GARDENING FOR THE WEEK.

Evening Star, Issue 14226, 27 November 1909, Page 10

GARDENING FOR THE WEEK.

[We have completed arrangements with a well-known gardener to conduct a weekly, letter. Our contributor will be glad to answer questions, which must be received not later than Tuesday of each week.] ' —The Vegetable Garden.— Every advantage should he taken of this showery weather to get all transplanting carried out expeditiously, as by so doing the plants scarcely feel their shift, and start growing away at once. This is a 'very important point to consider when; dealing with celery, for it is almost impossible to do these well if they be allowed to get very dry. It is therefore advisable to take such chances as this > showery weather affords. The plants may be grown with one, two, three, or more rows in each trench, and if the ground has been well trenched—say, two spades deep—the trenches should bo opened out, Ift deep and Ift wide for a single row, or 2ft for three rows, planting one row up the centre and one three inches from either side. That will give nine inches between the rows. Plant them in from six to nine inches in the rows, dig in a good dressing of well-rotted manure in the trenches previous to planting, and a good soaking of water after planting,', though the ground may bo wet. This settles the soil about them. You need not bo frightened that you will over-water this plant, for you cannot make it too wot for them. On the other hand, they would he sure to ruu to seed if allowed to get dry at their roots for long. Plant out all kinds of cabbage and cauliflower; sow savoys and broccoli for winter use. Sow also for succession peas, beaus runner, French, and broad varieties; also radish, lettuce, mustard, and cress. Earth up potatoes as they become strong enough. —The Vinery.— Grape Thinning.—The ' success or failure depends to a great extent whether this is done properly or not. It presents many points of difficulty to the inexperienced. The first thing to be done after the fruit is well set is to determine the number of hunches each vino is to carry or is capable of doing. There is an old rule on this subject, and generally speaking. a good and safe one, and that is to allow from one to one and a-half pounds for every running foot of cane. As I have explained m previous notes, well thin, and select all the best-shaped bunches you require and number of same, then cut off all the rest. Now, these discarded bunches, and also the thinnings, need not he wasted, for they make an excellent wine, as I who have made thousands of bottle know, so if any of my readers wish to try it. I will tell them how to go about it. Twentyfive pounds will make live gallons, and if you can scrape up that many it is worth trying. In the hands of expert thumers it may be done at one thinning, hut with the novice it should bo done in two—that is, in about a fortnight after the proper thinning they should he gone over again. The hunch is composed of a main stem from the stalk to its base: from this stem little branches of grapes form. These upper branches are called shoulders. Now procure a pair of long-pointed grape scissors from your seedsman, then get a nice pointed' stick about the thickness oi a pencil and proceed by lifting one of these shoulders high enough to enable you to clip away all the underberries and also all the small ones first :—those that are close to the stem, and more so than those on tho outside, as tho inner ones have not the room to expand that the outside ones have. Having finished one shoulder, proceed with tho next, and so on around the hunch downwards until the bunch is finished. Where those bunches arc large they should hdvo their shoulders tied out with thin- raffia grtss or tape to the branches or wire above. When you thiuk you have finished, look at tho bunch as a whole arid see that no berries are touching each other. A good guide as to tho distance apart to thin the berries is so that you can put your finger between each berry. When these berries have grown to about the size of green peas they should be gone over again. It will then be found that the berries will require easing by clipoing out a berry hero and there to allow all to expand alike A hunch that has been properly thinned should, when ripe and cut, lie on a dish and maintain its proper position without falling away flat. Never handle berries with the hand or fingers, but always use the stick, as described above. —The Greenhouse..-

Most plants in the greenhouse will be growing away at a groat rate just now, and will require a lot of attention in repotting or potting on as they require it, such as ftichsias for instance. They should be kept going by pinching out the points when each shoot lias made four or live loaves, so that they will grow on to the size required. A cry tine specimens can be had by paying attention to this stuping and also to the potting on. These like a good, rich soil, two parts turfv soil, one leaf mould, one dean sharp sand, and one of old manure thoroughly well mixed, using also dean pots anil dean crocks. A sprinkling over head on hue mornings and evenings with a nice, warm atmosphere should grow them to perfection. .gloxinias that. are showing flower will be greatly benefited with a watering once or twice a week w-ith guano water, one largo table spoonful in one gallon of water. When raising the young seedlings of these it is a good plan to prick out six or eight in a moss basket, and if suspended from the roof they look very prettv when in flower. Begonias treated in the same way make delightful objects when in flower. Both of these plants like good sou, but not too flue—two parts turf oyc loaf mould, one very old manure, halt a part of wood ashes, and one of clean sharp sand. This is pressed into the moss baskets quite firm, and the above number of young plants pricked j u -. Hang them up a convenient height and m a shady position. Keep them nice and moist and free from draughts. Cineraria.-—This is a good time for making the first sowing of these. Get a 4in or 6in pot and place two inches or three inches of crocks in the bottom, then nil with any good turfy loam, with sufficient sand to sake it porous! then sow the seed; cover very slmhtlv water gently; put a small square of glass over the top of the pot and place in the cool part of a greenhouse or frame keep them moist, but not wet • give them air as soon as they arc uo’ and pnek out into small pots as soon as they are strong enough. I will write more about them later! ANSWERS. ■ “ R |A u barb.’’—You say your rhubarb is a failure this year, and that you divided and transplanted it two seasons ago. Now the question is: AA 7 as it

picked last season—that is, the first] season after planting ? If so. you may de-1 pend that this was the cause, of its not : doing well this season. Rhubarb should j never be picked the same season as •planted. Every leaf should be left on to encourage root action, for without good foot action it is impossible to have good stalks. There are two things I should recommend you to do: (a) When tho second growth starts, which will be shortly, leave them unpicked, to make as much growth as possible, and allow the tops to ripen off on the plants; (b) do not dig among their roots, but give them a good top-dressing of warm stable manure after all the tops are down and off. I have a bed in full bearing that has not been dug for thirteen years, since it was trenched and manured for planting, nud has never failed. (2) 1 should say yonr spinach beet was sown at the. wrong time—that is, too late. It often happens that, if sown very late, it stands almost dormant. Then, when growth starts—sometimes suddenly—they bolt, or, in other words, run to seed. Again, if tho ground where they grew was very dry for long this would also cause the complaint. Sow in September and October, and again at the end of January or the beginning of February. You cannot make the ground too rich for this plant, for the richer the ground the fatter the leaf. “ K.M.”—The leaves forwarded are badly affected with powdery mildew, which should be sprayed at once with | the following Bordeaux mixture—a summer dressing :■ Dissolve 21b sulphate of copper in 10 gallons of water, slake 21b of lime slowly, and make up into 10 gallons of milk of lime. Strain this milk of lime into tho solution of sulphate of copper, stirring briskly; dis- , solve the sulphate of copper in a piece of scrim suspended in water over night, or it hot water before mixing. Wood or earthenware should be used. If you have many trees you may double the | amount, or for a small number of trees I think it would be bettor for you to buy some already made from some of the seedsmen. I think they keep it, but am not sure. Spray this on to tho trees through a very fine nozzle. They I may require two sprayings, the second qne about two or three weeks after the first one. Another remedy, more simple to make hut not so effectual, is )oz of sulnhate of potassium dissolved in a gallon of clear, soft water. If tho trees are very badly affected it may be increased to loz to the gallon,‘hut not beyond this strength. For rosebush miklew ioz to ’oz to the gallon is sufficaeu L