IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18635, 9 March 1926, Page 6

IN THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. (SPECIALLS WSITTES FOS "THE PBESS-") K (By J. T. Sixclaib.) ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. §&?,?e3§s§ ia the root e ;> 0 S n n a ve been rroa g ht nd u y nde° by ploughing fafTupin. manured with basic Annual lupins or P««J" B \, "£,? * e v but the latter are the l %^\^. for another six weeks yet, unless you h°.V?he Services of. a cold cuttings can be put m m May. To pre vent the grubs of the codlm moth and leaf roller attacking apples the trees should be sprayed with "senate of lead vrhei. the petals have fallen, "f"! operation repeated every few necks or go. SHS—Do not cut your raspberry canes 1.71 til sarins In the meantime tie them berry plants are doing we 11 when tie canes grow as yours seem to be doing. VEGETABLES. Celery.—A little more soil can be added to the earliest batch. It is not such a check to the plants while they are in full growth as when a lot of soil is put in at one time. Examine iho plots carefully for greenfly, as this pest is attacking some of the hearts. A good spraying with some approved insecticide will stop its career Be sure the soil about the roots is moist before putting any soil around the plants; also be sure tho foliage is dry. . Lettuce—A sowing of this to stand the winter should be put in some warm, sheltered border. A position facing north and sheltered from the east and south-west is suitable, a fine tilth and sow thinly m shallow drills. The black-seeded all-the-year-round is one of the hardiest sorts. Late Peas.—lt is always more or less a struggle to get late peas to yield good crops, and one 'of the reasons that the pods are badly filled is that the plants are often attacked by mildew. The affected foliage should be given a dusting of sulphur and the roots a good watering with some stimulant. The result of such treatment is often heavier crops. Beetroot.—The roots of the turniprooted kinds, especially where the seed was sown early, will now be quite large enough to lift. When this type of beet is left too long in the ground it becomes practically worthless, as the colour becomes pale and the flavour inferior. A cool, dry place is best in which to store them, and air should >be excluded either by means of dry sand or straw. When left exposed to the atmosphere for any length of time shrivelling takes place and the roots become stringy, colourless, and flavourless. FRUIT. Vines. —The fruit of some varieties, such as. Black Hamburg and Mrs Prince's Black Muscat, soon lose colour when ripe, especially if a high temperature '' is maintained, or the bunches be unduly exposed to sunlight. It is a simple matter to keep the temperature lower by the judicious use of the ventilators, and shading can be given either by placing paper oyer each bunch or "spraying some kiiid of whitewash over the glass. As long as the outside atmosphere is not charged with moisture no harm will come to the berries if the glass falls to 45deg, but when the weather is damp and foggy the ventilators should not be opened very widely, or mildew may show on the leaves and . decay set in.among the berries. The air in the vinery should be kept dry and moving when it oan be managed. FLOWERS. Annuals.—lt is necessary to remind garden owners that there is no good reason for leaving annuals growing when they are past their time of beauty. In the ..ordinary course of natural growth annuals before they die sow their own seeds in the autumn, on the surface, of the ground. These seeds are lightly covered over by Nature, with drifts of dry earth or fallen leaves. They germinate during autumn and winter, and show a growth of sturdy vigour not often attained when we sow the seeds in spring. This being so it follows that if we desire an early display of annuals we should sow now where the plants are to bloom. When autumn sowing is adopted the seed should be sown vera thinly in shallow drills, on a suitable seed-bed. Thinning of the seedlings should be attended to as soon as ever they can be handled. They should never be allowed to.grow together so closely that they touch each other. Light and air all round induce sturdy growth. Fallen leaves have a nasty habit of collecting around plants of all kinds, and should be removed as they are always a harbour for slugs and other vermin. The following are a few useful kinds to sow now:—Sweet Alyssum, godetias in variety, candytuft, larkspur, Virginia stock, nemophila, limmanthes, visearia, linaria, soponaria, erysimum; and Shirley poppy. Chrysanthemums.—lf plants intended to carry lar~e blooms are doing well the buds will all be secured by now;, and the peduncle will be lengthening somewhat; when this is the case some stimulant can be given with safety, but before giving sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda, the grower should be sure the pots are full of roots. The best way for amateurs to apply either of theso isf to dissolve one tablespoon- > ful in four gallons of liquid manure, and apply it to the plants once a week. Needless to say, the Miquid manure with which the sulphate or nitrate is mixed should bo weak. If this is followed out, the alteration in the colour of the leaves after its application can be quickly discerned if they were pale before. Never sprinkle either of these salts on the surface of soil in pots, or the roots will be burnt. A plentiful supply of surface roots is a sure sign that the plants are doing well. From now on soot water should also be used carefully; it is far safer to use it weak and often. Lawns.—When laying down a- lawn in the autumn it is a good plan to do the preparatory work of digging and levelling early, so that the seeds of annual weeds will have time to germinate, so that they can be destroyed with the Dutch hoe. The work, however, cannot always be done early, and if a lawn has to be made this season, it should bo done now, without delay, to give the young grass a chance to be well established before severe frosts come. Before the seed, which must be sown thickly, and evenly distributed, is sown, the ground should be 'made perfectly level and well trodden and brought to a fine tilth. Always choose | a calm day when sowing lawn seed.