IN THE GARDEN

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21024, 28 November 1933, Page 8

IN THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK i (SrZCIALL* WBITTES ?OR THE PKZSS.) [By J. T. SINCLAIR.] ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS Lower Riccarton—On your «SP"»SU S bed use half an ounce sulphate of araraonin, one ounce nitrate of soda, and two ounces of superphosphates to each inVnrvals of, say, a fortnight. Vi ater well in should the weather be dry. E I —For leaf Epot on your roses spray at •' ' onto with lime-sulphur, one-third of a pint 1o four gallons of water, and at intervals as required. BK —It is best to give strawberries a mulching of farmyard manure inthe snrirg, the roots getting the benefit o» tlie manure, and bv the time the fruit is ripe the mulch is clean and dry lor the fruit to rest on. In your case 1 <l>ould put on a, mulch of clean straw „0'- if available, working it close round tho plants. This will help to renin the moisture in the soil and also keen tho fruit clean. Give a. good so akin- of water if the soil is dry. Cut off all" runners not wanted to increase stool:. j.' TJiere is no known cure for silver leaf. Sometimes a tree, will grow out of it. Affected trees usually die sooner or later. You can dig in around the roots four or five pounds o£ sulphate of iron, •iml '■ few weeks later hoe in half a pound of sulphate of ammonia. This is sometimes beneficial. K llm .-ir;,s —Those can only be grown suocossfnllv in a warm climate. They are propagated from shoots taken from the old' tubers. Tho old tubers are. started no a hot bed early in September, being laid on their sides ami covered with fine soil. When Iho shoots are long enough they arc transplanted into boxes. In about a fortnight they are ready to I.k planted outdoors in rows three feet ii-.umli-r and with the plants "<) inches j. |,j, .-i. Tho soil must be at least .1-' in.Pes ili-e|i and in good condition. Wwd I ■ il,.|- —The easiest way to make, an 'arsenical weed-killer is <o get some ;n—]"ial .slump dip and dilute it. An- .,:!,.- v.ri.d-killer- can bo made, up of i,no p.mod of sulphuric acid and three -ailens of water. Another can bo made e.'ilh imo part carbolic- acid to 40 parts ...Her. Ami': weed-killer is .•irsenieal. Tii prevent black spot on your roses •-pray them with liine-sulplmr, one third of a" pint to four gallons of water'. Kos. Sprav umr r...«.-s will, so,no in-oe'i-,-i.le. ;.„r)i as Black Leaf -In or KaU- ' Hi., Sen last week's column for tho H-eMniMi! of e.M-l.iine.l. CURRENT WORK Salads tire always in demand during the hot days of summer, and this means that a great deal of preparation and foresight arc needed. Letluce is Hie principal vegetable r/.fowrt for salad, and should be sown every forlni.' 11l In keep up a supply.

Freshen up the ground first, and sow a space large enough to hold a tortnight's supply. Where sons are warm and sandy, the lettuce form better heads if not transplanted, as that avoids a check. Seedlings need not be thinned more than 10 inches apart, while with some of the smaller growing sorts six inches apart is sufficient Mustard and cress, if wanted in close succession, crisp and tender, must be sown every eight or 10 days, sowing the latter, which takes more time to germinate, about three days in advance of the former. Sow radish at intervals of about 14 days. A moist position is best for these; if the position is dry there will be little success with them if they are not well supplied with water hi the evening. Tomatoes and cucumbers should, of course, have been seen to some time ago Where planted under glass not artificially heated, the supply will soon be coming to hand, but it will be some time before there will be any crops from plants set outside. Still, even these can be made to come in fairly early if the plants always receive prompt attention in stopping, training, feeding, and watering. The early crop of Globe beetroot will have been thinned by this time. Dust the plants frequently with soot, which will prevent slugs attacking and prove a stimulating manure for them as well.

The cutting of asparagus should now stop, or next year's crop will be impaired. This is obvious when it is known that the plants can send up onlv a limited number of shoots each year. Now is the time to give the roots copious supplies of liquid manure. This encourages stronggrowth and plenty of healthy foliage, which mean so much if good heads are wanted next year. The seedlings from seed sown this spring should be thinned out when fit to handle. There will be plenty of work in the vegetable garden now in thinning the different crops such as parsnips, and carrots, and in hoeing to keep down weeds and to help to conserve the moisture in the ground. Watch all climbers and give them a tie where it is wanted. Violas arc making a good show at present, and to prolong the flowering season all seed pods should be taken off and a good soaking of water given, if dry weather sets in. Sweet peas are making great growth, and any shoots that fail to catch on to the stakes should be given the help of a tic. Keep the weeds down among the plants, and hue occasionally. It is a good plan at present to go over all chrysanthemums growing outside and cut all the tops off to within eight or nine inches of the ground, thinning out some of the weakly shoots if llieve are too many. By cutting them back they will not be so lanky, and shorter stakes will do when slaking is required. Watering will be necessary in dry weather.