Rural Life.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2317, 15 January 1906, Page 6

Rural Life.

Cjl TOWN GARDENING-.

Homo Gardens, containing a variety ok plants in mixed borders, lawns, and vegetable ground, will now tax owners to keep them in order. Grass cutting, edge clipping, hoeing up weeds, and sweeping walks, so as to assure a prevailing neatness, would seem to be work enough for odd time, yet there remain tho waterings, tyings, plantings, and potting-work associated with, as well as apart from, greenhouses. Gardening is, in fact, an all-absorbing subject during the summer months wherever properly cared for and appreciated. not so, it becomes neglected, untidy, and an external ‘ picture’ damaging to the outer aspect of the best of homes. The amusement part of gardening includes picking off decayed flowers and useless seed pods, ripening leaves, &s.; securing plants to their stakes as growth advances, pegging down Petunias, straggling Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums, &o.; propagating zonal Pelargoniums, cuttings of which strike readily if inserted into the open ground ; though, to save future potting up, it is more convenient to place them in small pota under similar exposure, &o.

WATERING WINDOW PLANTS,

The question : ‘ When and how shall I water my window plants ?’ is one which is being asked every day by the amateur gardener. The answer is that experience is tho best guide for this operation, simple as it may appear at first sight, and a few practical experiments with common plants will teach the anxious amateur more than any number of written rules or directions oan possibly do - But experience is a school in which the fees are very high, and those who do not care to pass through it may not be unwilling to receive a few general suggestions for their guidauee.

In the first place, then, adopt % definite system in watering your plants. Do not give them a few drops now and then from a tumbler or water-jug when you happen to remember to do so, but look over your plants every alternate morning in winter and every evening in summer; remember they are depending upon you for THBIB FOOD AND HOISXUM. If you love flovers, this operation will be a pleasure to you; ,if you feel it irksome, give up all thoughts of plant-growing at once, for you will never succeed. Proper watering is one of the main features in successful plant culture. If the plant is too dry, the roots, as a matter of course, cannot abstract sufficient to counter-balanco the evaporation which takes place through the leaves, consequently the plant droops, or ‘ flags,’ as gardeners term it. Again, if the plant is watered too freely, the soil round its roots becomes sodden and impervious to air, the leaves turn yellow, and the whole plant gets debilitated and out of health. A plant will generally bo the healthiest which wants water the oftunost; this will show that there aro plenty of air spaces in the soil and that the roots are making good uso of them. It it docs not often want water it is in a bad way, and more water will make it worse;

How often to water, then, will be according to how easily the water passes away. If, when you pour water on the earth, it disappears almost immediately, it would be safe to water such plants every day. Always uso rain-water for plants if possible, or, if in towns, where spring-water only is available, it is w ell to expose the can to the air an hour or two before using. Never water a plant that is already wet, but when a plant is dry give sufficient to moisten it thoroughly. If very dry and hard, plunge the pot in a pail of water and allow it to remain there until the airbubbles cease to rise to the surface.

If a plant is growing and the pot Is well drained, it is nearly impossible to water it too freely. During winter and dull damp days, plants require water leas frequently than daring summer when the sun is powerful and the heat intense.

Never on any account allow a plant to stand in water, but after the plant is drained, empty out the saucer or bowl in which it stands. Thera is only one exception to this rule, and that is the plant known as Spirea Japonica, which thrives best when allowed to stand in several inches of water—provided, of course, that it be not stagnant water. PLANT HOUSES. Coleus, Fuchsias, &c., propagated from sturdy young shoots, form young plants for wintering in the cutting pots or potted off singly. The former stand the winter better in this state than do larger plants, which, if temperatures are at all low, are prone to dio ; and the latter make excellent early blooming plants in small pots. ’ : Herbaceous, Calceolaria Seedlings require to be pricked off from seed pans, also Primulas where sown somewhat late. It is better to prick both off when young than to let the seedlings become somewhat large growing densely together, then to place them forthwith direct into email pots, causing the loss of many. I Sohizanthus, I wely marked and fringed, half-hardy annuals, seeds of which should be sown now, form young plants for potting off singly and wintering in small pots to give early bloom displays. Such batches of young plants can be wintered in greenhouses upon shelves near to tbo glass. /•" '%j Overhead climbing plants require attention, especially in case of dull weather, when, long shoots that have flowered can be cut out,; and such as are yet to flower be brought into prominence more thinly, so as to admit; more light to the inmates below. Should mealy bug exist upon any, especially Stephanotis, every effort should bo made to free plants of it before winter. These pests succumb if brushed over with spirits of wine, though crushing them with the finger and thumb whenever observed, however disagreeable a process, is the readiest n.eaas for their extermination.

Balsams thumbergias, tuberous begonias, fuchsias, &c., will now mainly assist in making conservatories gay, and continued blooming is best assured by removing all decaying llowera and seed vessels as frequently as they occur. Weak manorial waterings, will also bo very serviceable *n prolonging bloom displays. Orchids, bolb cool and exotic, engaged i \ making young growths beside old pseudobulbs, though requiring ample root moisture, must nevertheless be watered with care when dull, sunless, and colder weather follows the sunshine and heat experienced. If water is permitted to rest unduly upon or about the young growths during the more adverse weather suggested, (here is danger they may rot off. If desirable to water or damp them overhead, therefore, under such weather conditions, do so eaily in the morning, so that they dry before night, and that drops of water do not attach to any supeificial parts, particularly avoiding such actual water lying in the axils of cyprepediums, cattleyas forming teude’r young spathes, &.