GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 91, 11 January 1919, Page 13

GARDEN NOTES

4 (By "Kowhai.") CARNATIONS. . A display of carnations in tho window ol Messrs. H. 0. Gibbons and 00. has boon attracting considerable attention during tho past few days. At any timo of the day ono may see enthusiasts with notebook and pencil jotting down tho numbers of tho blooms they most admire, while others aro there just for the pleasure of looking at, such boa.utiful flowers. • Tho carnations were crown by Mr. Fox, of the (Hutt, and they form a particularly flno •collodion. The she and duality of tho blooms provo him to be a past-master, in the art of crowing this most glorious flower. Those who are intending to purchase new plants for next season should tako tho opportunity of visitiue nurseriesand gardens now while carnations aro at their best. They would then havo a chance of seeing the plants in flower for themselves, and would bo better able to mako a selection from them than from a descriptive catalogue. The present, is a good timo to incroaso ono's stoci: by means of cuttings or pipings. Thcso are.

taken from the young shoots growing (1) round the baso of the stem in border carnations, and (2) about halfway up the flowering stem in porpetual-ilowcring carnations. Sever tho shoot with a clean cut just below- a, • joint.. •' Remove the lower leaves, and insert : tlio cutting firmly, in sandy, gritty soil. Keep the soil fairly moist, but not wet. till now growth, commences. This is a fair indication that roots are being, formed:' Cutting! root very quickly at this timo of fho year, provided the soil iB kept uniformly moist.

ROUTINE WOEK. Asters need very special attention just now. An occasional thorough watering should bo civen to the plants if possible. Tho hoo must be kept at . work, loosening and Btirring the soil about tho roots. Wiero vrell-decayed animal manure can be had, a light mulch should bb spread round the plants! Water may bo supplied through, tho inulch if it is thought to be necessary. Wliero animal manure cannot bo had. , a littlo boncdust may bo pricked into tho surface,.' and well watered In. See that the. plants, pot the full advantage of every shower by keeping.tho soil loose about them.'

Daisies.—Daisies that have been -flowering all t.he spring aro now looking very shabby. Cut back a littlo all shoots that havo flowered to givo now Btoots a chance to develop. Thoroughly loosen tho soil about the.plants, and work-in n fair 'dressing of bbnedust. If tho bushes havo to ho cut back rather soverely, a littlo nitrate of soda may bo riven as well, using |oz. to T gallon of water. Supply this after a. shower of rain or after a good ■watering. Delphiniums—Delphiniums that have finished flowering should bo cut back to •within a foot of tho ground. Loosen tho soil about each plant, givo it a good watering, and endeavour to supply a mulch of well-decayed animal manure. Failing this use, bonedußt and any available mulch material, or bonedust and a good soil mulch.

"Wherbver there "is water to" spare, such. plants as herbaceous phloxes. Michaelmas daisies, sweet scabious,' dahlias, liliums, ho given a thorough-soaking from timo to time. But' unless - wator is , plentiful leave it alone, and" rely upon .mulching and hoeing, for superficial watering does more harm than good. , Violets.—Keep violet;plants 'well looked after. Tho leaves and stems, espeoially tlie under sides of the leaves, should bo thoroughly syringed with cle<ir water as often as possiblo to keep away red spicier. Towards tho end of tho.month, a little tweak liquid manure, following a thorough watering, will ho appreciated by tho plants. Remove faded flowers and leaves from all plants. Seed-pods should noli ho allowed to form on ,peas. sweet scabious, sweet sultan, gaillardias, pahsies, violas, etc., or the flowering season will soon bo over. '

