in flower bed.?. 1': r —Ti t ,' decorative viilup oi sum>.!"r anntta-N ha* iubv r ;i:kl under careful and i!, jh t;} cuj ' .vation th<?y arc nov/ i .' ! • io produce. mnit oitectivc r;:- not only in beds and border* jr. ''-: r n-■ hhoii-<■ and (f)r.v.-p:;!(0» v and tlm".a* an oxerpdinsly low ''iiji i minimum amount of trouble. Ttrj,-''' > re:--f-bar.dm;.' is done in ar.- :<> 111. r oiria!e? of the. winter ::: 'in. T!iv«* cannot fly but crawl ■-'•■in-; oi tin. trvts to lay their «l .'-'re-;, so-proof i::ip'-r. al<o-,lt irol,----: arc tied round the stem? n;.' iv "'the blinds near th" • , "<! V.Horn od, ordinary us!" •. ivi": 1i.0.i ;>p)i!|V thickly to the • means oi a i>ru<d>. The. female rn ihtir iip-.'.'-ird journey stick to t'- r .'ea-e a-', (hoy cannot pint under tlin Kind- o-.viiis to the tits. It is best ty I. ok o '.r the trap- < very day ar.d d;fctroy tli<- iri.vccts caught. HE EES. The oii'i ivai inn of herbs is a wido snbi'ft, nr. 'jiinulfl I say, the knowledge of liieii- various properties, -when grown. i- a wide subject. Perhaps this is bitter, for the actual culture of the plant.- is simple. The profession of herbalist is one in itself, and, although wo gardeners understand something of the properties of the various kinds of herbs, it must, be left lo the man who gives his whole time to the. subject t<> bo tiie authority on the same. Therelore, the following notes are mainly about, the cultivation of the different kinds There can he no doubt that the corner of the garden devoted to the culture of most, herbs is one ot' the most important. It should bo remembered that some kinds are of annual duration, which means thai they must, ho raised from seed each year. Others are biennials, requiring ne.'.rJy a, rear's growth to Irrinir them to perfection, whilst others arc perennials, which will last for years t. jien once established. A simple knowledge of the various kinds is soon aeuiiired through practice, and, as I said "before, their cnlturo is very .simple. Perhaps the best site for herbs is ono I hat faces somewhat to the west. A gentle slopo. to the front is desirable, and in no case must the plant.-; he put iti the shade, for it is onlj' in full sunMiine that they gather to the full their sweet fragrance. The ground should be deeply trenched, and enriched with leaf soil, and the addition of roadscrapings is a good thing, when the land is of a heavv nature. About every I'ourlh year tTie whole bed should he overhauled and manured afresh. I Basil is an annual herb of much value for' flavouring various dishes. Sow- in heat in August, and plant out when frost is past, or sow in the open early nc*t month. Borage is an annual, and is used for flavouring certain wines, and except for litis is not of much value. Seed can he sown now. Chervil is of annual duration, the< leaves being used chiefly for flavouring soups, etc. Sow the seeds now, and at intervals of four weeks; thin the plants out to six inches apart. Chamomile is a perennial, and thus isof eary. culture. Sow seeds in early October, and afterwards put the plants out,-to ono foot apartChives, parsley, and mint, of course, need hardly mentioning here, as they aro-always in demand, and arc always dealt-with in, due ;season,„.... ... • Dill is an anmtal, and is an important herb from the herbalist's standpoint. Sow now, and hhin out to mno inches. Sweet marjoram is ■well known, and is host treated as an annual, t'ho leaves Tioitig gathered and used when young throughout the summer; also, if cut and dried at the end of summer, the leaves can he used for flavouring all the winter. Sow tho seeds at the end of September every year, .and thin tho plants out to nine .incthes. Fob marjoram is a perennial, and,

although not so good as the sweet marjoram, it is widely grown, and used iu the same -way. Sage is one of our most useful herbs, hut the fact is not "widely known th-.it> the plants ran i>e readily raised from seed. Sow the seed in .September, nnd transplant two feet apart, when each will develop into a largo plant. The.-e ace, of course, perennial in character. Cuttings can he inserted in March, and l;y the following spring roots will be emitted. Siiinmer savory should be sown early ill October and thinned out six inches apart. As soon as the flowers show, 1 he stems should be cut and dried, ready for use in winter.

Winter savory is used lor flavouring | various dishes, and as it is a perennial it is more easily grown than the summer variety. Tt can be sown at the same time as its annual relative. One lootshould be allowed from plant to jihint. Taragon is u-cd frequently in large establishments i'or flavouring salads, but is not much called for in our homes generally. It rarely see<l«. but is easily increased by division of the roots in September. Thyme is well known, and after the seedlings have been raised, from seed sown ibis month, transplant them to their permanent quarters when large enough. Both the lemon and common varieties are easily increased by division, and for the former this is the only method. Old plants can bp lifted any time during spring, and the young outer growths, with roots attached can be set out a foot asunder. There are many other herbs grown, | but are only used on rare occasions, bu't from i'iic above list of names it will be seen that there are many more herbs than those commonly grown. No one need think, however, that the whole of the garden will be taken up with them. In a small way, it- is not necessary to 'have more than one or two plants of each, excepting for the more common and generally-used kinds. FLOWERS. Dahlias.—Tubers started in heat some time ago will soon be throwing! up young growths. Ft sometimes happens that the earliest cuttings produced are thick and coarse; these fhouhl bo removed, and thrown away, for it is rarely they root satisfactorily, and still more rarely do they make good plants when rooted. The best cutting i.s about half as thick iis a, load pencil, and should be taken when' about four inches long. Any light, sandy soil will do for a compost. The cuttings will root either in pots or boxes, but a layer of sand should be put on top of the soil before making the holes. Bottom heat is' not absolutely necessary, though dahlias root more quickly when it can be given. As soon as the cuttings arc rooted they should be placed in cooler quarters, to keen them sturdy; a cold framo will answer the purpose so long as there is ample protection front frost. It should be remembered, that when young dahlias become potbonnd the growth becomes hard and -woody, and they arc slow to grow away when put out in their flowering quarters. Sehizanthuses.—'These make very pretty flowering plants in pots for the greenhouse during summer. They are reallv .hardy annuals, and therefore do well in a cold greenhouse. Prick off four plants into a. four-inch j>ot, -when the soil is full of roots shift into a sixinch pot, and finally into an eight-inch pot. They will well repay the trouble. Calceolarias. —The bedding varieties should bo planted out before long, jus they do not do so well if set out in very warm weather. The plants must bo made firm about tho roots. Loose planting is one of tho mistakes amateurs often make with this flower.

With tho advent of milder weather, it will he necessary to harden oft many different kinds of bedding plants, so that they may bo in readiness for planting out after the middle of next month. For the purpose, cold frames should be prepared for the reception of jreraniums,. and so on. Seediings of iialf-liardy annuals ..should bo pricked out into boxes as soon as they are of a sufficient size, as it is always an exceedingly bad policy to allow these to become overcrowded in their seed pans.