GARDENING NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 53, 4 March 1922, Page 11

GARDENING NOTES

(By "Experience.")

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

Sow turnipe, spinach, silver beet, lettuce, cabbage, and cauliflower, radish, and onions for salading.

Plant cabbages and savoys.

The latter are mentioned Ibecauie I know that many gardeners who could not find room earlier will be anxious to plant; where such planting is done I advise close E laming. Bull development cannot be ad; few will make solid hearts, therefore a little more than leaves will result. It is us well to get as much as may be had from the space allotted to them. Spinach is a sure crop where given fairly good soil, being subject to no special blight, nor to insect pests, excapt slugs arid snails, which are no trouble at this time of the year. 'A little potash in some form should be used for spinach. If a plentiful supply of ashes from a rubbish tire are available, this with soot, given at a rate of about 71b per square rood, will be all the fertiliser needed; failing ashes give sulphate of potash, one ounce per square yard. Turnipe should now be sown for use in winter. Sow two kinds, a white, such as Snowball, and a yellow fleshed variety such as Golden Ball or Orange Jelly. The white variety should be used first as it will not stand as long as the other. The yellow-fleshed varieties are the best flavoured in winter and stand well.

Cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce may now bo oown for early spring crops. The month of March is commonly a dry montlj, and is a trying time for crops. It is rarely possible to apply sufficient water to moisten the soil to any depth, and if that cannot be done, it ib better not to water at all. A good_ hosing over the tops of plants does good; it refreshes the leaves and. disposes of a good many >2nsect3, aphis in particular. Watering the surface soil only does harm by encouraging roots near the surface, wMch get dried 1 up tho first hot day. Celery will not do much without water. This should have plenty, but most crops will do best by paying attention to the soil, keeping it free f-o.w weeds/ and a loose surface. '

Climbing and dwarf beans should be closely gathered. Take all as soon as they aro the proper size. If there are more than is wanted for use, still gather them if only to drop them on the ground. Dwarf beans do not last long in any case; they stop growth very quickly if beans are formed in the pods. Runner beans will produce-as long as the soil is warm enough, provided that beans are not formed. If there is a desire to save seeds leave a few plants of dwarfs for that purpose, or a few pods of runners, jwt what Is wanted and no more. In the case of peas, at any rate, it does not pay to save seed in a small garden where a full supply of vegetables cannot be grown. Peas are the most expensive of all crops, because the return they give is the least from a given space. Where only a part of the supply can be grown it would pay best to leave peas out. To save seed for another season* is, under such circumstances a very expensive proceeding. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Dry soil should not be a, reason for delaying planting bulbs It is in some cases not too pleasant to work dry soil, but it is necessary to make the best of it. One good thing in having to work dry soil is that it sometimes shows that it is not in as good condition as we thought. If it breaks up in lumps it requires rectifying. In very many cases frequent hoeing may t show a. good surface, but beneath it may be tough as leather, but it only shows its,condition when dry, as water causes it to' break up. When- soil ia in this state plants pannot thrive, roots cannot work freely in it, and if watering is done it runs down between the lumps, but cannot penetrate them; Sometimes this condition is caused by the soil becoming too wet during wintsr; in such cases draining is the only remedy. In' other cases it ia the composition of the soil that is at' fault, and the remedy must be in accord-' ance. Coarse sand, vegetable matter of almost any kind that is perishable, burnt earth, residue of rubbish fires, are all useful. Road sand was a valuable material in former days; now it is dangerous to use it on account of the petrol it often contains. / A good deal of valuable material is being wasted about town in the old mor**r *P<l plaster rubbish from demolished buildings; but I suppose no one would care to pay for thu cartage at present rates. Turf from old pastures contains the fibrous roots of grasses, and is best of all materials for improving soil. Here pgain cost is excessive, besides which turf is not easily got. Knowing the difficulties that have to be contended against in getting material, th© best use should be made of that which is at hand. All vegetable refuse that will rot down should be kept, place it in a heap in a convenient corner, andi sprinkle air-slaked lime on it. Lime will assißt decay and also prevent the formation of fungus growths ' that would cause blighte; all woody matter should be burned, and 1 the ashes should be strewn on the garden as soon 'as cold, or bo stored in a dry place before rain, falls on them. The mechanical effect of wood Mhesjs good, apart from the value of th« potash they contain. To return to bulb planting. It would D 9 wrong to plant them in lumpy soil, and where such is met with some means must be found to' improve it. It ib always good to keep some good compost at hand to cover bulbs with. Ranunculus are usually in » very sbrivelled-up state when procured for planting. It is usual to soak the tubere m water for a few hours.to plump them, up before planting. It ia quite a S«» Plan if after treatment ia right, the tubers should be covared with somo nice light compost, \such a-s a mixture of very old manure, loam, and s»nd. If the soakod tubere were planted in very dry soil, particularly if not too friable, they would l» liable to rot, as the dry soil would be likely to draw the moisture out of them. In such circumstances they would be safer not soaked. .

Carnations that were layered early should by now be well rooted, in whioh case they should'^ be .separated from the parent plant. It saves time in examination if after having seen that the layers aro fairly rooted, by examining one on a fw ' il «on, nec, tlnff stem is then cut disturbed. Any that are not well rooted may wilt » bit; they will soon recover,' jT' 1 m, ake ™?re roota ' and be in 6t condHion or lifting in r, week or two It is hardly worth while to layer after this date, cuttings wilj do better. • These can be put m the open ground wherever tho soil is suitable. ' THE FRUIT GARDEN. ■ trZ,6^ 3 Sh°? l? tbe allowed rou"<l fruit trees if good fruit is expected. The trees require the moisture the weeds rob them of. In places where grass is allowed to grow under the trees, the fruit is never anything better,than very medium, and insect and fungus pests are usually abundant. Apples and pears nearly always require treatment for codlin moth- the remedy is to spray with arsenate of lead using the paste at the rate of half an ounce to one, gallon of water, or a little more than half that amount if the arsenate is in powder form. Gooseberry and currant bushes should not be neglected now that the fruit is past; the soil should be kept clean and loose, so that the first raiuo, that fall may penetrate to the roots. On rich Jlats a fow weeks of neglect is not of much consequence, but in less favoured circumstances a little care is well repaid, and it must be remembered that so long as the leaves are on the bushes they have work to do. The next crop depends on the way the buds are developed and matured. . THE VINERY. As soon as the fruit is quite ripe the •atmosphere of the house should be kept as dry as it can be by reasonable treatment —that is to say, damping' down will cease, and the bottom ventilators be opened during 6ne weather. "^vTop v air should be on night and day, ana be careful not to be caught with' a clo3sd-up house when there is sudden sunshine on a_ rainy day, or berries may crack badly. Keep a look-out for damaged berries; they oommunicate the rot to sound fruit; also for caterpillare among the bunches. If a berry falls or fails to ripen up, look for a caterpillar and remove it. A lot of people have their vines dirty with mealy bugi; the bug* c»n he kept out of tha bunohee by tying * wad m ootton wool round thi lUlk,