IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 19400, 28 August 1928, Page 5

IN THE GARDEN.

■ ♦ . . WORK FOR THE WEEK. (BPXCULLT WBITTWr JOB THE PSEBB.)

(BT J. T. SIXCLAIH.)

I VEGETABLES. Parsnips—Everyone who has Bpace i for a row or two should feel it his duty to sow this vegetable, for it is one of the heaviest and moat profitable of root cropß. It is very nourishing, easily cooked, not at all difficult to grow, a splendid keeper, and an infallible winter stand-by. The parsnip wants a long period of growth, hence the sooner it is sown the better. It likes best a deep, full, sandy loam, and if this has been prepared during winter so much the better.- Stable manure it must not have, nor, indeed, any animal manure that is not thoroughly decayed and placed deep m the soil. Choose an occasion when the soil is nice and dry, and make drills at least a foot apart and about an inch deep. In these drop two or three seeds at intervals of from nine to twelve inches, cover lightly, and finish off by lightly raking the bed over. After-treatment merely consists of gradually thinning the plants until.a seedling is left about every nine inches or so, of keeping down weeds, and the surface soil well broken up. Old roots now in the ground should be lifted and stored in some position on which the sun does not shine. Some covering should be put on to prevent undue shrivelling. Early Celery—This vegetable is so useful for soups and flavouring and so palatable ' either cooked as a vegetable or -used as a salad, that it is always worth while prolonging its season as much as possible. Therefore some seeds should be sown at once. Sow thinly in shallow boxes filled with finelysifted soil. Place the boxes on a shelf in the greenhouse.

Tomatoes—These can safely be planted out in cool houses provided the roof is in a fair state of repair. The plants should be grown on freely and sturdily. A check of any kind retards these plants considerably, so ventilation should be given cautiously. Chives—These are a' fine substitute for young onion tops, and.are used for flavouring soups and other dishes. Considering how useful they are, it is surprising they are not grown more extensively than they are at present. They are one of the few vegetables of the "cut-and-come-again" kind. Being so compact in habit, they make an excellent edging along a path." Plant in small.tufts a few inches apart. Onions—The thinnings of onions sown in autumn can be planted out in rows a foot apart, and six inches ■ )r more from plant to plant. It is a wise thing to plant a few every spring in case the seed of the spring-sown lot does not come up very well.

FRUIT. Strawberries—Now that the sun is beginning to raise the temperature of the earth, it is favourable for making the effort to increase the number of berries per plant. In these horticulturallyenlightened days gardeners know that a blanket of manure during the winter months does not keep the plants warm, but by excluding air and winter sunshine keeps the ground colder and wetter. Strawberries ought to be given -their annual meal this month. Their fruit will later need to be ' guarded against soil-splashing, owing to a very heayy rain. These two purposes can best,be served'through present mulching with strawy dung. Rains will wash the food in the dung to the roots, whilst the" straw remaining will keep the ripening and drooping berries in a cleanly condition. If you cannot obtain strawy dung, any complete fertiliser will serve to feed the plants. Old soot is a complete and cheap food, and a, good colouring of the soil is sufficient. Fresh soot touching the green stems will burn them. A layer of cow dung 1 or pig manure could be employed on light soils, and they are complete manures. A sprinkling of poultry manure is a fine food, especially upon a heavy soil containing some lime, and so lightening the ground. FLOWERS. The Greenhouse —A class of plants that will need attention in the way of getting them started into growth are the oosmeas, the tuberous begonias, dahlias, and gloxinias. If these plants are started in the course of the next few weeks they can be brought along in only a moderate temperature, thus saving them from the weakening effect of. forcing. In regard to dahlias, it may be necessary to take cuttings for increase of stock, and in this case they may be placed at once in wooden boxes filled with leaf mould and fine soil. They should be put as closely.together as possible to economise space and the boxes .placed in a heated greenhouse or hotbed. As soon as growths appear of two or three inches in length they may be used as cuttines for insertion in small pots, which should be placed in the propagating frame until roots are formed. Many summer flowering plants, such as fuchsias, zonal and ivy-leafed geraniums, marguerites, and so on, should now be pruned back more or les3 severely'to induce them to. break dormant buds and start afresh in improved form. Cut all pretty well back to points showing well-matured growth. The prunings of geraniums,' marguerites, heliotrope, and ageratum may be turned to use —cuttings to increase stock if necessary- With the exception of the geraniums the cuttings should ba kept fairly close until roots are emhV tea. ~. . . | ' Half-hardy bedding plants, such as asters, may be sown in pots, seed-pans, or boxes. The soil must not be too rich but be well sifted, and the seed sown carefully, distributing the whole evenly over the soil surface. A golden rule with indoor seeds is. to cover only to the depth of the seed itself, and this with the finest soil. Thus it means that the more minute seeds will-not be covered at all, but they will, bury themselves sufficiently in the soil. This is the case with lobelia, begonias, etc. Until the seedlings appear the soil should be kept dark by means of a sheet of glass covered with brown paper. . ~ c The Lawn—Before the season of heavy rains has passed the lawn should be fed. One cannot prick the fertiliser into turf, nor always afford the cost of a soil-dressing to protect it from waste owing to a powerful sunshine drawing out iome of its strength ..before the goodness has been washed m. lnougn a new turf may jive for some years upon the nourishment already m the ground and show little visible signs of neglect, the time will ™ m l wh *??. grass will suddenly go out of condition, and then extra generous feeding; is imperative. In the long run nothing is saved in money, and there is the inevitable interval of the lawn out of condition. No amount of rolling ana mowing and watering will make up tor inadequate feeding. ?ovr ounce? ,ot basic slag per square yard can be given on heavy soil and 2oz superphosphates on light soil. Where moss is in thgrass 2oz of lime ner ! square vard can be scattered on. Sdpbate of ammonra and nitrate of soda are good grass producers and can be given at the rate of loz per square yard.