IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18013, 4 March 1924, Page 11

IN THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. (JPZCILLLr WEITTEK JOB "THJ MESS.") (BY J. T. SINCLAIR.) ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS Trader.—To find the aize of the greenhousa in cubic feet for fumigation purposes, ?ieasure tho roof, half-way down ihe s'ope—to the ground. Multiply this by the hreadth, and then again by the length of tho house. The total -will be the number of cubic feet contained in tho house.

VEGETABLES. The heat and drought in most parts of the country will, I fear, have crippled the growth of tho late planted brassicas, as I notice in many gardens that savoys and broccoli that were at all late hare been infested 'with, the caterpillar of the diamond back moth ami made poor progress. "What can be done to assist growth? I would strongly ndvise 6praying with an insecticide that will dislodge the caterpillars. At the sani3 time care must be taken that tho mixture used is not too strong. Quassia is a splendid aid. Hot water is another splendid thing ; this should be on the under and upper sides of the foliage, but should not be used hotter than 125deg. I fear in many gardens a large percentage of green stuff is totally destroyed, and in many cases ifc is useless to attempt cleaning them. They can bo pulled up and burned. The ashes will bo useful.

Roots, in many cases, hare also suffered badly, but less than one would expect where the plants have had good culture in the shape of deep digging, trenching and frequent hoeing. The summer of 1923-24 will prove an object lesson in this respect, as the progress of the plants where the roots could go down freely to get sustenance has been very marked. Early beetroot will now be much better lifted and stored, as to leave it longer means loss of colour. Of course, this refers to the shallowrooted globe section. Tho roots will keep well'in a cool store. Failing this bury the roots under a south fence or wall.

To make up for th« failure of tho brassicas, even now one may plant goodly-sized seedlinas of leeks. These soon make headway, and although they do not approach in size those planted six weeks ago. they coine in useful in late spring. Plant in drills which are well watered before setting out the plnnta, and well water again when planting is finished, and supply moisture afterwards when it is needed.

FLOWERS. Bedding Plants. —This is the best timo to propagate many kinds of Bedding plants, such as geraniums, zonal and ring-leaved, and subjects such as heliotrope, ageratum, fibrous-root-ed begonias and marguerites for stock. These cuttings can be cut off without disfiguring the parent plants. The geraniums root readily if inserted in sandy soil in a prepared bed out of doors. They must, of course, be lifted afterwards and potted up or set in boxes and placed in the greenhouse for protection against damp and winter frost. All other bedding plants raised from cuttings now are best put in boxes straight away. Bulbs for the Greenhouse.—There are several charming flowering bulbs and other things which, if potted now, will help to brighten the greenhouse up in the dull months of the year •without any trouble or expense in the matter of forcing. .They are all plants of simple cultural and obtainable at small cost. Freesias are probably the most sought after, but these, to be made flower early, should have been potted up in January. Next to them the narcissi are the most popular, and there are iris, reticulata, hyacinths, tulips, gladioli, The Bride, Spanish irises, and the Lackenalias. In addition to the above there are a host of other subjects, such as crocuses, scillas, lily of the valley and chionodoxas. A good general compost for potting consists of loam, three parts; decayed manure, one part; leaf mould and sand, half a part each. Mix together thoroughly. Give plenty of drainage and put a-s much of the compost in the pots as will allow the apices of the bulbs to be level with the rim of the pots. Put the bulbs into position, fill in with soil, then press in firmly with the fingers. Do not press the soil firm before placing the bulbs in position or the downward progress of the roots will tend to raise the bulb from its place. With the exception of the daffodils—yet these can get the same treatment — the pots must be in the dark. They can be placed in sifted ashes, and. be completely covered with the same to the depth of a few inches to keep the moisture and the temperature uniform. To avoid damage to the spikes of hyacinths, inverted flower pots should be placed over the ones containing the bulbs before the covering is nut on. In about eight weeks growth will be started, so an examination should be mad© when that time has elapsed,, and any plants well started should be removed to the greenhouse or room window, and the usual treatment given to pot plants afforded them. Bulbs can also be grown in fancy bowls in a specially prepared fibre. The bowls do not need drainage holes as are usual in flower pots, but in orde'r to keep' the fibre always fresh it is well to place some pieces of charcoal at the bottom of the bowls. After covering the charcoal thoroughly with fibre the bulbs should be placed in position, and it is usual to place the bulbs so that their crowns are level with the top of the bpwl. The bulbs should be so spaced as to permit of a small quantity of fibre being placed around them. As soon as planted they should be placed in a dark, cool place, and not exposed to the light until numerous roots have formed, after which the bowls can be brought out and placed in light. It can be taken for granted that bulbs planted in fibre must be carefully watered and a good method of watering the bowls when the fibre appears to be dry is to dip them in a pail of water and then place them on their sides 60 as to let the surplus moisture escape. Regal Pelargoniums.—When plants of this that were cut back have made new growths about an inch long, turn out the plants from their present pots and reduce the ball of soil about their roots so as to enable the plants to he repotted into pots a size or two smaller than they formerly occupied. After they are repotted stand them in a cold frame and do not overwater. When the new growths are three or four inches long put them into their final pots.