Gardening Notes

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 91, 14 October 1922, Page 17

Gardening Notes

(By "Experience.")

A oowesponder/t has sent small plums that have fallen from a cherry plum tree. The tree blossoms very profusely, but they all drop. This is a oaog of lack of v fertilisation, but what has caused it I a"m unable to say. The matter ia much mow complex than anyone not conver-1 6ant with the ways of fruit trees would imagine. Though I cannot define the .cause in this case, the matter is worth some space, because a great number of people are interested in similar occurrences. Mrst, I may say that thero are; a few varieties of fruit, especially apples and pears, that will produce fruit without fertilisation, only a few, and I .have not heard* of a case .among plums. In nearly all cases fertilisation is necessary. Ripe pollen must be present' at the right time, and in a proper state. The cherry plum flowers earlier than-any other variety, therefore is nearly always dependent on its own pollen. This may be destroyed by a fierce gale of wind, or washed away by a heavy fall of rain. Blossoms may be weak and sparsely supplied with pollen, by over-production of blossoms, by a too strong vegetable growth in .the tree, the strength of the tree going into the leaf growth, to. feeble root-action caused by wet conditions at root, or by an over-abundance of nitrogenous matter in the soil. Long sprays o£ blossoms seldom produce fruit, and all such should be shortened more or less according to strength, so as to concentrate strength in those left. Fertilisation is effected by bees, butterflies, moths, and other insects, not by wind. . Bad. weather at setting time may make insects idle. A very important point is that most varieties of cultivated fruits'are sterile to.their own pollen. .This means that in the ease of most varieties, .they cannot produce fruit unless another variety of the same class is in flower nearby, and at the same time. I knmv of cases where people owning a smalt garden have planted one tree each of apple, pear, plum, cherry," apricot. Only, disappointment can result from this, as in most cases the trees will bo barren. It is- not safe to plant less than two trees of each fruit, and these must be -janeties that are in blossom..;, at the same time. In the. case of plums, and with the exception of- the cherry .plums, the varieties all flower near about the same time, the blossoming' • period -of the varieties overlapping sufficiently to enable any variety tc fertilise another. It is not so in the oaee of apples and pears. In these oases anyone intending to plant should first. ascertain the 1 flowering time of any particular variety they may desire to plant, and select Borne other ■ that ■ v.-ill serve for ' interpollination between the two. My experience with the cherryplum hau been fairly extensive. I have not found it to. be usually & prolific tree, and have not. found it to hold its f-uit to any extent untij' the sixth "or seventh year, and that hat been under conditions that ehoulc? produce, in that time, s tree very muoh stronger and' more. highly developed than could possibly be got in a suburban garden. If I .wished to plant a tree to give me a big crop of early fruit, I would choose Lord Kitchener,'a variety with cherrypluro relationship, but much larger fruit. I would plant an Evans Early for interpollination, this being a prolific variety ' of. better quality, and a little later ripening.; , I have gathered 3001b from a ton year old Lord Kitchener. „ • . ■

. -Finally, I must say that the little plums 6ent_ me, mentioned at the beginning of this article, were useless for examination: Such specimens should be sent in a small box, so that they are not crushed, then they can be examined to ascertain, if any disease is present. It would_ be best to send such speeiments to the Director of the Horticulture Division, Department of Agriculture, who would submit them to a biologist Questions regawJing time of flowering o£ varieties should be sent there also, where records are available. • . FLOWER GARDEN. Sweet Peas.—Wherr these have been raised for transplanting, it is quite time they were established ■in their flowering 1 quarters. When the plants have commenced to make new growth, if the object of growing for show, tho number of branches must be reduced. -The plants should be set twelve or fifteen inches apart, and the branches be reduced to on© or two, according to the strength of the variety. All oth©-. growths should be cut ofi. For ordinary purposes the plants can. be .much closer, ■ and the growths need not be thinned. It is not advisable to give much .nitrogen to peas. A fair amount o£ humus in the soil ie necessary. A light dressing- of superphosphate, soot, and lime will usually be sufficient. Soot is a useful fertiliser, supplying nitrogen chiefly, and is valuable as a deterrent to ground pests. . Ground intended for chrysanthemums should have a dressing of soot; if this is given, and the soil kept free of weeds, there is not likely to be any trouble with slugs, which are very partial to chrysanthemums. # Woodlioe are very destructive in the garden, eating practically any plant. The presence of these creatures is, evidence of wa-nt o£ care. They never; stay in places that are frequently disturbed. They harbour in crevices in the soil in plants that form a dense bunch of foliage near the surface of the soil,, under old boards or rubbish of any kind; in fact, anywhere where it is a little damp and where they are not disturbed. Places that have features that make it iifficult to clear the woodlice out can quickly be cleared by. a few ducks or hone. Planting box-raised stuff will need to be pushed on.; The present is an excellent time for planting, but with most plants the sooner they are Out the better chance they will haveto do well. ' Salpigloesis, zinnias, phlox Drummondii, leptosyne, ten-week etocka are among the good things that require 'time. Phlox- Drummondii make a better plant when 1 the young growths are pinched occasionally. The finst pinching may be don© while in this box, or a? soon as growth begins before planting out. . POTTING PLANTS. : The compost for pot« is an important item. A plant in a pot is in an. artificial position. The roots are restricted to » very small Bpace, and in conditions that make frequent applications of water necessary. The compost should be of a character that will admit of frequent soakings of .irator without setting hard or becoming sour and soggy. The mechanical condition of the compost is o£ chief _ importance. A compost may be poor in plant food, yet if the mechanical state is right it will grow almost any plant, as fertilisers can be given in tho water. . >The best material to form the bulk is turfy loam. This is turf cut not more than two inches thick, and stacked till the grass is dead. Turf from a very old upland pasture is best, because it is full of grass roots. The dead roots in the compost s,upply humua in a useful form, and help to keep the compost open. Leaf-mould, whore it can be got, old stable manure, or very old cow manure are used as^ ■humus, with sharp sand to add body and keep the compost open. The compost is used in varying proportions as regards its component parts, and in. different degrees of fineness according to tho kind of plant and its stage of development. Drainage is of the highest importance. It is not sufficient to place a piece o£ crock in tho bottom; ono or more pieces of crock are needed, and these mus' be protected from tho loose soil. Some -material that will not quick!} decay should cover tho cracks—rough fibre shaken out of tho compost. Sphagnum moss, the fibre that, covers coconuts, cither of these or anything similar will answer.

SEED SOWING.

- There can bo no doubt but that a good many seeds are lost because insufficient pr-ecautions aro taken to meet cases of dolayed germination. I have myself had experiences in a new location that 1 had not met before. I refer to _ a copious growth o£ mois on the soil in pots or send boxes. In the case of seeds that germinate quickly, it docs not matter, but some seeds tako a gooc] many months to corns up. In such ciwea a moss growth weans }pss of the .seeds. Another trouble,

and a common one, is weed seed*. It ■woti-ld be fatal to some small eeeds to have a crop of weeds among them,-and in the case of delayed. (Termination weeds would at least ba a sarioue nuisance. The only safe plan is to sterilise the soil—by no means an easy matter in many cases, A compromise can. be made that will bring it ivithin the compa«6 of everyone. I find it sufficient to sterilise the soil used on the surface of the boxes, and this requires but little soil. Very few amateurs have many boxes to sow that require special preparations. The plan I adopt for nay own use will do for most. I use an oil drum with the top knocked out. A: few inches of water is put in first, then the leaf-mould or soil. The drum is then placed on a fire, tho water soon boils, and heate all the soil. Let it boil till the water is mostly gone, and all seed and insects will bo killed.