GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2693, 12 February 1916, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

[By "Kowhai."] TO COItEBSPONfiEXTS. Note—lnquiries will not be answer! unless accompanied by name and addre: (not necessarily for publication) of corre poudent. "A Constant Header,-" Oliau, writessCan you tell me what is the matter wit my tomato plants? All the bottom leavi curl up, evidently from some blight, whic is gradually spreading'up tho stem Should the -plants be sprayed, aud, if si with what?" Spray plants that are only slightly a: fected with half-strength Bordeaux mi: 1 ' )Urn those that ai badly affectef. Beforo using the frui wash, or wipe oft any sediment of 801 dcaux mixture that is left on. Do ik grow tomatoes 011 the same ground nei year. Wellington, writes:—"l ar enclosing a few leaves from a geraniur i°n '" lve flowing on a bank, shall be pleased it' you can toll me tb cause and tho remedy of the blight tha ls ou the leaves. I occasionally find emal caterpillnrs and tiny red spiders on th plants, but not in any great numbci Last year I took all the plants up an put 111 fresh cuttings, but they are jus 0.3 bad again this year." Pick oli' and burn diseased leaves, an burn all fallen leaves as, if left lyin about, thoy infect the new leaves. Spraj ing the plants with- very weak Bordean mixture will help to check the disease □nee the disease is checked keep th plants thoroughly clean by constan syringing with clean water. Jioxt sprin; niray the plants thoroughly with -ivcnl Bordeaux mixture, and again at the iirs sign of any disease 011 the plaiu-3. EAELY FLOWERING SPRING BULBS Bulbs that did not flower well last year >r those that have been .in the ground foi lOine years, should liow be lifted and sort "J- I '' : in y that have already startec ;rowtni should immediately be plantei Jack again, but those that aro still dor nant and dry should be spread out ii -he sun for a day, and allowed to becomi •horoughly baked. Cover the bulbs a nght, and the following day plant then Jack again in ground tliat has been pre lured in the following way. While tin julbs are out on the path enjoying 1 sun-bath, thoroughly fork over tht ;round they have been occupying, workin? i 1? lt; 11'?® leaf-mould or decayed vege able rubbish, together with 4oz. of bonelust and loz. of sulphate of potash tc ■he square \\ r hen planting the Hubs on the following day spread some lver sand or fins road grit at the bottore it each hole for the bulbs to rest oil. Thi; reatment is a great help towards sueessful flowering. Among the earliest of the bulbs to be ilanted aro crocuses, scilla, grape hyamths, Roman hyacinths, snowdrops, nowllakes, and chionoeloxa (Glory of the mow). Those who are thinking of buyng new bulbs should get a bulb cataoguo at once, and endeavour to purchase heir bulbs early even if tho ground is lot ready for them. Chionodejxa (Glory of the Snow) is one I tho earliest ot tho bulbs to come iutc lower, and its beautiful bright blue biosorus make cheery spots in tije garden dnrug dill 1 .-Cays towards tho end of winer. Tho bulbs are exceedingly hardy, .nd should bo left undisturbed for three i four j'ears. When planting, the bulbs hould be given plenty of room, but, tc >e effective, should be planted in fairlj argo groups. Snowdrops, also, bloom very early, bui infortunately they are not as genorally rown as they should be. The snowflake eems to have taken the place of tho snowrop, but room should certainly bo found or both. The snowdrop likes a fairly ich gritty or sandy, soil, and it dislikes eiug moved. Onco planted, it should be -ft "undisturbed except for an occasional op-dressing after the leaves have died own . Crocuses are always favourites in the P r i n f garden ,and they aro indeed very eautifnl. Planted in groups all along ao garden path they make a very bright now, and tliey are splendid for naturalis»g in grass, or for planting in bold drifts ?,1 rookery. One cannot have too many f them m