Gardening Notes

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 89, 14 April 1923, Page 17

Gardening Notes

(By "Experience.")

LAYING-OUT NEW GROUNDS,

It is rarely advisable to attempt the lay-ing-out of grounds and g&rdeas while the soil is dry. Suoh work is done to inuoh greater advantage, and more eoonomioally, when the soil has been moistened by autumn rains. Not only is the work more easily done, and therefore at lees cost, but when it is dry very few soils can be properly broken up. The most appropriate time for such work is now approaching. It is not intended to enlarge on the subjeot just now, 'but it eeems well to oall attention to mistakes that have been frequently made in the past on many occasions. The greatest fault, probably, hag been in the selection of trees. A very natural anxiety to provide shelter as quickly, as possible is, perhaps, mainly responsible for these mistakes. There is frequently a desire to establish a screen to make a place more private, and also a more or lesß laudable impatience with slow growth. The result has been that giant tress have been planted that, after a few years of usefulness, have become a ouree. In many places pine trees and Cupressus rnaorocarpa have almost- complete possession. I know that these trees frequently have been planted with the intention of cutting them out later on, when other less aggressive subjects have grown up. Unfortunately, this growingup^very rarely eventuates, as the big treeß prevent it. When at last the planter, or someone else, comes to realise what a curse these trees are, they also see that cutting them out would cause a great gap, and usually would necessitate starting again with new plants on ground rendered unfit to grow them. It is, of course, not intended to infer that everyone makes such mistakes, but everyone knows that they do frequently occur. In many other ways a place may be spoiled at the start, and in ways not easily remedied afterwards.

Town and suburban gardens are now becoming so very small, at least in moit cases, that they generally cause only sufficient work to provide the owner with healthy exercise, and rarely is there much room for design in laying-out. In country places, however, gardens are frequently of considerable extent, and they should be places of enjoyment. There are, in fact, some notable gardens in the country, and near provincial towns, but they are so rare that they are talked about. Quite evidently the reason for the rarity of pood gardens is because only a few have the knowledge and natural taste 'to make them so. It certainly is worth while for those who have the means, and who wish to make a garden, or to remodel an old one, to obtain the assistance of an accredited expert. The Dominion can now boast of the possession of. a considerable number of wealthy citizens, and these ihould realise that good gardens are a source of pride in all countries. They become national institutions as neoesßary to the enjoyment' and dignity of the owners. Very few business men have time to acquire a knowledge of arboriculture and horticulture, or opportunities either, and it is useless to expect to find - this knowledge in the possession of. the ordinary gardener, because it is a gift of a few. _ Only a specialist should be employed in ad- i visory work of this kind. SEED SOWING. In my last Notes there is a statement to the effect that it is best to use' sail on the poor side to sow seeds in. The poorness or otherwise of the soil, _ of course, has no effect at all on germination. If the requisite amount of moisture and warmth is present the' seeds will germinate. No soil at all is used in germination tests. The compost used should be of a character that will enable it to hold a fair amount of moisture for some time, but it must not be sodden. This means that there should be present only water that has been 1, absorbed by the soil-particles. If the soil-particles are surrounded by water, the soil.is rendered sour, because air is excluded, and in that state is not fit to raise seedlings in. A certain degree of fineness is necessary, and a ■ degree _of porosity,- as well as compactness. With these conditions right, the germs of the seeds can readily penetrate, and the young roots will be able to develop. In all cases' seedlings are left but a short- time to gro,w in the soil they are raised in. .They are priaked off as early as possible into fresh comtiost. In the first stage very little growth is wanted —scarcely more than is supplied by the plant food stored up in the seed iteelf. It is quite evident that rich soil ia not wanted, andit^is equally certain that it might do harm. - A somewhat different compost is required for th» pricking-out boxes, but even this-should not be very rich. The chief . objectiv« j should be to secure good roots, these beinc of far greater importance than bis; tops. ,Use a fair proportion : of clean leafmould, or stable manure that has decayed away till it is merely a fine black mould; cow manure is quite suitable, but must b« at least' two years old. It is hardly correct to call this material, manure, for th» fertilising elements have departed from it, and its fertilising powers are.almost nil. The value of this: vegetable mould is in. its effect in encouraging• root ■': formation The' use of artificials in box soil should be avoided,-'as it is fraught'with danger, and it is hardly possible for.it to do _ any good. Artificials, with rare exceptions, have to undergo some change in the soil before they ate available as plant food, and this change takes time, so that in I most cases the plants-would get none of it, as they are not long in the boxes. The acids in the fertilisers might, however, do a great deal of injury to tender Toots., I know some have a liking for blood" manure, thinking it is a quickacting fertiliser. It really is very slow in conversion to plant food, and box plants would rarely get any benefit from | it. It is, however, a very dangerous thing to use in box soil, and has been responsible for a good deal of damage. Clean loam, vegetable mould, some sand to add firmness and maintain porosity, with some sift-ings from rubbish fires where available, is all that is wanted both for seed-raising, and for pricking off soil, and the only difference that need be made is in limiting the vegetable mould in the compost for raising tha seeds. Wood ashes are sure to boe present in j ashes from a rubbish, fire, and most of the remainder will be burnt earth. This latter is useful in keeping the soil open and in sweetening the soil. Wood ashes contain a large amount of lime in a useful form, and an amount of carbonate of potash. The potash Fertilisers in use have to be ohanged to carbonate in the soil before plants can use them, so that the potash in wood ashes iB one of the very rare cases of the mineral being immediately available to the plant. 'The particular role of potash is to form staroh and sugar, whioh stiffen a plant and steady and prolong the period of growth, and enable plants to resist many diseases. PREPARING BOXES. The boxes should be shallow, became a small body of soil is most easily kept warm, and beoause a larger body of soil would eour easily. An additional reason with reference to the prioking off boxes is that a too great depth of soil would cause the seedlings to send a, few strong roots through the soil, whereas what is wanted is a , good bunch of roots in a small compass. Two and a half to three inches inside measurement is ample for boxeß. Very little provision for bottom drainage is required. All that is wanted is a crack or two where the boards do not quite meet. Some of the coarse siftings from the compost should be placed in the box first, taking up about one-third of the space. Then fill the box, heaped ■ measure, with compost and stroke off the surplus with a strip of wood. This ensures having a quite level surface. Noyf thoroughly water through the rose of a watering-pot, and leave it to drain. When. ■well drained add a tliin layer of compost from fte bench, and press moderately firm with a, clean briclll or a piece of board cut for the purpose, and it will be ready for the seed 9. A small riddle made by tacking a piece of perforated zino -on to a frame of thin battens is a good implement' with which to apply the kst covering of soil, and to oover theMcd« with.