IN THE GARDEN

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22083, 4 May 1937, Page 7

IN THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK (BMCULLT wbittbk fob mob pmss.) rßy W. J. HUMM.) ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS Winchester Street.—(l) The leaf is a variety of campanula. (2) Standard roses are pruned on the same principle as bush roses. Begin by cutting out all dead, spindly, or exhausted growths. Prune back those shoots which flowered last year to or.e good eye —one pointing outwards. Take out growths that may be spoiling the symmetry of the plants. Leave the centre growths longer than those growing on the outside. When the pruning is finished the head should have a vase shape. Do not cut the centre of the plants, as when pruning trees. (3) The cause of the plants turning yellow may be caused by the grass grub. Waier the plant with water containing Condy's crystals. Use Joz to six gallons of water. (4) Geratum seedlings will not stand the winter frosts. Fendalton.— Amaryllis Belladonna, not flowering. Try watering the plants at present with liquid cow manure and soot. Several applications at intervals of a fortnight will be necessary. As soon as the foliage matures, withhold the manure. Amaryllis are very sulky bulbs and in many places where the soil is heavy ar.d drainage bad, they refuse -to bloom, no matter what treatment is given them. SrRUBS At present there are many beautiful berry-bearing plants in full glory. One receiving its full share of admiration is Crataegus carrieri. It is one of the most handsome of all thorns, either in foliage or fruit. The fruits are about the size of cherries, and they are bright orange-red."They are borne in great profusion and are seldom eaten by birds. Later in the season, the foliage assumes a beautiful cop-pery-red tint. This tree grows to about 12ft in height and does best if given a sunny, open position.

VEGETABLES

The weather lately has been ideal for putting the vegetable garden in gocd order for winter. Do not wait until heavy rain falls before getting the ground deeply trenched or dug over. To defer this important work until spring is to deprive the soil of a chance to produce its best. Remember also, whether the soil in your garden is light or heavy, that an application of carbonate of lime, will make all the difference to its physical texture. When decayed vegetation or anima? manure has been dug in each year, the soil is liable to become sour,'

■lime will correct this and also assist in making the plant food in the soil available to the plants. I Peas must be sown now if they are to be ready by November. The soil must be well worked and manured. | Place the manure well down, so that the plants may mqke use of it when they are maturing their .crop of pods. Select an early variety and sow them in a sunny, well-drained position. If a close succession is desired, put in a ! row of a second early kind, such as Dwarf Defiance, at the same time. As soon as the plants appear above the ground, protect them from birds by placing wire-netting guards over them. Those who wish to have broad beans for use early in the season, should make a sowing now. Select a sunny, | sheltered, ad well-drained position. Although, this bean delights in a heavy soil in spring and summer, it would be unwise to sow it in stiff land in autumn. Artichokes should have their tops trimmed off. liike parsnips, they improve in flavour if left in the ground until required. Autumn onions should be kept free from weeds. Stir the soil about them frequently with the hoe. Soil aeration does much to keep the crop thriving Rhubarb that was lifted for forcing may now be placed inside. Keep the plants dark and maintain an even temperature. Plant cabbages and cauliflowers. Potatoes saved for sets should be arranged in shallow trays, eyes up. Place them where they are away from frost and yet receive all the light and air possible. In such positions,, the set will become green, and will then keep in perfect condition until planting time. FRUIT Gather and store apples and pears as soon as they become fit. There is always a chance that some will be spoilt by frost. . Besides, when fruit is I ripe, it does not take much wind to cause it to fall, and windfalls are never good keepers. Handle the fruit carefully as the least bruise will cause early decay. Fruit should not be picked when it is wet. I Store the fruit in a frost-proof place, where the temperature may be kept as uniform as possible. Fluctuations of temperature will cause the fruit to shrivel. Do not pack the fruit in hay. straw, or similar material. Apples and pears are best placed singly, not packed one on top of the other. Newspapers spread over the fruit will keep the dust off and also help to keep an even temperature. Raspberries, currants, and gooseberries may be planted now. The soil at present is in excellent condition for the planting Of strawberries. The variety Melba is reliable. Spade lightly under the fruit trees, but before doing so cut out'any dead branches and remove all shrivelled fruits. These are best burned at once. Diseased leaves should also be burned; digging them under is not wise. When fruit trees need help, blood and bone manure is effective. Scatter it under the trees at the rate of 4oz to the square yard. The feeding roots are just beyond the extremities of, the outer branches. The paa-,

nure will serve no purpose if planted too near the trunks of the trees. FLOWERS Work in the flower garden consists of digging the borders, cutting down the flower stems of perennials, and removing all spent annuals. It is little use hoeing to kill weeds at present. The best way to deal with weeds is to spade them under. Those desirous of making a bright display in spring should lose no time in planting. Wallflowers, forget-me-nots, polyanthus, pansies, violas, aubretia. and double pink and white daisies are generally used. Complete the planting of all early spring flowering bulbs. Late planting is often unavoidable, but there is no doubt that spring flowering subjects give a much better display if planted so that they have time to become established before the cold of winter is on them. Ma/ is a good month to divide and replant perennial phlox and Michaelmas daisies. A change of position does much for these plants. Select the pieces to be replanted from the outer growths of the clumps; those growing on the inside are usually exhausted, and are of little use for replanting. Agaparithus are valuable autumn flowering plants. They seldom need breaking up, but should they need it. now is a good time to do it. Good drainage, full sun, and a sheltered position are needed for these plants. The time is slipning away for the planting of herbaceous paeonles. Delphiniums may now be planted where the soil is well drained. If the

soil is liable to remain wet throughout the winter, planting is best done in spring. . ,„, , i It is quite a good time to plant ChristHis s roses. Rose beds and borders should now receive attention. Rake off and burn all dead leaves, and cut the tips off the brancha infected with mildew and burn them. Diseased leaves-are often dug in, but this is not wise, as the spores of the fungoid diseases will not be destroyed by so doing. They will remain in the soil until the conditions are favourable for their development, and then the plants will again be attacked. Remove worn-out and stunted plants. These, too, are often a breeding ground for pests which attack the rose. A sickly plant is little better than a dead one, and never repays the labour given it. When rose beds have been heavily manured they are liable to become over-acid. When this happens, there is nothing like lime to make the soil sanitary. Dust it on the surface at the rate of 6oz to the square yard. _ Dahlias may be cut down to within 18 inches of the ground when blackened by the frost The bulbs may be dug up and stored in a frost-proof place for the winter. Where the land is warm, and not likely to be waterlogged, it is not necessary to take them up. Just place some light litter over each crown to ward off the frost. THE GLASSHOUSE All geraniums and other softwooded plants should by now be under cover of a sunny frame or glasshouse. Do not over-water them, as they will damp off when kept too wet. As soon as the bulbs grown in pots to produce early blooms make top growth they should be placed in the house in a sunny position. Gloxinias should now be ripened off and stored under the bench until spring* Liliums make excellent pot subjects for this purpose. The bulbs should be potted as soon as possible. Pot on pelargoniums as they require Cyclamen showing flower buds should be given liquid manure made from cow droppings. Soot-water is al Do S not d 'over-water. It is far better to keep the plants a little dry than have them distressed with a cold soil.