GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2523, 31 July 1915, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

.(Br. "Kowkai."),

Those not« 3 aro written solely for the amatar gardener, for the busy citj; man who likes to spend an lioui* or-two in tho garden after being shut up all day, for tuo woman who derives great pleasure from growing a few plants to- brighten her iiomc, but to.whom it. would bo a» wcwiiiOßß to 6tudy garden books, and for all those who axo endeavouring to keep a small garden, bright «a,nd attractive all tlio year round. To these I 6ay do not attempt to grow too much. Olioose- what plante you want for your garden and for supplying tho house with cut flowers, and whatever you decide upon grow the best of its kind that is to bo obtained. Readers uro invited to ask Questions.

ANSWERS TO COKEESEONDENTS. "M.L.,"Nelson.—Please send me an affected ranunculus plant, and some of. th® earth from about the roots. "Fan Palm," Blenheim.—"l am mailing under. soparato cover a leaf of a palm, and will bo much obliged if you can suggest what is. wrong with it. The plants are about eight or nine years old, aud only one of them has attained a height of five feet, while tho others 'are only about 15 to 18 inches high. They are all growing round a lawn where young pepper trees and Japanese maples ilo well. Do you think liquid manure or heavy mulching with.; farmyard manure will.be of use?'.'..' Cut off and burn the worst of the leaves, and then spray the plants with Vermorite (obtainable at seed merchants). Keep all weeds aud grass away from the roots of the plants. Apply to the-roots a solution of sulphate of iron (lon. to i gallons of water).'- This should be- applied after rain, or after previously watering with clear water. At intervals during the summer supply some plant food. Guano Qoz. in 1 gallon of water) is good, and soot water is also excellent. Palms ehould bo grown in well-drained soil. If water lies about the roots during winter they will nover be -a success. Guano and sulphate of iron can be obtained from a seed merchant. Kilbirnie South. —"I am a constant reader of your valuable gardening notes,, j)nd like scores of other amateurs find them-a'great aid. I enclose' the twig of a shrub. I have a hedge .of this plant, height. about i feet. The samo is certainly Exposed to the south, but seems to bo gradually withering. Also it has the appearance of some borer having attacked the joints. Wliero I cut away the top branches new green and healthy shoots are now appearing. Should I cut the whole hedge down to say one foot? Thanking you, etc." Cut tho hedge back to within ono foot of the ground, and burn all tlie clippings. The latter is most important. Water the roots of the plants with sulphate of iron poz. to i gallons of water) alter previously soaking the ground with clear water. The following week, water with guano (!oz. in one gallon of water), having first watered with clear water. Givo each plant about a quart of the liquid, and repeat the dose at intervals during tlie summer. Tho soil mu3t be 1 kept well cultivated, and free from weeds. Syringe tho plants regularly with a hot solution of Sunlight soap and water to keep them, clean. Use one cako of Sunlight soap In two gallons of water, and bojl till tho soap is dissolved. Use the spray hot. This treatment should cure the hedge unless tho borer has gone nearer to tha roots. Be particular about burning every scrap of hedge that .is cut off. "Daphne," Otaki,-*-"i. enclose somo leaves from a daphne. There aro a good many turning yellow like those enclosed. You iyiU also notice the uudor surface Is affected by a. scide or blight. Tho daphne is about ten years old, andi the situation is in a_ narrow border composed of about eighteen ■ inches of soil with. a pure sand subsoil. The plant is sheltered by buildings." Pick off and burn all affected leaves. On no account' allow any leaves to lie about on the ground. Get some Vermorite from a seed merchant, and spray tho bush with a solution of it. Take cavo that tho spray Teaches the under-side of' the leaves. The syringe should be used gently but thoroughly. Spray again when the new leaves aro appearing. It may tako you some timo to get tlio plant quito free of the disease. Plenty ofwatcr should bo applied to tho plant during the summer as daphnes like a moist root-run, and your subsoil may causa tho plant to bo dry, at the roots during hot weather.

