IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18547, 24 November 1925, Page 5

IN THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

(SFICULLT WHITE* J-O* 'THE FUSS.") (By J. T. Sikcljjs.) VEGETABLES. Asparagus.— The beds have now been in full bearing for a considerable time, and, generally speaking, cutting should be discontinued the last week of November. If the stalks arc removed later next year's crop may be weakened. The beds should be hand-weeded as often- as necessary, and given good soakings of liquid manure, made from farmyard manure. For (he next fewmonths an application of nitrate of soda, salt, superphosphates, and soot ••an be given once a fortnight, and well watered in; this will promote free growth and good crowns. Ilunner Beans.—A succesaional sowing can bo put in now, and the plants can be kept dwarf by picking off the leaders when they commence to run. By doing so the drills can be drawn out about two feet six inches apart, which will economise space, and a nice lot of pods will he had without the trouble of staking. Seakale.—The plants from which the blanching material was removed some weeks a.go will now be throwing out shoots, which must be thinned out, leaving one or at the most two on each crown. This will ensure good heads by autumn, and a stout crop of kale next season. A sprinkling of salt in showery weather in summer will encourage the growth and health of the plants, and two or three light dressings of nitrate of soda, also applied, if possihle, before a shower, will form a further stimulant.

Top-dressing Cucumbers. —First of all remove any weeds which may be growing in the bed, and then give a thorough soaking of clear water. Do not attempt to stir the surface soil, or you will damage the tender roots. There is no harm done in rubbing the hand over it, however, and thus removing lumps of soil, which may have become rather sour. The bed will now be ready to receive a new coating of soil, which can consist of loam, with a little leaf soil and well-decayed manure rubbed through a sieve. It is neither desirable nor necessary to add a great thickness of top-dressing. A layer about an inch in' thickness is quite sufficient, and will carry the plants forward for about a fortnight. Onions. —The final thinning of the Bpring-sown lot should take place before long. From three to six inches, according to the size of bulb required, can be allowed between the plants. It is a mistake to leave the thinning until the plants attain a good size, as the drawing out of the superfluous ones tends to loosen the ones left; this is caused by the roots being entangled. It will thus be seen that the earlier the work is undertaken, the less root disturbance there is. Ground for Sprouts.—With the exception of celery there is probably no vegetable so hard to grow successfully as sprouts. . One of the main causes of failure is in the preparation of the ground. A good place for amateurs to plant them is in a piece of ground where early peas were grown. This should not be manured, but simply turned over and-trodden down firmly, and' it will be in good condition for the plants in a week or two. • Loose .land recently manured is not a good place for sprouts.

FRUIT. Gooseberries and Bed Currants. —The points of these can be pinched out, and where the growths are too thickly placed a few may be entirely removed. The side growths can bo pinched back to four or five leaves, but, unless weak, the leaders can-be allowed to grow. Red and white currants planted in a position where they get a good amount of wind can have the leaders stopped when these are about a foot long. This [will to a great extent prevent them from. getting bent or broken. The pinching or summer pruning of fruit bushes not only makes them more productive and keeps them in better shape, but it improves the weight and quality of the fruit they are at present carrying; and the reason it makes them more productive is that it allows light and air-to get easily to all parts of the bushes, When the growth is dense the wood never gets properly ripened. 'FLOWERS. ( Carnations. —If good flowers arc desired, a little disbudding should be done. This need not necessarily be severe unless exhibition blooms are aimed at. To help tho plants and increase the size of the flowers and improve the colour, weak doses of soot water can be given once a week if the weather be dry. Perennials from Seed.—Pew questions are of greater importance to horticulturists than the adaptation of the plants to the soil, and the means by which certain soils can be so ameliorated as to render them suitable for plants that in the ordinary course grow the most satisfactorily in soils differing in the nature of the constituents available as plant food. Perennials are easily grown from seed, and are also easily suited in the matter of soil. By experience the gardener will find that the likes and dislikes of plants differ, and that plants which do well in one kind of soil in one district may not do so well in similar soil in another district. But, speaking generallv, the perennials and biennials will fgrow nicely anywhere save in foul air and foul soil, if we givo them a foot depth or more of well-dug 'ground to root iii, and three or four hours' sun daily in summer. With perennials we couple the biennials; plants whose seed we sow one year for blooming the next, and generally throw