Koop all plants well tied to neat stakeß. 'Attend to chrysanthemum' plants,- resularly. Plants that • arq not kept, wean ' and supplied ivitli sufficientrroott t moisture are lan easy prey for various blifihte. VECETABLES.' ' .1 GROWING TEGKrADIjES Uf PAVED . ( ' YARDS,. , Provided, that, a fair '.amount of ..sunshine, reaches tho--yard, quito a number ,of vegetables may bo ' groivn In . tinß and boxos. Vccctnblf.s that climb, 'such as poas, runner beans, cucumbers,, marrows,, and pumpkins, and, tall-ftrowlnc.vegetables such as broad beans and tomatooß may bo grown aßaiiist n. wall or, fence. , Tho tins or boxes containing French; beans,': lettuces, onionß, radishes,' and even a few snort horn carrots and. turnips may bo placed in rows just in front of the boxes containing • the' taller-growing vOECtableS. By caroful .arrangement 0110. can have, quite a number of .boxes ■ of vegetables even in .a. small , backyard. ~ ,

I must, warn .readers,' however.. tbat vegetables srowiii? in boxes exact more attention from the - grower' than those growing In a kitchen .garden. ' ,-Eut 'thepleasure of growing one's own A'eeetables. tho superior, flavour and freshness of tho home-grown article, and the saving of, ex-', penditure. all make it worth one's, ir'nilo. Tins or boxes about" a -foot in. depth do splendidly. First' put' I 'Some "pieces of broken-up brick and : some cinders in'tlio' boxes, holes for drainaco -having been mad© previously, and -then about threequarters fill . them, ...with earth enriched with some well-decayed, stuff from a eompost heap, arid iv dressinc of bonednst. Mako tho soil very firm, and before sowing seed or planting'seedlings w.ater" it: thoroughly Do not .plant or sow till tho soil has beedme : fairly dry airain. . When planting moko .the .Eoil- very firm round tlio-roots of .soedli'ngs.'.. ,Jf the. tins or. boxes can be buried in.'a bed of ashes the soil in tliem will not'dry 'un so quickly. Water must be supplied ns often as it is necessary, and the leaves should bo kept well syringed. A good way of crowing. cucumbers, marrows, and pumpkins in benzine tins, is to half-fill the tin's with pebbles about the size of a hen's egg.. On-a level with the surfaco- of .' tho pebbles bore a'couple'of holes in the tin large ' enough-.to' admit 1 of water beinir ' ponre.d i in. Now nearly fill the tin with good soil, which should ho mado firm and .thoroughly,.watered be-. fore seeds are sown., Water, histead of being supplied from" above, is poured, through tho holes, among the pebbles,'and is drawn by - oapillary"' attraction un through tho soil to tho roots. One may be sure by adopting, this-, plan that- these water-loving vegetables.h<ivo an.abundant supply of -.vater ,for their roots to draw ■upon. ' ' Tomatoes should be planted about one foot apart, and should be grow? on the single stem system. Peas and beans may bo four inches apart, .provided they are well fod ond watered. ..Give one good watering, thoroughly saturating the soil, and then do not water again until it-is necessary.' , r SAVING-SEED. POTATOES. ' . : V-Tho best time to select .tubers for seed, is just before the haulm begins to .turn colour. The tubers .should be taken from those roots that Tiave 'the greatest ber of large well-shaped Never choose for seed potatoes that 'are badly shaped, those froih a weak root, or those from roots that.have shown any signs of disease. ■ The, selected tubers should be set out in a cool, dry nlace "to green." Tho skin then becomes hard, and tlio potatoes so treated become - lesß liable to be attacked-by'disease.--. Ktoro tho seed potatoes, in shallow boxes- in a cool, dry shed, where .they will be exposed to a fair-amount of light. ... , . . cabbages: Keep a sharp look-out 1 for the eggs of the cabbage butterfly during dry .warm weather. Look ..especially on the undersides of tho leaves.- • Wash tho, leaves thoroughly by frequently syringing with clear water. It destroys tho eggs beforo they can hatch out. Seeds that may be sown": this weok, -.where necessary, are:—French beans, 'radishes, carrots, peas, . beet,; • lettuces, Brussels sprouts, savoys, and broccoli. i"Gardeji Notes" next .week will contain •seasonable' notes about:—Dahlias, pansies ;and violas, and vegetables. '