IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19258, 13 March 1928, Page 7

IN THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. (SrECULLT WP.ITTEK TOR TH« PRZSB./ (By J. T. Sinclair.) ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. Belladonna.— (1J The proper time to plant the belladonna lily is in March and April You planted yours in the wrong season. (2) I£ tne bulbs work up out of the soil they should be lifted and planted six inches deep, and from six to eight inches apart. To get the plants to do v.-el. tney should be fret in a light, deep, rich, . sandy loam. A sheltered position lacing north is the best site.

VEGETABLES. Celery.—lf » ot already done tlie early batcli of celery should be earthed up, but the final earthing of late sorts should not take place for another six weeks. The plants will grow much yet if we get a favourable autumn, and a final earthing up would have a tendency to stop this labor growth. In dry weather ttio plants will respond to ln*ral waterings with liquid manure once a weeii. it a little salt _ is added to the manure water it will impatt a "nutty'' flavour. Leans—Kunner and dwarf beans are often neglected at this time of the vear. fto .abundantly do they crop that one gets a little tired of them, and so the pods are left to hang on the plants. This is a mistake, for seed is formed and the plants stop bearing. If you have no means of disposing of the' surplus beans, pull them oft and salt them down for winter Whether vou salt them or not, still pull them off, and the plants will go on bearing until cut down by frost. Leeks.—These should lie kept well earthed up, or there will not be much edible portion. The final earthing up of plants in trenches should not, of course, be given yet, but if the soil (or paper collars) be added as growth proceeds, the edible portion will be much longer than if the plants are allowed to make their full growth before being-earthed up at all. Current Work.—The principal work of the month in the vegetable garden consists of harvesting onions and potatoes. There are, however, s«veralsowings to be made, such as cabbage and cauliflower on a warm border outdoors and in a cold frame towards the end of the month. A sowing of lettuce for a spring supply should also be made. In lifting potatoes keep a sharp lookout for those attacked by disease and remove and burn any foliage found to 1)6 diseased. Young spinach and turnips should be thinned out as soon as they can be handled conveniently. Lettuce thinnings can be transplanted if a large supply is in demand,_ but plenty of water must be given until the roots take to the new soil. As asparagus will soon finish its growth for the season, a final watering with nitrate of soda can be applied; the effects of this will riot show on the top, but it will strengthen the crowns considerably and cause them to give a better return next season.

FRUIT. Fruit-Gathering.—lt is not too much to say that many tons of fruit are spoilt annually through being left on the trees too long; indeed in many cases amateurs leave it on until it drops in the natural way. Many tons are also lost through being gathered before they are ripe, and consequently their keeping qualities are much impaired. It is not too much to say that late varieties of apples and pears should lie as fresh, or nearly so, in late winter as they are to-day. When one of these apples, or a pear, is gathered at the proper time it has gathered into, itself all the properties it needs; and thereafter remains in a dormant condition. When, however, it becomes overripe, and falls from the tree, the place where it received the bruise in falling opens up a way for disease, and its life thereafter is a short one. On the other hand,' if it is gathered before it is ripe, it shrinks up until it is scarcely fit for use. There iB no set time when to gather. • Much depends upon the season and the position and condition of the trees. Therefore the exact time for gathering the different kinds must, be left in the growers' hands.. There are, however, certain indications of ripeness which even the inexperienced may notice.

When the fruit on a certain tree approaches ripeness, an odd one here and there will fall to the ground. This may be due to disease, or insect pest, and the fruit should be examined, and cut open. If it is a perfectly sound fruit and has not been blown down or fallen through disease or insects, then one can take it for granted that the fruit on the tree is near a- condition for gathering. A further test should be given, and this is done by lifting a few fruits here and there on the tree, into an upright position. If this movement parts the fruit, from its branch, then it is ripe. But if a portion of the branch comes away with- the fruit, then it is not ripe, and should be left for a time. Whether the fruit is going to be stored on shelves or in cases, great care should be exercised so that none of it is damaged in handling, or decay will set in and sound fruit next the damaged will start to decay also.

1 FLOWERS. Chrysanthemums. —By the end of this month plants which are to make a display in May should be housed, so that it will be well now to think where they are to go. Often the question of finding room for the pots is a difficulty, but they should never be overcrowded, for a few good plants will be better than a number of indifferent ones. Before the pots are taken indoors the weeds should be removed from the surface ,of the soil, and if there are any signs of mildew the under sides of the leaves must be dusted with flowers of sulphur. Any brown and decaying leaves should be carefully picked off. The house should be dry, and plenty of ventilatipn day and night must be given the plants for some weeks to come. If the plants are to remain out of doors a light piece of canvas erected over them will often be sufficient to protect the blossoms from early frosts, and these plants can be cut from freely for table decoration.

The Greenhouse. —So long as the weather remains mild, keep the greenhouse well ventilated, but be careful to exclude cold draughts, and prevent sudden falls in temperature. If climbers of any kind are growing on the roof they should be thinned so that they may not exclude light unduly from plants on the stage. If they are at all infested with insects or mildew let them be thoroughly cleaned with one or other of the many insecticides and fungicides, now so numerous to choose from. The most effective way to accomplish this is to clear the stage of plants under the climber to be dealt with, then unfix the latter from the roof, and bring it to the floor, where, after cutting away superfluous shoots, which should be "burned immediately if infested with any pest, it can then be more conveniently dealt with. Lawns. —New lawns can be sown down this month. The ground should be made perfectly level, trodden firmly, and well raked to a fine tilth. It is well to be generous with the seed, in order to get a good sward. Choose a calm dav for sowing, lightly rake the seed in," and finally roll with a moderately heaw roller. * A little dry red lead mixed with the seed will keep the birds off.