GARDENING FOR THE WEEK.

Evening Star, Issue 14523, 26 November 1910, Page 10

GARDENING FOR THE WEEK.

Our contributor, a well-known gardener, will be glad to answer questions, which must be received not later than Tuesday of each week. —Tho Vegetable Garden.— Further sowings of peas may be made from nosv onward. To have really first class peas and a groat crop they should bo sown in prepared trenches—viz., the trendies should bo prepared as for celery', though not quite so deep, finishing off a fesv inches below tho surface of the ground for the convenience of 55’atering, should sve have, as of late, continued spells of dry wcatbor. All crops should bo thinned as soon as they are large enough to handle. Amongst those that should receive attention aro parsnips,’ boot, carrots, onions, and spinach. The latter is never so good or useful svhen allowed to become crowded in tho rotvs.

Plant cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, celery, leeks, etc. It is nosv time to sow broccoli and savoys for 5\ inter use. Tho serving of broccoli should consist of not less than three varieties, to como in early winter, mid-winter, and late winter or early spring ; indeed, it is possible to have good broccoli from late autumn to well on iti the spring. It is tho latter sorts that prove so valuable when very little else is available, it being too late for tho cabbage./-and also too early; lionco the value of the very late kinds of broccoli—or rather, early—coming in, as they do, in the .spring months. So insist on getting from your seedsman sonic seeds of the first, second, and third divisions. Many people make great mistakes and often como to grief because they will treat tho broccoli as they svould a eanlilloss - or. Botanically they are one and the same, but culture ally they aro very far apart, because to grow a cauliflower svcll you must have a rich and deep soil, with plenty of manure and an abundance of water. To grow tho broccoli the same would be to court failure. All the broccoli requires is a good sound loam, both for the seed bed and for their permanent quarters. When planting make tho ground nice and linn. Keep the weeds dosvn, and in excessively dry weather give them water, and yon svill be surprised at the result. Tomatoes rvill require a large amount of attention by svay of nibbing out all side shoots as they appear, and tying and staking. Watering must also bo attended to, for the tomato will not stand extremes of any kind. Excessive dryness or overmuch moisture will have a disastrous effect upon tho setting of a crop, besides leaving them a prey to whatever diseases or pests .aro going. To siun up in a few tvords, they want svamth, fresh air, a fair amount of svatcr, room for the plants to have free circulation of air, and light. Attention to these points will secure a grand crop of tomatoes of good quality. Cucumber plants that are in full growth will require careful attention by way of shading, airing, and thinning. Judgment is necessary in order to prevent the space becoming overcrowded, and to have it svell eovered tvith fruiting shoots svhen the, plants are in a young state. It is a good plan to top them svhen they have made lour or five joints. They svill then break into as many shoots, and a shoot can then be carried to each comer of tho frame. If it is a light frame, then two plants will bo sufficient to furnish the ivliolo frame and give a finer crop than if more plants are used. Cankering is often troublesome where the soil has lieen too fine, but svliere it lias been nice and Jumpy (tvhich is the way cucumbers like it) cankering is rarely seen. When this docs make its appearance dust around the collar of the- plants with fresh lime and soot. Red spider is often troublesome, but this will not, trouble them if a moist, tvann, humid atmosphere is kept tip. Do not let the cucumbers get too large before cutting, as large fruit tends to shorten the period of cropping. The large fruit takes it out of the plants to such an extent as to partially exhaust or cripple them.

—Tho Vinery.- • Proceed with tho stopping and tying- j out of the side shoots, and pinch off' ] the young side laterals to the otto (or i first) loaf, as advised a, wook or so hack. Damp down parly in the aftermum (about four o’clock on a lino day), close the bottom ventilator, and half an hour after rinse tho top one. This should always ho dnno whilst the sun is shining upon (ho glass. As tho vinos como into llowor give them a sharp shake. This causes them to sol. their fruit more freely, and as the berries become tho size of radish seed thinning must 1)0 commenced. More instructions upon thinning will ho given later on. —To Correspondent s.— “ Rosebud.”—The rosebuds arrived quite safely. Yon wish to know tho cause of their not, opening. There are various causes of tho non-opening of roses. Firstly, some are laid tin-scald-ing—that is. when they are in the advanced hud state. Generally in tho morning, when they are wet with heavy dews or slight showers, a sudden burst of brigi.it sunshine comes, ami

they are scalded. In most cases of roses not opening the cause is from the roots, especially when the ground has not been trenched, but only dug. The roots come in direct contact with wot, cold clay or water, or meet the other extreme—a very dry bottom. Trenched ground, with a good dressing of manure put well down, enables the excess water to get away, and on the other hand retains the moisture much longer than if only dug. You give me no information as a guide upon what conditions the rose is grown. It is impossible to give definitely the reason when no information is given, but either of the above causes will bring about the conditions complained of. This particular variety is one of those kinds that form largo clusters of buds at the end of each shoot. They should bo all removed but two or three upon each stem, then useful roses may be gathered. “ Begonia.”—You wish to know how to grow begonias. You say you have some tubers, and they are starting to grow now. Firstly, procure some good loam (two parts), leaf mould or old, dry, well-rotted manure (one part), and sand (one part), well mixed. A good plan to adopt is not to put them direct into pots, but get some shallow boxes about 4in deep, place iin of drainage in the bottom, then place some choppedup moss over this, and a little of the mixture upon this. Place the tubers with just sufficient soil about them so that the crown of the tuber is just level or a little above. Never cover them altogether, as there is a danger of rotting. After they are all carefully planted, sprinkle them overhead, place them in the greenhouse in a position whore they can be kept as near GOdeg as possible, with a humid atmosphere. As soon as they make nice, strong leaves and are growing Ireely, prepare some pots—for small tubers 4in pots may be large enough, and Gin for larger ones. Grow on until the pots arc well filled with roots, then repot info their flowering pot—Gin for the small ones. Sin for "the larger, and Klin for oldestablished plants (throe or four years old). For this potting use good loam (one part), leaf moi.-d (one part), and old manure (one with a little sand, well mixed. Fill the pots quite ono-third w;h clean crocks. Upon this place some of the lumpy parts, then a little of the mixture, and upon this the plant, carefully filling in the soil around and ramming it down 1 airly firm with a stick or pot-rammer, filling up so that the crown of the tuber is just below the surface. At this Inst potting W'ater them carefully to settle the soil, and keep them moist but not wot, for until their roots are running freely around the side of the pot they will not require very much water. When they are well established they will not only require more water, hutwill need frequent waterings with liquid I manures. The. first flowers, when they appear, should he removed to give the plants a good start; after that they may ho allowed to flower at will. For the double kinds, if fine show flowers are desired, pinch off all the single or female flowers, which generally form ono on either side of the double or male flower upon each stalk. Give them frequent syringings overhead in warm weather and in the evening, never in the morning or the middle of the day. ; as there is a danger of them getting scorched with the heat of the sun. They must also he shaded from direct sunshine. D.C.