IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20420, 15 December 1931, Page 4

IN THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. (sricuia-r writtin job the press.) [By J. T. Sinclair.J ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS F.W.H. —The dry weather, together with chills from snow, frost, and hail, is responsible for the somewhat tender varieties of apples, such as Cox's Orange and Delicious, shedding their fruit. There is not a great deal of difference between the seeds produced by the central and side flower stalks, of parsnips. The former usually gives the better quality. Tomato —Your tomato plants have a touch of blight (Cladosporium fulvum). Spray them all over with lime-sulphur at the rate of three tablespoonfuls and one teaspoonful to two gallons of water. Repeat in two weeks, and again in another two weeks if necessary. 0.8.R. —The most important time for the tying up of plants in the hardy flower border is when these approach the flowering stage. They become somewhat " top-heavy" then, and should be supported with strong, soft twine. Loop them up between three or four stakes, rather than bundle them up to one stoke. Of course, until this stakes must be given to Support the plants, otherwise they will become bent and broken. VEGETABLES. Broad Beans—Where this vegetable is in request over a prolonged season successiomi.l sowings may still be made, selecting varieties of the Broad Wi'jld- . sor type. It is essential, when soiving at this season, to have the ground thoroughly prepared. The best plan is to form trenches at a depth of about eighteen inches, placing at the bottom at least a foot of good, halfdecayed farmyard manure or garden refuse. Tlio crop should never be allowed to suffer for the want of wafer, and immediately the young growths appear above ground a good mulching should be applied. Swedes —This vegetable is not easily grown in town gardens, as it is often spoiled by aphides long before the bulbs mature. But when well grown, it is a splendid addition to the winter stock of roots. It is a waste of time to try to grow it on light,, sandy soil, us all varieties of swedes like a stiif, moist staple; they are all exceedingly hardy, and are not at all affected by frost. Aphides and club-root are the worst enemies of this root; but unfortunately it suffers from hot winds and dry weather. The drills should be about eighteen inches apart, and the plants thinned out early. I/ettuce—Seeds of lettuce' may now be sown on a border with an eastern aspect. The seeds should bo sown thinly in order that it- may not bo necessary to transplant the seedlings, for during hot, dry weather, it is difficult to keep soft, young lettuces from becoming shrivelled up when transplanted. Neapolitan, Mammoth, White Cos, AU-the-year-Round, and Iceberg are good, reliable varieties for present sowing. French Beans—Small sowings of french beans should be made every fortnight from the present timo until the middle of January; but the latest sowing should be made on a border facing north, where the plants can be protected from early autumn frosts. It is a much better practice to make frequent sowings than to depend on plants which nave become partially exhausted, the'produce from young plants being much more tender. Sow the soeds in drills drawn at two feet apart. FLOWERS. ll)elphiniums— There is no occupant of the flower garden which contributes a greater charm to the richtoned hours of early December than the stately delphinium, or perennial larkspur. It is a veritable king of the border, without a rival for the ease with which it can be grown, for its ready response to generous treatment, and for the splendid reward which it yields in gorgeous spikes <of bloom. It has been improved out of. all knowledge by the export florist afnd liybridiser during the past quarter of a century. The comparatively puny larkspur of former days has givon place to the modern giant, which rivals in stature even ' the towering hollyhock. Not only have cubits been added to its stature, it has became manyhued, so that among the many varieties from which the gardener can now make his choice, he can have gradations of colour ranging from'white and the palest blue to ultramarine ancjl the, darkest purple. But it is the blue *of the delphinium which, in. my view, gives it its greatest value in the midsummer garden, since it affords a much needed relief from the garishness of yellow calceolarias and 'the brick reds and bright pinks of bedding geraniums. As plants for tlia town garden, delphiniums have few rivals. They will grow vigorously in any well-cultivated soil, and they accommodate themselves readily in any position which gives them room to develop. They. may. bo planted with excellent effect in bold groups in large beds on the lawn. Tney soon form a grand group for a corner, a splendid screen for a bare or poorly-clad wall or fence, and a magnificent feature for the back row of a broad herbaceous or mixed border. Here, with plenty of space to grow in, and plenty of sunlight to call forth their richest colouring, they soon become objects of admiration. Nor need theii* period of Woniing be confined merely to a few weeks at midsummer. If care be taken to remote the flowering spikes immediately they begin to fade, and before they form seed-pods, a-further crop will be produced a few weeks later. If the cultivator can steel his heart to be ruthless and to prune, the plants hard back the quality of the bloom which comes as a second crop will be all the fineifcwch vigorous pruning will doubtless leave patches of bareness, but if careful attention be paid to watering in dry weather, new growths will speedily appear, and the reward will be great at a time when the garden shows sitrns of deterioration. An additional stimulus to the production of vigorous new shoots is to be found in supplying each clump with a mulch of well-rotted manure mixed with leaf-mould. This will prevent the evaporation of moisture, and will afford the roots very desirable food. Bolphiniums are easily raised from seed, and the present is a favourable time for setting about the task. If it jo delayed much longer the plants, will be puny and poor when the time comes Tor placing them out in the border. If special and select varieties are required, the seed may cost you anything hom a shilling to half-a-crown a packet, but if you arc content to trust to mixed varieties, some of which will be single, and some double, it is possible to purchase a packet much cheaper. . The seed may be sown out of doors in a prepared bed, situated in the shade. The surface soil should be sandy, and the seed be sown in drills, but if only a small quantity of seed is available, it would lie as well to sow in boxes, and to plant the seedlings out into reserve beds when they are large enough. With careful attention to watering, weeding, and keeping off slugs, a number of excellent specimens will be ready for planting out in the autumn. In any case, the cultivator must not expect specimen blooms the first season after sowing the seed It is generally in the second year that the plants begin to produce fine blooms. This continues for several seasons, at tho end of which time the clumps will have

become so large that it is necessary to divide them. This is best done in spring, when the new shoots begin to make their appearance above the soil. Primulas —Seeds of the Chinese type may be sown in December and January, and so also may the star and obconico sections and the newer P. malacoides. Primula seed, like that of cyclamens, is notoriously irregular in germination, and the seed pan should bo taken care of even after most of the seedlings have been pricked out. Primulas like clean surroundings, and new pots or pans (soaked), or old ones scrubbed clean, are essential. Equal parts of turfy loam and leaf mould and a fourth part sand is a good seed compost. Cover lightly with soil and also with a square of glass and place in the shaded greenhouse or frame. Transplant the seedlings, when large enough, carefully to other pans and later pot singly. During autumn they do well in frames, but must be housed in a frost-proof greenhouse during May. Give a light ehelf then near the glaea.