WORK FOR THE WEEK

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 33, 2 November 1934, Page 18

WORK FOR THE WEEK

The Flower Garden

Plant out all summer-flowering annuals. Zinnias require warm, sheltered positions, and had better be delayed for a few weelts in cold districts. Examine your rose bushes for aphis A nicotine sulphate spray conirols the former, but a sulphur soluti/m is necessary for the latter. /plant out dahlias and chrysanthemums. Thin out growths of perennial l >hl °'’ Michaelmas daisies, heleniums and delPb ilydrangeas are now forming buds. The size of the blooms depends largely on the food supply. Weekly applications of liquid manure are of definite value now. Lift spring-flowering bulbs, if neces sary, when foliage has turned yellow.

. The Vegetable Garden Make farther sowings of lettuce and radishes as required. Sow mustard and cress for Dust young celery plants-with lime to prevent damage by celery ny. Malte another sowing of peas. Sow dwarf and runner beans. Plant out tomatoes. ■ , Sow pumpkins, marrows, melons and of kumeras and cape gooseberries can now be made. — Spray apple trees for codlin motk of lead, 2 teaspoons to the gallon. CHOICE PANSIES. How To Feed Them There is all the in, the world between a bed of pansies left t look after itself and one which receives constant attention. Abundant moisture is the first nece.sltv If the plants are allowed to dry, growth will at ones harden and bud formation will practically cease. If the buds do open under these conditions, the flowers will be washed out and deformed. So whenever it is necessary, water freely, always in the evening. Keep the surface soil well stirred, but on no account go more than two inches deep or you will damage the roots. If’you can obtain sheep manure, put 71b. of it in a bag and place in a tub containing six gallons of water. After three of four days start to feed weekly with the liquid, diluting it to quarter strength. This is the very finest stimulant for the production of first-rate making of liquid will last for six weeks. After that clean out the vessel and prepare a fresh supply.. . If sheep manure is unobtainable, use as a substitute ordinary liquid manure, diluted to quarter strength. Dissolve in each gallon of the diluted solution joz. of superphosphate of lime, and stir well. . ’ As the season advances some of the first-formed shoots will show obvious signs of exhaustion. When that stage is reached, cut them off, to, give the young basal shoots a chance to bloom. If yon desire specially fine flowers, never allow more than one bloom to open on each shoot at any one time. Rub out the surplus as soon as they are big enough to get at with the finger and thumb. Stake each shoot with a neat little stake or a piece of hooked wire. When the plants are allowed to straggle, the shoots kink or become misshapen.

TRANSVAAL DAISIES Plant Divisions Now The Transvaal daisies, now, general-' ly known as gerberas, are making rapid growth. Odd clumps are already in flower, and will continue to bloom until late autumn, If given a little attention.' ■ . •• . Clumps should now be planted out and will quickly establish themselves. The ideal soil is light, medium-rich and sandy, which has been well limed. Gerberas respond quickly to leaf-mould, which should be supplied to each plant in liberal quantities. Leaf-mould applied as a mulch also greatly benefits the plants in warm weather. THE NEW. NASTURTIUM A Garden Romance Although there is no need to sing the praises of Nasturtium Golden Gleam, the romantic story, of its rescue from probable oblivion may be unfamiliar to many. It was discovered growing in a cottage garden near Los Angeles by Mr. John Bodger, a Somerset man, who, with the owner’s consent, took three plants away with him. The seed was carefully preserved, but was stolen. A costly lawsuit failed to trace its whereabouts but a second one, arising from the first,- was successful. The seed was sown, and a ton of it distributed In 1931. So great was the demand that Mr. Bodger bought back ithe supplies he had sold, which enabled him to plant, an acre of ground. Last year, the output was 60,000 pounds of seed. Will the demand for scarlet gleam exceed this?