away after a single season's flower, although some of the biennials are practically perennial in habit, and Borne of the perennials can be treated successfully as half-hardy annuals— that is to say, sown early in heat and brought inu> bloom in the late summer or autumn of the sane year. For outdoor sowing. Hie seed-bed. if there is any choice, should be rather shady than sunny, and a layer of old stable manure or leaf soil or hop iranure, a few inches, below the fine surface, well soaked with water before the seeds arc sown, will help the germination, and keep the roots moist, and facilitate transplanting. Among other plants that can be sown at the present time arp : —Anclius.l, alyssum, nra-bis, aquilegia, calliopsis Drummondii, delphinium, gaillardia. hollyhock, lupin, pvrethrum, polyanthus, primrose, Sweet. William, viola and pansy. Of course. Ihere arc many more seeds than can be found in r. first-class seed catalogue, am! one C3n extend or shorten this susgegted collection as one feels inclined 7'rotect the seed and seedlings frnm birds and slugs, and do not allow th? bed to get dust-dry; on the other band, do not continually damp the surface with the watering-can. I'se a fine rose when watering overhead: keep Ihe bed free from weeds, and thin Hie seedlings generously when they are far enough advanced to be conveniently handled; also keep the surface open and friable.

Cyclamen.—lt is a good plan to plant out the old tubers, which are being retained for flowering another season, in a border facing south. The old soil can be shaken away, and the decayed roots cut back, and the tubers so planted that their crowns arc just above the surface of the soil. Water can be given sparingly, but must never be withheld entirely, or undue 'shrinkage may take place. A good deal of leaf soil can be incorporated in the border. THE SCHOOL GARDEN. (SPECIALLY wbitten JOB "TBI PMSS."J The injury arising from the four months' neglect during the epidemic is still in evidence at a number of school gardens. Twitch and sorrel got a good hold. There is an idea prevalent among country teachers, lady teachers in particular, that country boys and girls know how to do gardening. As a matter of fact they know considerably less in the majority of cases than the average town child. Very few of either class know how to clean ground after being overrun by twitch or sorrel, and not injure the plants under cultivation. Pupils must be taught how to deal with these weeds. They should know that every section formed by cutting.their underground roots produces a new plant, so that digging them over is worse than useless. 'lhe fork is the best implement. The soil must be loosened, and the roots removed by hand.

! If twitch shows up on paths, as it I has in a number of cases, there should be no hesitation whatever in forking it [ out —hoeing is worse than useless, a mere treadmill business. Several schools have been visited recently clean i from corner to corner, others again under similar conditions were not what they should be. Lack of oversight or organisation is the main cause of this latter condition. At one particular school the large garden is kept like a drawing room. In addition to a plot for every two pupils, every two had a certain section of the ornamental border to keep clean, while others were responsible for the condition of the general nursery and experimental plots. A strip mbout 2ft wide is cultivated along the outside of the fence. This is a good plan—it adds a finish to the garden, keeps grass and other weeds from growing up through the netting, and scattering seeds over the border. Regular oversight helps greatly in getting pupils to do their work thoroughly. One successful teacher examines plots and allots roapks at regular intervals, and metes out similar treatment /o careless gardeners as is given for c/reless exercise book work. Another whose garden" really is a pleasure to look at certainly gives a little more than the usual hour per week, but that only as a reward to pupils showing extra diligence m arithmetic, spelling, etci Admittedly the garden has in a number of eases got out of hand. The prime cause, however, has heen rigid adherence to the time-table. There is no necessity for this. No inspector will find fault with a teacher taking an,hour on say Monday, in lieu of the one lost on the previous Friday on account of the weather.