GARDENING NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 23, 28 January 1911, Page 14

GARDENING NOTES.

(By "Experience.") THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Continued hot weather and natural light rainfall is having an exhausting effect da peas. Copious watering and heavy mulching will keop them in good form, but crops are never as good at this part of the season as fchoy are earlier; it will be useless to bow more. French beans, on the other hand, revel in hot weather, provided, of course, the ground is good ; they are not in noed of much water, doing well in soil too hot and dry for peas. More of these may be sown. Burpee's Brittle Wax is a variety I can strongly recommend—very prolific, and of excellent quality. The brown-seeded butter bean is also first class, and more suitable to tiie grower of large supplies than the former, because the pods are larger, therefore more quickly gathered. These beans are often grown too crowded; each plant should stand clear of its neighbour, rather more than a hand's span apaku they then last longer^ produce better poosxand aro much handier to gather. \ Turnips should still be sown in small breadths, as they will not stand long. Carrots may be sown if desired. Though they will not make largo roots, they will be useful to anyone not having been able to provide earlier. A mistake is often mado in handling a carrot bed, which leads 4 to a great deal of waste. Carrots less in size than the fingers of tho hand are of excellent flavour ; they are in fact at their beat at that stage, being devoid of the strong flavour they acquire later on. If _ the_ beds are left with only moderate trimming, supplies can be drawn as wanted, and further thinning done in that way, with this management the amount of crop from a patch is astounding, exceeding any other crop. Lettuce seed should bo sown in lines, where the plants are to grow, thinning to the "equirod dis. tance. This is the surest way to get heads in hot weather, as the check of transplanting frequently causes them to bolt to seed. Leeks should be got out by now; they ¦will not make much progress for a long time, but with the approach of spring will move quickly, and will make fine plants for use in September and October, a time when vegetables are very soarce. Leeks are usually grown too early," but get them at the right time and they aro most valuable. They require good ground, yet I havo found them responsive to artificial manure; they make most of their growth— if planted when I advise —at a time when there is plenty of moisture, so strong, moist manure is not wanted for ,that purpose. 'Most growers plant leeks in trenches, but this takes up time, and is waste of soace". I draw a line and strew some bonedust along it, then make deep holes with a dibber. The plants to be put out should bo Bin or more long. Let the olant down nearly its full length into the hole, lift it out far enough to straighten the roots, which will _ get doubled up, then thrust tho dibber into the soil a couple of inches from tho hole, and lever it in to the plant; that will close the hole and make the plant firm. At the same time, some of the bonedust is sure to run down to the bottom of the hole whon the dibber first makes it. it is now quite late enough to plant cabbages and broccoli— left any longer it will be useless. It is often possible to plant_ when there is no vacant ground. For instance, a crop of peas may have some time to run yet, broad beans may be nearly done, cabbage or broccoli may be planted in the space beside them, chop the soil up with a hoe if hard, and give a little superphosphate and bonedust. Then, when the adjoining crop is finished and cleared off, dig in some manure, or put it on top to be washed in Dy rain. Thus, you can use ground to its fullest capaoity as I havo often Bad to do. As lettuces are taken for use pull them out instead of outtiug, and drop two or throe seeds jn the place of each, and you will have a succession without extra ground. Spinach for winter use may be put in a bit later. Silver beet may be sown now; turnip in quantity in six or seven weeks' time. A little hellebore powder dusted into the hearts of young cabbage and broccoli giants will do much to save them from injury by the, caterpillar of the cabbage moth. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Carnationß that were layered will . be greatly benefited by watering. It is not reasonable to expeot them to root quickly if the soil is very dry; moreover, it may have been necessary to put raised heaps of soil or sand abou'u them to layer in, for it is not always possible to get the shoots down to ground level; in that case such heaps are sure to be dry at this time of the year, and unless the layers are rooted early the chief advantage of layer, ing is lost. The planting of early flowering bulbs should be got on with, and fch.is applies particularly to any that are to be lifted and transplanted, for some of them remain dormant a very short time. Lifting some grapo hyacinths a few days ago I found _ they were rooting freely, and Laohanalias and wood hyacinths aro prob. ably in the same condition. Bulbs purchased from the florist are, of course, in a more backward state, for they were lifted as soon as the foliage died down, and being kept dry, are later in starting. Still, even with theße, it is natural for them to get to work, as a long, steady start is better for them than only a short period of growth before flowering, la many -places the soil gets very- unkind, and hard to work when dry; in such cases some soil should be provided to cover the bulbs. Ixias, sparaxis, tritonias, crocus, babianas, anemones, freesias, grapo 'hyaoinths, and laohenalias should all be nlanted now. The grape hyacinth is Muscaria Botryoides; there is a white and a blue variety, both are beautiful. Other Muscarias are the feathered, and tho tasseled hyacinth. They are more curious than beautiful, yet well worth growing. Freesias are usually | comprehended in two varieties, refracta alba — white — Leitohlinii — white and yellow. There is now a pink variety — Arm- 1 strongi— a great acquisition, the flower is really tinted pink and yellow in very delicate shades, and has the perfume of the older sorts. Anemones are frequently planted too deep, they require a aunny spot, loose well-drained soil, ana to be covered aboutono inch with fine soil. Crocuses are very unobtrusive little plants in their habit and requirements, yet they command a good deal of attenI tion when in flower, for they are beautiful flowers. The most effective way to use thorn in our gardens is round tho margins of beds and borders, and when in quantity they make a beautiful pioture in early spring. They may be planted so near the odges as not to interfere with planting of other things for later ofiect, which may be allowed to ovei'grow tho space the crocuses occupy, only cleaving such growth away in time to mako room for tho evoouses whon they come up again. A start may be made with sowing in the open ground of annuals, etc., that are not to be transplanted. Hunnomannia fum&rialfolia is a flower I find jnuch admired ; the flowers are of a singularly clear | and puro yellow with crenulated petals and orange stamens, and the foliage is also very pretty— a very useful flower for decorating. The plant will transplant only with difficulty ; it^ should, therefore, be sown whore ;t; t is to grow. The nomesias, again, are most beautiful flowers, fow, if any annuals equal them in that respect. Sown now choy should be in flower before winter, and in that case thoy will continue to flower freely all through tho winter if in a sunny spot. In a convenient patch of free soil a start may be made to sow suoh things as will require transplanting. The various stocks are easily raised in thii way, and also wallflowers. THE GREENHOUSE. Now is the latest time for sowing cinrraria, and is tho date, q» near it, on which I always sow the main batch. The same remarks apply to calceolaria. Primulas that have been grown in boxes should now bo potted up, and those in pots should be looked to for ie-potting; keop thorn a bit shaded for a few days after potting, and after that give them plenty of light and abundant air; grow thorn as hardy as possible iv fact. Careful attention to watering is necessary in the conservatory, no plant should be watered unless il wants it; no plant should wunt it and not got it. Tho plants should bo looked uirough both morning and evening, and somo will require water at both ends of the day. Frequent watering naturally impoverishes the soil. This must be compensated by the use of liquid manure, not too often, as the plants will so sick.

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