IN THE GARDEN

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22375, 12 April 1938, Page 6

IN THE GARDEN

[ WORK FOR THE WEEK (SfICULLY WRITTEN rOR TH» rRBSS.) [By W. J. HUMM] ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS Armagh street.—lt is possible to raise a peach tree from the stone of a nectarine. Nectarines are the outcome of bud sports which frequently occur on peach trees. They have never been discovered growing in Nature the same as the peach. The stone will not reproduce trees true to typo. If you wish to propagate the seedling which you have raised your best plan would be to bud it on to seedling peach stocks next summer. Any nurseryman would do this for you. Peaches will not strike from cuttings. The peach has quite a distinct flavour, and is well worth saving. Inquirer.—Do not give the rose cutting any manure. It would do more harm than good. The roots are not developed enough to assimilate it. The best time to plant perennial salvias is spring, just as growth starts. Bricks would do to place under the ground to give height and drainage when buildding your rock garden, but would not look well above ground. Rocks are far better. Campanuals, saxifragas, sedums, rock-roses, lithospermums, aubretias, Arabis gypsophila, dianthus, silene, pentstemons, phlox gentians, and sempervivums are all suitable plants to start with.

VEGETABLES The vegetable garden will need careful watching this month. If weeds are not destroyed while they are quite small, it will be difficult to get rid of them. The best way to deal with weeds in autumn is to spade them under. It is of little use hoeing them up, as the heat of the sun Is not strong enough to destroy them, and when left on the surface they will take root again. If good vegetable crops are desired next season, do not wait until spring before preparing the soil; do it this autumn. Dig deeply and leave the surface as rough as possible to weather, and it will be found that a sweet, fertile soil will be the result.

Continue to plant cabbage and cauliflowers to stand through the winter. Harvest and store onions while the weather is good. These must be well dried, or they will not keep well.. Lift and store potatoes as they mature. If rain is experienced they may start,second growth. Earth up celery. Choose a fine day for this work. It is not good to earth up while the soil is wet and sticky. Prepare the ground for sowing early peas and 1 broad beans to stand through the winter. Select a well-drained, sunny position. A little bone meal dusted through the soil will help them. Sow lettuce seed in a well-drained position to stand through the winter. Lift and store beet-root and carrots. The splitting of carrots can be traced to a lack of lime in the soil. Chives may be lifted and replanted now. These take the place of spring onions. A few clumps grown in a sunny place would be of value, as these are usable long before the spring onions are ready to pull. Do not cut the tops off asparagus until it has turned yellow, but seed may be removed now. Thin out all crops needing it Each plant must be given room for its full development. Growing crops too thickly is often the cause of disease making its appearance.

FLOWERS While the soil is fit, clean up all beds and borders. If the ground is spaded over now it will save much work later. Do not dig so as to disturb the surface roots of such plants &s rhododendrons, azaleas, boronias, heaths, and lilacs. These plants are now maturing their flower buds, and any root disturbance is bound to have a detrimental effect on the flower crop. The same applies to all the early flowering deciduous shrubs. All spring flowering bulbs should now be in the ground. To make an effect in spring, plant aubretia now. Lavender makes quite an effective border. These may be planted now. Plant all classes of carnations now. Plant anemones and ranunculus. Spent annuals should be removed and their places filled with spring flowering plants. Sow in the open borders, to bloom next season, including coreopsis; candytuft, eschscholtzias, larkspurs, sweet sultans, cornflowers, eastlothian stocks, and clarklas. Sweet peas to bloom early next season should be sown now.

One of the best spring flowering bedding plants is the polyanthus. These hardy subjects are simple to grow, and are not particular about position. They make a very effective display for many months, and as cut flowers they are valued. Plant these now as soon as possible. Lily-of-the-valley may now be planted. Many of the liliums make handsome border plants. Any bulbs required may be planted now. Lupins are effective during early summer months. These do best in an open, sunny position. When preparing the soil for these, dig in plenty of well decayed manure, and if a little carbonate of lime is ousted through the soU it wiU be to their liking.

THE GLASSHOUSE dive nlenty of air on all suitable occasions.Hthe plant, are kept hardy now, they will come through the winter Xh better than if they are kept too close Watering should be done careSIJ: An overdose of water at present would do much harm. . Get all winter flowering subjects inside as soon as possible now. Fronts may be expected at any time See that the house is well glazed and that the ventilators are in working order. Shade should be removed from the glass where geraniums and pelargoniums are growing. If not already done sow schizanthus. These do best in an open frame outside. Hydrangeas fox early blooming should now be placed inside for the winter. Prick out seedling calceolarias and pot on the more forward ones. Tone up all green foliage plants by giving them nitrate of soda; half an ounce in one gallon of water at intervals of a week for five weeks. A dry and buoyant atmosphere must be maintained where chrysanthemums are housed. Keep a sharp look-out for caterpillars. These pests if not controlled would soon destroy many flower buds. Fuchsias going out of bloom should be rested for the winter. Gradually reduce their water supply, and when the growth has hardened up, stand them under the bench for the winter. Cyclamen coming into bloom may be given liquid manure.

SHRUBS

Pyracanthas provide several very showy ornamental berry shrubs. These will grow in exposed positions, and do best when theyi get full exposure. All are evergreen and will grow from IQ to 12 feet high. Those usually met in gardens are pyracantha crenulata, noted for its brilliant scarlet berries. P. Rogersiana has bright yellow berries. Pyunnanensis is a Chinese form of crenulata and it certainly is most liberal with its orange-red coloured berries. At present this desirable shrub is most attractive and will remain so for many months. If lime and wood-ash are dusted over the surface soil where pyracanthas are growing it will improve the colour and quantity of their berries.