In the Garden

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 79, 3 April 1926, Page 21

In the Garden

•r "Practical" SHORTENING DAYS

GETTING THE BEST OUT OF THE SOIL

KEEP THE SURFACE LOOSE.

"A.M.P.," Paremata.—The shrub commonly called the duck plant is Suthovlandia Frutesceus, and belongs to the natural order of Leguininosao. It is not usually a long-lived shrub, but should certainly last more than two sea- j sons. However, as it is easily raised from seed sown in the spring a supply can readily be kept up. With reference to your second inquiry as to the correct time to prune American Pillar Roses, all the ramblers should be pruned as soon as they have finished flowering. As the blooms are borne on young growth all old wands should be cut right out to allow plenty of space for the young growth. I should advise you to attend to yours now and to damage the tender young -wands as little as possible in the operation. After • removing the old wood, tie in the young growths Becurely, aa they are easily damaged when allowed to sway about in the wind. "T.0.H.," Brooklyn.—Pine needles have a certain manurial value, as nearly all decayed vegetable matter has, but thore are few things of less value. Provided you can get the pine needles in> large quantities handily, by all means dig them in. At the same time sprinkle some salt over them; this will help to keep them moist and hasten decay. If your garden is so deficient in humus, every bit of weed should be dug in, provided, of course, that dock's, sorrel, and couch grass are not included. With the shortening days gardeners should do all in their power to keep the soil warm for the roots of the growing crops. This may be done very simply by keeping the surface soil constantly loose. When allowed to cake or form a hard crust the rays of the sun cannot penotrate and the soil soon gets cold. The Kitchen Garden. Evergreen or winter rhubarb should be encouraged aa this will prove a valuable crop for the next few months. The beds should be cleaned up and forked over and then a mulch of stable manure placed round the plants. If stable manure is not available, fowl manure is very valuable for this crop, but if neither of these can be got then work in some bone dust and give the plants small applications of nitrate of soda. Continue the earthing up of celery. Remove all sid» growths and clean round the plants, and be careful not to get the soil into the heart. Lift and store potatoes as soon as the tops turn yellow. It is a mistake to leave them in the ground as they are liable to start into new growth, and may very easily contract disease should the weather be continually wet. Harvest onions as soon as the tops turn yellow. Leave them lying on the ground for a few days in tho sun to dry, then store in a dry airy shed. Plant cabbage and cauliflowers while the ground is in a moist warm condition. Land which wbb manured for potatoes or onions is very suitable for these crops. Sprinkle some lime over tho ground either before digging or before the plants are put out.. Sow turnips as advised previously, and a few stump-rooted carrots may also be sown. Sow onions for spring salads and for transplanting in the spring. Chose a warm well-drained position for the onion bed which should be composed of fairly rich light soil, well consolidated. It is always better to tow in rows rather than broadcast SB the crops are so much more easily weeded and thinned. Dig over all vacant land, working in stable manure or humus of some kind. Ground which will not be required for cropping until the spring should bo dug roughly and left in that state for the frost and weather to sweoten it. Keep growing.crops free from weeds and earth up cabbage and cauliflower to prevent them being blown over. French and runner beans will continue to bear for some time yet, provided the pods are picked regularly and none are allowed to ripen. SPRING FLOWERING BULBS. The planting of all spring flowering bulbs should be completed as soon as possible to allow them to become well rooted before the soil gets cold. Anemones and ranunculi should also be got in as soon as possible. See that the ground is well worked before planting, and add a little bonedust to it. Sweet peas should be sown now, both tho early flowering and summer varieties. These are deep-rooted plants, and the deeper the ground is dug and manured Hie better the results. The seed may either be planted in the qpen ground where tho plants are to grow, or they may be raised in boxes or pots iv a frame or green-house. The advantage of raising them under cover is that they are loss liable to suffer damage from slugs or other pest 3, b"' it should be borne in mind that the young plants must not bo coddled; in fact, they should be grown quite hardy. They do not make much growth in the early stages, but they are making good roots, and as soon as sufficient warmth is in the ground top growth will come away very rapidly. Gladiolus should be lifted as soon as the tops start to turn yellow. If lifted at this period the tiny bulbils adhere to the mother corn, and are not left in the ground. After lifting spread them out on a sack to dry. The tops should be cut off a few inches from the conn —not pulled off on any account. As soon is they are thoroughly dry clean off the old roots and small bulbils, and store away in paper bags or on shelves in some dry, airy shod. Except in the case of rare varieties it is not worth while bothering with the small bulbils which should bo burnt. Where it is deisirod to increase the stock of any particular variety the bulbila should be replanted at once in a nursery bed whore t'.\ry may remain until of flowering size. Chrysanthemums require careful watching at this season, as they are subject to attacks by caterpillars, whioh damage the buds. Spraying with arsenate of'lead, loz to the gallon, will account for most of these pests. As soon as tho buds show, weak liquid manure onco a week will greatly benefit the plants. Never give liquid manure while the ground is dry. Dahlias also require attention. Thoso plants are just coming to their beauty, and to get tho best results at least some of the side shoots should be removed, and the buds bo thinned out. Bemove .all blooms as soon as they arc past their best, and soe that the plants are securely tied to the stakes. HARDY ANNUALS. Many of the hardy annuals may be sown now. Scatter the seed thinly, and do not cover too deeply. Seeds sown at this season do not require so much covering as those sown when tho dry weather is on. This is a good time to strike rose cuttings. Many of the toa and hybrid tea roses root readily from .cuttings. Chooso short lateral growths about Sin long of ripo wood. Ecmovo with a heel 'if possible, and cut off jus 1- übovo n joint* at the tap. Plant in rows in an open position, placing two-thirds of the cutting in the ground and making the. soil very firm at the base of the | cuttingß. Sonio sharp sand for the

base of the cuttings to rest on will encourage them to form roots. It is claimed that roses grown from cuttings aro the best for sandy soils. Ground should be prepared for shrub and tree planting. This work should not be donj iv a half-hearted way as, once planted, the tree or shrub will re-' J main for years in the same position. The ground should be trenched at least 2ft deep, and plenty of manure worked into the lower spit, but not so -that it will come in direct contact with the roots. Where the ground is of heavy clay some provision must be made for drainago, otherwise the hole will fill with water, which will be unable to escape. Such a condition would obviously be detrimental to the plant. Violets will soon be coming into bloom, and to get good results the plants must be kept healthy. Fork in a little bonedust around the leaves badly effect- , all runners and any leaves badly effected with red-spider. For general purposes the single violets are best, but some of the double varieties are wetl worth growing for their scent. Keep all parts of the garden as free from weeds as possible, and remove dead blooms from the plants a3 soon as they appear.