GARDENING NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 25, 29 July 1922, Page 17

GARDENING NOTES

(By "Experience.")

RAISING PLANTS IN BOXES.

The present is the time to bow seeds o£ half hardy annuals in boxes. Conditions requisite are: A little more heat than prevails in the open ground at the present time, a moderate amount of moisture, and darkness. Small seeds do not germinate if exposed to light; The compost for the boxes should bo of a light; and preferably rather sandy, nature. The compost may, and will, vary' a good deal in its make-up. The ideal is a good fibry loam for the main bulk, with a fair amount' of good loaf mould riddled fine, and sufficient sand to keep it open. Very old manure may take the pl-aoa of leaf mould, this being iiter&ly decayed vegetable matter. The compost Bhould not be rich, and no artificial m&nure of any kind should be, used. Boxes should be about two and a half inches deep! they should not be much deeper, because it i 9 necessary to fill them practically full of compost, and too great a, bulk of soil is not favourable to seed raising. The reason for filling the boxes with compost is because if the young seedlings are not well' exposed to light and air they become drawn, and leggy.. There is no need for holes drilled in the bottom of the box. Few of "the. boxes used are co closely mode as to hold water, and, unless they will do so, no holes need be made. Some rough siitings from the compost should be put in first, sufficient to make a good layer. Then fill the box more than full with compost, stroke it off level with a piece of batten, and press the compost rather firmly with a piece ;of board or a clean' brick. Now water_ thoroughly through the rose of a watering pot; give sufficient to saturate tho soil; leave it to drain out. Next give a slight covering of compost through a. .fine riddle. Press this level and (scatter ihe seeds. Cover lightly with compost. For this purpose a riddle made with a. piece of perforated zinc answers well. Stand the box in the intended position, cover with a sheet of news paper, and on1 that a.sheet of glass. No watering /will be required till the seedlings are Up. If the compost, were thoroughly watered, and the box is shaded my the manner indicated, there will be ample moisture to secure germination. The most frequent cause of failure is neglect of these precautions. If the surf ace in exposed it" dries very quickly.■■ This alone may kill germinating seeds, and the .watering neoessaTy in such cases disturbs the 6eeds. and usually destroys a good many of them. In the case of very small seeds, such as lobelia and calceolaria,, the seeds should not be covered. Lightly press them into the surfaoe with a^olean brick or piece of board. The paper covering will provide darkness, and the glass will prevent loss of moisture by evaporation. In all oases watch closely for. germination, and, when it takes place ■ gradually expose the seedlings to light and^ air.

PRUNING ROSES. Hybrid Perpetuate.—These ax* the varieties with a more or less upright rigid habit of growth, not in most cases making tall bushes. Among these are some of the oldest roses—General Jacquimenot 1853, Alfred.! Colomb 1865, A. K. Williams 1877, Prince Camille de Rohan 1861. These old varieties are still considered unsurpassed | by others of similar colour. Modern sorts are the two Dicksone (George and Hugh), and others, including the best of all white varieties, Frau Karl Druschki (aleo known as Snow Queen). The pruning required' is to keep the growth well down, and compact, and prevent crowding. • A single trunk should be kept to a few inches above ground level. In the first place a young bush should be pruned down to within a bud .or .two of the base. .In future years prune according to strength. A branch three feet long may be reduced to one foot. Less strong growth should be cut lower, and all side growths cutback to about two buds. On old bushes remove entirely parts that are in any way enfeebled by age, leaving .strong young wood in their place. .There is often reluctance to cut down, but it should be borne' in mind that it mates no difference where the.cut,is made, the same number of new shoots will be made. The new shoots resulting from a out will be two or three in number. If a three-foot growth is reduced by one foot, the new growth will come from the top buds, makings a lanky bush, and enfeebled growth. Reduce it to one foot and ysu get the same number of new shoots, .(but in a better position; the growth is stronger: and the bush more shapely. ; Frau Karl Druschki requires different pruning to any other in the same class. I may say, inter alia, that this variety, does not give its best on its own roots; it should be budded on the marmetti "etock. I have in my house a photograph of a plant carrying over 200 bloseoms in various stages of development, all showing oolour, besides numerous unbroken buds. The bush in growth was nearly eight feet high, and as much' in breadth, but /not through, it being tied out to keep from the wall of the house. The habit of growth is different to that of any other rose. Long- growths were left where there was1 room without crowding. All long growths are clad .with strong twigs. . The latter only were shortened, this being «lone according to strength, the strongest being left eight inches long, the weakest only a bud or two. . Hybrid Teas.—ln this class there is now included varieties formerly known as Teas. The idea is right, for they are hybrids, but there still is an anomaly, as it includes Captain Christy and'several others that should be pruned in tho same way ; as h.p.'s. The pruning required for the class in general is the removal. of old_ branches that have become very twiggy, leaving younger wood in their place, and a slight shortening of young twigs left. When extra fine blooms' are required harder pruning must be done, and the system outlined will produce ,a greater number""of smaller blossomß. •Polyantha Roses —There., are the socalled buttonhole roses," Pcrle dOr and others: Hard pruning makes flowerless bushes. Merely thin out old branches when a bush becomes crowded, and shorten the tops just sufficient to remove immature tips. Climbing Roses—Ards Rover and Devoniensis are types. Young rods should be laid in. Rods more than two years old c.ut out. A strong young vod, if tied down, or over an arch, should bear flowers at nearly every eye. These flowers arc borne on twigs. The following winter cut each of these twigs back to, two buds. The following winter cut the rod out. This means that a rod is formed one season, flowers tho next from eyes, twigs •are cut back to spurs, a crop of blossoms is taken from the spurs, then the rod is done with. The rod grows one year, ia kept two other years. Where this system is.followed there is no tangled growth; all is systematic order and easily managed. Rambler Roses—Dorothy Perkins and others belong to this c!»ss. The correct treatment is to cut- out old twiggy branches as soon'as flowering is past. This is seldom dono in this country, and is 'usually impossible, for in most cases the growths are tang-led up in wire netting or trellis work. In such cases take th« 'hedge shears and clip, them buck to make an.oven face; cut well back. They flower quite well with this treatment. .

. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Tho weatlier. has been far from favourable of late, and this branch of gardening is likely to be in arrears. Oppori tunity should be taken ■ whenever tho ■ soil ' and weather is fit to push on. Get seeds in when possible, and plants also. If things are started they will move when the, weather improves, as it will soon. Do not attempt to force anything* at present. Stablo manure would make, the soil colder; it is alwaya best to plant or sow for early crops on soil that does not need manure. Nitrato of soda will push on, green crops when the weather becomes warmer; if given at present it would only cans© delay,. because ,it makes tho soil cold. 'Carrots, parsnips, and red beet still unused .may now be dug out. .This will enable preparation of ■ the soil for another crop. The roots dug can bo buried cloie together in the soil. Latvian when they eliow signs of growing take them up, remove tho tops, end place them

under cover, where they can bs kept dry: and in darkness. Plant or sow peas, carrots,1 turnips, tur-nip-rooted red beet, onions, lettuce, radish, broad beans, rhubarb, asparagus, celery, tomato, shallots, and garlic. Insect and fungus pests in tho soil take considerable toll of tomato and other crot>s grown, under glass. In an article in tha Journal of Agriculture for July the trethod of soil-Btoriliation with live stoairi is dealt with, with special reference to operations in glasshouses at Nelson, whore tomato-growing has_ become a specialised industry. A series of photographs illustrates tho process very clearly.