IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18150, 13 August 1924, Page 14

IN THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. (SPECIMiY WBITTKW K>B "THE PBXEB.") (BY J. T. SINCLAIR.) ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS Geranium.—lf you arc short of piants, take off the tops of the cuttm-rs when were struck in autumn, where they will allow, and again strike as outtmgs. Do not do this, however, at the time of repotting; a week before or a week after this operation will be all right. X, h —You can safelv put the split carrots in the refuse heap. They do not breed wipe-worms, but attract them. If you put plenty of s OOI witn the earrotß tne wire-worms will not touch them. VEGETABLES. "We know there is a great temptation to get busy with seed-sowing when there is a spell of fine weather for a few days, but we would advise our readers to "hasten slowly" for a week or so yet. Still, if one has a warm border a small sowing of radish, lettuce, spinach, and early carrots can be put in. As stated last week, peas and beans can be sown in quantity, although it is yet too early to sow for Christmas supplies. Cabbage and cauliflower can be set out, and will be fit to use before we get much cabbage aphis and diamond moth. A sueccssional sowing should be put in. Everything which sends up a large seed leaf will be better if afforded some protection from birds. These creatures have a nasty habit of pulling up seedlings of lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, and radish, and in some districts play havoc with peas by eating the tender foliage. Wire guards are the best preventatives, but black cotton stretchalong the rows answers well. FLOWEKS.

Sowing Seed Indoors.—The object of this note is to help those who delight in raising their own plants from seed. In so short a note we can only lay down a few general principles on this work. In the first place, get good seed. An extra few coppers spent on a packet of Bced- is good economy, provided the germinative power of the seed is high. We know what the trouble is: you are tired of giving a high price for seed and then losing it all; for, unfortunately, it makes no difference whether we give three pence or thirty if the treatment is wrong. When the treatment is right, however, you will find it a distinct advantage to use the best seed. A very small quaiitity of each kind will suffice for a small garden or greenhouse, therefore you are not always obliged to purchase a full packet. The right kind of soil is rarely used by amateurs, and it is partly on this account that so many failures occur. The general idea is that the soil in which seeds are sown should be such as 'to provide food for the growing, plants. This is only partly right. The seedling plants certainly do require food, but very, very little, and abundance of it is found in a small portion of :soil. On the other hand, the purpose of the compost is to provide a proper .medium for the successful germination of the seed, and this is what should be kept first and foremost in mind. The' "food" will take care of itself, and can be given a little later, for no seedlings should stay in the seed boxes after they are making their true leaves. A good compost is made up of one part fibrous loam, one part leaf-soil; a. little soot, and plenty of sand. Mix this well together and pass through a fine riddle. This will do for most seed sown indoors. Placed in proper conditions the seeds will germinate without soil,' but without soil the seedlings fail to grow after germination, and this is the reason why we supply it. Now let us, consider the temperature. This depends somewhat upon the character of the plants from which the seeds are taken. If from a hardy plant, then the seed will gerni nate under more or less hardy conditions, but if of a more tender nature, then a higher temperature is needed. As a matter of fact, germination will take place between 40 and 75 degrees, according to the nature of the subject. Mind you, a medium temperature will do for att. The hardier kinds will germinate more quickly, whilst, the more tender will come on slower. Thus, if vou keep the temperature somewhere about 50 to 55 degrees for all ordinary greenhouse and outdoor subjects, you will not be far off the mark.

If placed in a cold, wet soil, and kept there, many of the tender seeds perish, whilst if put in too\high a tempcratur-3 the growth put forth is shrivelled up by the excess of warmth. Now, consider the question of moisture. , Perhaps this is one of the most difficult of all to arrange for. Probably the most common mistake is to bow in too dry a compost. This necessitates the application of water at a time when it is dangerous to do so. Always allow plenty of drainage in the seed pans, pots, or. boxes, and make the soil moderately firm and perfectly level. If the soil is dry, it is better to water it well several hours before sowing the seeds; pots and pans can bo held up to the rim in a vessel of water, thus letting the water rise from the bdt- | torn; the surplus moisture should then be allowed to drain away. . Sow the seeds carefully, distributing the whole evenly over the surface. Do not cover them deeply: a golden rule with indoor seed is to cover only the depth of seed itself, and this with the | finest soil. ' \ Cover with, glass, and shade. with i paper from sunshine, ■, and directly the seeds have germinated remove the shading and glass, gradually muring the tiny plants to air and sunshine. Avoid draughts and extremes of any I. Pruning Hoses.—From the middle of this month, to the first week.in next month is the best time to prune rosea. In mild, sheltered gardens the earlier I date may be chosen; in cold, exposed I places the beginning of next month will : do Late pruning does not always mean Tate blooms, for the growth extends [with surprising rapidity if it is unchecked; Tvhereas the early growth has often a "set-back," or the flower buds are so damaged as to open badly and slowly. Roses trained on walls and fences are more sheltered than those in the open, and can be dealt with first. In this case one cannot do better than select the best wood according to the space available, taking care not to overcrowd or tie too tightly. In the case of long maiden rods, it is well to fix these in as horizontal a position as circumstances will allow, always trying to keep tho base of the plants as full as possible. All roses the first time after planting should be pruned rather severely,- so that the foundation of the plant i 8 established. Always use a sharp knife or secateurs, and cut to a bud with an outward tendency, and cut away close above it. Never leave a snag, as these tend to die back and encourage pests. All dead and exhausted shoots should :fce cut away entirely. Late produced, unripe shoots are also useless, as they are generally full of pith. All thin, twiggy growth should also be cut away. Always bear in mind when surveying a rose tree and deciding how it shall be (Continued $t foot of next column.)