In the Garden

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 121, 24 May 1928, Page 20

In the Garden

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. A.M. —Autumn plants previously l-ei'er.ccl to in this column for special colourings should bo planted now, as tho fact' that the leaves take on varied shades Is an Indication that the sap is, going down. Having made your choice of plants, you will need to select a nurseryman for yourself, as it would bo invidious for "Practical" to do so. Tho trees and shrubs mentionpd will all grow admirably in tho locality in which you live. The best time for planting vines is in August 'or September; Black Hamburgh is a good variety and quite suitable for your purpose; It provides good early and middle-season grapes. "Information."—(l) Soot may be stored and used at any, timo. If for liquid manure it should be place— in a bag and soaked for several days before use. (2) To deal with wood-lice, place a few small flower-pots about the garden filled with dry moss by clearing then^in the daytlmo'; they maya>so bo caught by candle-light, but no noise must be mado as they drop from .their feeding-places at the slightest ,disturbance. (3) Soot mixed with water is an excellent liquid manure for sweet peas, but lime is of littlo value, except where there is a great deal of humus in tho soil, in which case it should be used before the sweet peas are planted; superphosphate, nitrate of soda, nitrate of potash, or sulphate of ammonia, in the proportion of a quarter ounce to the gallon of water, aro much more • beneficial. (4) Lime should be used for tlio purpose of breaking up the soil and helping the decomposition of humus, whilo bonedust should bo sprinkled over the surface and dug in just prior to planting. Lime used on a light soil soon brings about exhaustion. The best place for lime is on the compost heap. (..) It would be wiser to use superphosphate at the root of your hedge, ..as bonedust is far too slow for such a purpose. "Wood Ash."—Wood ashes are extremely ' beneficial to tho garden on account' of the amount of potash they contain. Being mixed with coal ash would not alter this result, though It might be -wise to i sift the ashes so that heavy pieces of half-burnt coal would not be mixed. "Johnsonville."—The shrub is Itetcnospora Squarossa (Japanese Plume Cypress),. It may be propagated by means of cuttings. Daphne should be layered- for propagation, tho method being to cut obliquely half through a joint, this -portion then being pegged down and covered with fine soil. 'In about six - weeks it should be ready for severing from the parent shrub, but should bo left undisturbed for a' further fortnight before transplanting. Your celery Is suffering with a scaly blight ' and should be sprayed with Black Loaf 4(1. F.W.—Gerberas should bo plantud now, any. good soil being suitable They should .be placed in as sheltered a position as possible, provided always that they get plenty of sun. It Is probable that your plants aro but young, in which caso it Is quite natural, for them to run to foliage. Each succeeding season they will continue to bloom more profusely. In futuro correspondence It will be necessary for you to forward your name in addition to -initials, the name not being necessarily for publication, but merely as a guarantee of good 'faith.

Br "PRACTICAL'