IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18185, 23 September 1924, Page 5

IN THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. (spEciiiiT wjurrzx ros "thx raws.") (BY J. T. SINCLAIR.) ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS Reader—You can still sow hardy annual*. All kinds thrive best in soil that is moderately rich in humus, but crude or freah animal manures shoula never bo used for thorn. Sow m every case think. Small seeds must bo eovereo. with'care cot to bury them too deeply. Gladiolus-It is time you put out your bulbs. Plant in well prepared ground. Set them about 4in . deep and G-9in apart, in clumps or in lines whether one or the other method of planting be adopted.

VEGETABLES. Brussels Sprouts.—Mako a sowing of these for supplying an early crop of this vegetable. If the soil is dry, water it well the evening prior to sowing. To obtain sturdy plants, sow thinly and givo plenty of water while the plants aro in tho seed-bed.

Scakalc—This can readily be raised from seed, and when this method is going to be done the seed should be sown at the end of September or early in October. Tho drills should bo about fifteen inches apart. Sow thinly, and thin tho young plants early to six inches apart. Early in the following spring lift tho plants and replant as if the young plants were rooted cuttings, and subsequently treat them in a similar manner to that recommended for cuttings. Ono important point to remember is to cut tho crowns off each plant at the time they are planted, to prevent them running to seed, which they are apt to do if left uncut. New growth will be quickly made. Nitrate of Soda.—The cabbage and cauliflower plants set out in April and May will bo hurried along if given half an ounce of nitrate of soda to each yard. It is not wise, however, to give it to any but tho most advanced plants, as it is prone to mako tho leafage luxuriant at tho expenso of the heart. This manure should only bo applied to growing crops, as it dissolves out quickly, and unless tho plants can mako immediate use of it, it is lost. It can be given every threo weeks. Although not so quick in its action, sulphate of ammonia is much better for land deficient in lime.

FLOWERS, Spraying.—Already tho green fly lias appeared, and will soon become a source of troublo to rose growers. Tho first depredations aro so insidious as to escape notice, and a sharp look-out should bo kept on all tho young shoots. Fortunately, the fly is easily killed, but tho plants must bo frequently sprayed with some insecticide, and there is nothing better and gives as little trouble aa "Blade Leaf 40." This fly is a persistent and elusivo pest. Pansiea and Violas.—To get a long season of blooms, one must plant pansies and violas out early, and also have a suitable site. As regards position, they are not over-fastidious, and we find them doing well in various spots, but there are places they like much better than others. An open position they must have, where the sun shines on them a good part of the day. If something obscures it for three or four hours at the hottest part of the day, so much the better, but the plants do not like the shado altogether. A dry border they abhor, as well as a shallow soil. A cool, moist root-run is what they like. Therefore, a good-bodied soil which has been deeply tilled suits them splendidly. It' you want. to improve on tho natural soil, add some good fibrous loam and plenty of leaf mould. Tho latter they like, as the fine Toots can get about amongst'it easily. Short manure can be used instead, but this must be well decayed. In planting, it is well to bear in mind that yon can only get the best results by having a mass of flowers. Individual plants do not show up to advantage. In the samo way, a lino of plants' docs not look satisfactory if the plants arc placed too Avide apart. Whether in beds or in a line, place them so that they will meet quickly, and thus give a mass of bloom. About eight inches apart is a fair distance for plants in a line, and ten inches in the beds. If the plants do well they will soon cover every inch of ground between. There is another point in favour, of close planting, and that is that it provents excessive evaporation about the roots. If the surface ground is covered by growth, the soil is kept more moist, and this has a great deal to do with the success of the plants. Soils for Potting.—The season for potting is with us again, and owners of greenhouses will be busy potting the various occupants that need nciv soil or larger pots, and there are the numberless seedlings being raised for pot culture which will soon be occupying pots. Owners of foliage plants in room 3, too, will presently be thinking of giving their plants new soil to support the season's growth. All this activity suggests a few remarks on potting soils and the making of composts. The staple soil for most plants is loam. Loam is the top layer of soil from pasture paddocks or roadsides. It shonld contain the roots of grasses, and ought to be stacked some time to mellow and kill the grass. Loam can be dug up with a spade, forcing this under the turf at a depth of about three inches.

Loams arc variously differentiated as "sandy" loam, when there is an excess of sand—such fall to pieces freely, and arc soon exhausted; "fibrous" or "turfy" loam is very full of grass roots and holds together well, and can be to a good thickness; "clayey" loam is from hqavv soilj has less fibre, should not be pared" too deeply, and will need a liberal addition of sand or leaf-mould to lighten-it; "yellow" loam is best, and can only be got from certain loeah-' ties; it is yellow in colour, silky to the touch, and" full of fibre. Leaf-mould is the next useful ingredient. This is composed of the semidecayed leaves of trees, and is usually formed by sweeping up and storing fallen leaves in the autumn. Peat, except in boggy districts, must be bought. It is composed of tho dead roots and leaves of ferns, mosses, and other moisture-loving plants. It. is used chiefly for ferns, orchids, heaths, and azaleas, but (except for most orchids) can be substituted by good, leaf-mould for the popular varieties of the plants named. Rand should be fairly coarse. Clean road grit or river sand is excellent. Silver sand (eoarse) is the kind often used by horticulturists, and can be bought. Rca sand, if well washed, to get rid of saline matter, is a substitute, but is rcallv too fine. _ Dec-ived manure, say from a year-old hotbed" is an excellent material; cakes of drv cow manure from paddocks, rubbed through a coarse sieve and kept drv are also excellent. Horse-droppings stored for a time and then sifted may also be used. A little of these materials adds food to the soil m which strong-growing plants arc potted. A cood general compost would consist ot three-parts loam, one part each decayed

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manure, leaf-mould, and sand. Failing decayed manure, use double the quantity of leaf-mould and add a little artificial fertiliser. For seedlings 110 manure should be used. For ferns use two parts peat or le-af-mould and one part each loam and sand; or equal parts loam and leaf-mould; with a good dash of sand.