HOLLYHOCKS. Those who have a greenhouse or a forcing.framo may sow their hollyhock seed now. If the plants aro raised early they flower during 6ummer. Fill -up the 6ecd pan with equal parts earth, leaf-soil, and sand. Water with tepid water ahout two hours before sowing tile 6ced. Just cover the seed with dry-earth. The soil should be kept modoratoly moist until the seedlings break through. As 6oon as they develop into nice little plants they should be planted out in well-dug and wellmanured soil. Hollyhocks are such quick growing plants that they must have rich soil to keep them healthy ®nd ablo to resist tlio dreaded hollyhock disease. Spraying the plants regularly with hot Sunlight eoan solution helps to keep them freo from disease. The plants should have" stakes supplied at tho time of planting out. Sutton's Double Rose Queen is one of the most beautiful of the hollyhocks. Hollyhocks add greatly- to tho beauty of a long mixed .border it they are planted in groups of two. or throe at intervals along the back of the .border. The plants : should bo two or three feet apart from 0110, another,

• LILAC. This is undoubtedly one of the most popular flowering; shrubs and deservedly so. When lilac is well grown the bushes aio covered with masses of delightfully, fragrant flowers during spring. Who does not look forward with pleasure to lilactime ? Lilacs are.too often spoilt by being over-pruned. Pruning should bo done just after the flowering is over, and only tho old flowering 6tems should bo cut out. It is hopeless to try to trim a lilac bush into shape, because it means a sacrifice of so many flowers. Lilacs flower best when grown in soil that' is not too rich. A light eandy soil and ft sunny position suit them admirably. All suckers should bo kept severely cut' out, and dead nood or weak growths should be removed: The old-fashioned common whito or mauve lilacs aro always satisfactory. There aro also many delightful more up-to-date varieties. Manure should be given only , to plants growing in ,very poor soil, and. then weak liquid manure should be used. Heavy soils should bo considerably. lightened by means of sand, ashes, etc., and a heavy 6ubsoil should be well broken, up and lightened, i The majority

of plants object to water lying about llicir roots in wiuter, and unless a heavy subsoil is attended to this is 'inevitable. SOWING SWEET PEAS. The spring-sowing of sweet pens should be mado as scon as possible now. On. light well-drained soils the sowing may take place at once, but on heavy soils it might be as u'ell to wait for another fortnight. The gardener must use his owr judgment It is as well to eoalc the seed beforo sowing to assist germination. I njjsolf prefer to chip expensive seefl3. ■that js, to cut a little piece oif the outer gating of tho seed with a sharp pocket knife, but great care must be taken not to dainngo the vital part of the seed. Tho chip .should be taken from the smooth part of the seed.. Chipping ensures even germination. Two or threo days before sowing the seed, water the ground with a solution of permanganate of potash, using loz. to 1 gallon of water. As soon as tho seedlings appear through tho ground, loosen the surface soil, and .dust soot that lias been well exposed to tlio air around, tlio seedlings. In a few*days hoe this in, and again dust soot over the 6urfac«. Keep a sharp look-out for slugs oncft the seedlings aro up. Sparrows aro oiten troublesome, and.must bo kept from se -. hy using black cotton. A littlei bonedust mixed with tho soil in which tho seeds ai'o to be sown will give tiio young plants a good start.

VEGETABLES. Amateurs will already .be thinking about potato planting. It is advisablo to . "buy 1 L P°^^ oes 36 eoon as possible, so that they can bo "sprouted" before planting, l-he seed potatoes should be stood up on end close together in shallow boxes m a good light. This helps them to sprout. It is as well lo make sure tiiat tha seed sprouts "before planting' it in cnso all tlio eyes are blind. Sub out all but the two strongest sprouts. Tim best sprouts are at the top of the potato. It is as vrell to cut a piece off tlio baso of tlio .potato beforo planting. Do iho outting some time before planting to allow tlio cuts to <lry beforo tlie seed is planted. Parsnips liko a deeply-dug' and finely-broken-up eou. Ground that was manured for greens last spring should now be used for parsnips, No manuro should lie added to ■ tho ground, but plenty of old soot, and wood ashes. .Mis the ashes thoroughly "with the soil, and blacken tlie surfaco of the soil -with the soot. AVliori tho plants are three or four inches high give them a very slight dressing of superphosphate, taking care that nono of the chemical touches tho leaves or stems. Water this in. It' is essential that the ground for parsnips should bo worked to a/fino powder to a depth of about eighteen inches. Garden Notes next week will contain, seasonable notes about: Seed-sowing, suggestions for planting narrow strips of garden on th.o sunny and tho shady sides of tho streets, and vegetables.

Tho "off season," when very few plants and shrubs are in. bloom, is being tided over by the importation of some handsome ericas, azaleas, and boronias in blossom, and an interesting exhibit of these and some other flowering specimen plants in the window of Messrs. H. C. Gibbons and C 0.,. Ltd., Lambton Quay, attracts consideration attention, of the passers by.