IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20756, 17 January 1933, Page 4

IN THE GARDEN.

—* — WORK FOR THE WEEK. (srr.CJAI.LY WRITTBX FOR THE PRESS.) [fly J. T. Sinclair.] ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Sumner —The only way to got rid oC the aphis on your Canadian Wonder bean is by spraying. Most of the insects are on the under side of the foliage, so it is necessary to spray upwards. You can use "Black Leaf 40" or nuy other approved insecticide, or you can use hot water at a temperature of 120 dog. You must spray thoroughly, wetting every part of the plants. A.P.— It will assist your runner beans if you give them liquid manure once a week, seeing t hat you have nothing lo give ihem in the «ay of a mulch. Be sure, however, that, you do not give the liquid manure too strong. Jt 4s safer io give it weak. Shallot—From 1 lie description you give of your shallots they appear to be ready for lifting. Spread them out thinly on some hard surface in the sunshine to ripen. When thoroughly dry clean and stove as you Tould onions. liay aside for immediate use any bulhs that have a ihickMieck, as these do not keep well. CURRENT WORK. If space permits, a row or two of an early cabbage and cauliflower can }■••} sown, but tlicse .should be sown thinly in drills about eighteen incites apart, thinning out afterwards to the lequircd distance. Continue to plant out all kinds of winter greens. If celery is not yet planted out. no time should be lost in doing this work. To make runner beans throw out lateral growths, pinch off the tops when lhe.se are at the top of the supports. A small quantity of onion seed can he sown to produce plants for pulling \ ouiii; lol ' salads. Tomatoes art) growing last now, and constant attention should be given to nibbing out side growths, tying, arid watering. Peg down long growths of trailing pumpkins and marrows. Keep the Dutch hoc at work through all crops not earthed up. See that no newly planted winter stutt' suffers from want of water. Lift shallots when the tops show signs of ripening. Jf a crop of fruit is wanted lrom the strawberrv plants to be set out this autumn, layering the plantlcts shouid be done at once. Routine work on the flower borders will be the removal of weeds, the tying of rapidlv extending plants, and the removal "of dead leaves, withered flowers, and any other material that causes untidiness. Under glass, herbaceous calceolarias, primulas, and cinerarias can be sown for a late display. Plants from this sowing often do better than those sown earlier, as the early plants if at all neglected get somewhat hardened in growth, and do not continue to grow freelv. This is the best time in the year in which to hud roses, if anv increase in stock is desired, the work can be proceeded with now. See that the plants in the greenhouse do not suffer from a. too dry atmosphere. Give plenty of ventilation, and damp down the floors and stages to supplv the necessary humidity. If " American blight is showing on anv apple trees, paint over with methylated spirit, using an old paint brush for. the purpose. Tie in growths of peaches and apricots oil Avails or fences, at the same : time removing anv surplus growths that are not wanted. VEGETABLES. Peas —The last sowing of the season should bo piit in between now and the end of the month. Only early sorts such as English Wonder, Chelsea Gem, and William Hurst should bo sown. It is useless to put in late varieties at this date, as they would not mature. Even with the early kinds there is a possibility of their being cheeked by frost. If the ground is at all dry, it must get a good soaking before the seed is sown. Dwarf Beans—The last sowing of these can also be put in, and the site should be a sheltered one, otherwise the plants stand a chance of being blackened should i'rost occur about the beginning of April. Once the plants arc iiljuve ground they should be kept growing quickly by frequent waterings and use of the hoe. Errors in Planting—The errors of close planting are more apparent in the kitchen garden than probably anywhere else. It is generally in the fciiiallcr gardens where this mistaken economy is practised to its greatest possible extent. That the system cannot be too strongly condemned we have almost daily proof, for where the various crops are so crowded together, the sun and air, which arc so beneficial and desirable, cannot perform their allotted functions. The first error of this crowded planting is generally seen in the seed bed as regards those crops which have to be transplanted elsewhere. In the majority of instances the same amount of seed spread over three times the quantity of ground w'jtilcl produce plants which would defy the crought of summer and also the cold and wet of winter. Where lettuce are sown thickly, the plants soon be-; come crowded together, and instead of i'onninsr stnrdv little plants, the main stem lengthens to such an extent that the formation of good hearts is an impossibility and the plants quickly run to seed. As regards the various broccicas planted for winter and spring use, the more widely disposed they are the better will they be able to withstand frost and dump, for during a wet time the latter is almost as destructive as I'rost, and where the ' plants arc crowded, these often remain damp for days together. Take the brussels sprout as an illustration. It is impossible for this to prove profitable with close planting for, hardy as it is, damp is often answerable for more failures than frost, and the more sheltered the garden the greater is the precaution necessary to avoid planting close together. During a warm and wet autumn the plants keep on growing until very late in the season, and the closer together the plants are the more likely they are to draw up at the expense of forming solid sprouts. The rows of celery are often arranged far too closely together, and here we may resort to double cropping with advantage, so as to economise the room. According to experience and observation, lettuces never thrive bettor than when planted along the ridges, and as the autumn draws near, the plants are effectually guarded against destruction from damp. Not only lettuce, but anv dwarf-growing vegetable, as frencb beans and turnips, may be grown with advantage, so that these may be off bv the time the soil is required for earthing. The want of sufficient soil for earthing is often the cause of celery being spoiled. Turnips, again, also suffer from the evil of close cropping, especially in the case of those for storing for winter use. Coupled with the rows being arranged far too closely together, the seed is sown much too thickly, and besides the loss of time

ciitailad through the process of thinning, the bulbs do not form as they should. FRUIT. Loganberries—These plants need treatment similar to that afforded the raspberry; they require plenty of manure to furnish the best results. Established plants develop a mass of young shoots from their bases, and of those four or five of the best should be retained, removing the weak sucker growths as in the case of raspberries. It is sometimes difficult to tie up the young shoots until after the fruits are gathered, but by securing them temporarily to stakes, they will be prevented from being damaged until the fruit is gathered. The old canes should be cut out immediately the fruits are all picked, training the young rods in their places, that they may become ripened before winter arrives. Plants of loganberries last longer than raspberries with proper care, and often succeed when the latter fail. Water given once a fortnight is a great help to the plants. FLOWERS. Pinks —If good flowering clumps of these are to be maintained, it is necessary to propagate a few plants each year, and now is the time to attend to the work. Plenty of pipings or cuttings are available now, and they will root readily if placed in sandy soil in a cold frame, or, if only a small quantity are wanted, a glass covered box will do. Shade from sunshine for some time, spray lightly once or twice a day until rooted, when the glass should be removed. Petunias —While the flowering period of many popular annuals and perennials is considerably curtailed owing to dry weather, the petunias, especially those of compact habit, will withstand a high temperature, and freely produce their very showy flowers. When grown in masses they produce r. gorgeous effect in colouring. The flowering period of these plants will be considerably prolonged if their blooms are removed as soon as they begin to fade. To grow petunias to perfection they should be J planted in a snug and sheltered position, in deep, rather light rich. loam, but they do well and flower freely in any thoroughly tilled fertile soil.