spring. Crocuses like a light rich soil, andshalm 1? j '' n °' lower- well in sun or 1 shade, and many a shady corner may 0 brightened in spring by being lied with yellow or lilac crocuses. GTIEBERA. Gerbera Jamesoni (tho scarlet daisy) is ne of the most beautiful of the liiany owers • that havo come from South frica. The flowers are borne singly 011 mg straight stems, aud each plant throws p a constant succession of blooms as ing as tho faded flowers are kept Teloved. The bright orange-red flower of arbera jamesoni was warmly welcomed ! all flowei'-lovers, but now we have add--1 to it tho beautiful gerbera hybrids, hese' ombrace various shades of yollow, ise, red, salmon, terra-cotta, and white, he plants grow easily out of doors, but iquii-e some protection, from heavy frosts. :eels may lie sown now in eeed-pahs con■ining.a fair quantity of sanel. Plant the edlings out in the garden as soon as leyare big -enough to handle, in. well•nined, fairly rich soil, and a sunny isitiou.Heavy soil should be well dug id prepared beforo gcrberas are.planted LOBELIA. If lobelia, plants have become worn out ith flowering,: trim off the dead- flower alks and work a good handful of sand to the centre of each plant. Now shoots ill, soon appear, and may be used for pplying young plants for next season's Sings. A'SPBEKRIES AND STRAWBERRIES. Cut away the old canes of raspberries soon as. the fruit is over. This gives e young canes a chance to grow up rong and- healthy. Don't allow strawrry plants to bear runners unless now ants aro wanted. liemove all straw id dead leaves from fke plants, and keep e grounel round them well hoeel. It is great mistake to-neglect the strawberry id now that the fruit is over; ■ SEED-SAVING. 1 Where plants have been left- io go to edj the seed should be gathered, as it pens, during the dry sunny part of the y. The pods,of such seeds as antirrnums, poppies, larkspur, godetia, etc., iy be lifted carefully into paper bags, the bags aro held shut, and then shaken olently, the seeds leave the pods easily. Ie empty pods may then be lifted out, id the seed labelled and put :away.

A GOOD "PICK-ME-UP." One good clod of cow-manure in a iJUcket ot water makes a splendid ''pick-me-up for various plants. Leave tho manure standing in the water till it Boitoils, then mix it thorough!? by fitirrnig with a stick. Give the plants to be stimulated a good watering, and then pour a tair quantity of the diluted cowmanure round them. It is wonderful id ?!. J 1 '"Terence this mixture makes, at : S tins time of the year, to such plants as s-?* lr l' ssa t dahlias, cosmos, Micnaelnias daisies, liliums, or any plants _ just coming into flower, and also French and runner beans and peas. ns Country gardeners have 110 difficulty in h Obtaining tho manure, but it would pay s. *? wn gardeners to take w. sugar bag With j, them every time they go into the country and to bring it back full of dry cowr_ manure. j.® VEGETABLES. A good stimulant for leeks is !oz, of it Ndi'ate of soda in 1 gallon of water, npt plied once a week after first watering water. Leek 6 require an 11 abundance of water and liquid manure. 11 Cabbage, cauliflower, and celery seedI iillgs may still bo planted out, first watere mg the ground thoroughly some hours t beforo planting. Greens that are to go 1 tnrougir the winter should be planted on 0 tajfly firm grounel. Continue sowing, •; tvncrß lecessary, seeds of carrot, lettuce, j radish, endive, cabbage, and cauliflower, t A last sowing of peas and beans may bo maefe tins Week. Trench the 1 ground for this last mowing, burying j plenty__of decayed vegetable rubbish in - tuo botfom of tho trench. Give the plants 1 plenty of room—a foot apart is not too . much. Keep the hoe at work. Weeds do B Mt grow very big during this dry weat tiier, Trat they make up for their want of » size by the freedom with which they proc duco their seeds. 1 - Gardea Notes next week will contain poasonablo notes about spring-flowering bulbs, . auriculas, and' vegetables.