GARDENING FOR THE WEEK.

Evening Star, Issue 14625, 22 July 1911, Page 11

GARDENING FOR THE WEEK.

Our contributor, a well-known gardener, \eill be glad to answer questions, which must be received not later than Tuesday/ of each week. —The Vegetable Garden.— Tho work in this department during this month and for a few weeks will entirely depend upon the weather. When heavy rains prevail keep off the ground, but immediately it will bear treading upon without sticking to one's feet take advantage of overj- favorable hour, for much may lie done. * Collect rubbish, hedge clippings, ftc, and make a slow fire and burn them. If tho weather is open and dry treneh spare plots, and make ready well-manured ground for the sowing of poa<; and broad beaufi. Push on all preparatory '-vork as speedily as possible. Seed "sowing should be done with caution during these few weeks, unlcc-s in warm situations, in which such things as radisn. onion, lettuce, Carrot, spinai.il, and cabbage may be sown, as hoing early is a great point here, and indeed one cannot well be. too early with those. Rhubarb should be got in as expeditiously as possible on favorable occasions. Plant" on well-prepared ar.d well- manured ground. As this crop is a permanent one, it pays to bo liberal at the outsot. L7so geed crowns and plant just deep enough to see the crowu above the surface. An important point to bear in mind is not to pick any stalks the first season. Thk. will pny in the long run, for they cannot make growth so long as their stems aro picked off. Artichokes may be planted at any time now, weather permitting. Asparagus beds should have :-.- coat of manure, if this hae, not already bct-n done. A good dusting of s:ilt ever the manure is a valuable assistance), as aspavagus is particularly fond of c '<ir, l-ut this should not be overdone—lolb should do a bed 40ft by 4ft. Cabbage may be ] lan ted out as weather permits. —The I nut "iar-den -- Pruning, as advised a wee< or :wo ago, should, il not finished, be earn'ad out as soon as possible. Plant currants and gooseberries on favorable -occasions. Also plant apples, pears, plums, and all stone.fruit. Autumn-trenched ground should be m grand condition for this woik after the huo rains and frost; >t is raking d'wn like Hour, ar.d is in the best, condition I have seen it for a long tune. —The Greenhouse.— There are a number of important flowering plants which require to bo sown early in the season if satisfactory results are to be obtained. The precise dates depend rather upon the district one lives in. Even the locality must be considered. If living j on a hill and in a nice warm, sunny position, one will naturally be able to sow tender plants much earlier than his less fortunate brother who has to be content with a colder and more exposed place. From the end of July to the middle of August is tho beet time to sow some seeds, providing fairly warm treatment can be given thern. Abortilon is a very fine and useful flowering greenhouse shrub, and does not require any special treatment ; still, it mustnot be neglected. The seed, which is slow and irregular in germinating, may be sown in pots, and as tho young plants become ready thsy should be pricked off and kept growing. When nice and strong, pot up the plants into 6in pots. The begonia is worth growing if for nothing tut its foliage; but the flowere are unique both in form and color, and it is now placed in the front rank of florists' flowers. The rawing of the plants from seed is not only tho least expensive process, but it possesses many advantages, such as raising new kinds, which may eclipse any previous variety. From ;eed sown now'plnjits should flower in February and March, and become fine specimens by j autumn, in readiness for blooming again j tho next season. Sow thinly in shallow, j well-cleaned pots or pans, using rich mate- j rial. Leaf mould is fine stuff to sow upon ; , or rich, very old holbed manure, sand, and j good clean" loam, well mixed. Tho seed j should bo sown upon the eurface, as they are too small to attempt to cover. Placo a square of glass on the pot- to retain the moisture. Water well with warm water before sowing, and allow the water to soak awav, then scatter the seed, and place the glass on, and keep the seed pan in the warmest place at command, keeping them warm and moi~t. Trick oft' into pans or boxes immediately they can be handled, and pot up into small pots as soon as they become strong enough. Carnations of the early or border cb-ss should be sown in heat." now or shortly. With very little trouble they may be brought forward and got large enough to plant in the open ground, where- they will give a splendid display in about six months from date of sowing. Pelargoniums are better swvn early, providing warmth can be providr-d, otherwise it is best to wait until the very cold weather is past, for they cannot stand cold in their young state. —Answers.— " W.A.8."—(1) Prune the young laterals to two eyes, and on the leading shoote to what is termed the fourth eye. (2) If a young apple tree that has just been sethas only three main branches 3ft long, how much should you cut off? This question almost answers tho first, for the reason that your young trees have no laterals, and consequently should be cut back to the fourth, plump eye on each shoot; but bear in mind that this severe pruning is only at .the first pruning after planting, to cause a strong growth for a good foundation for the young trees to begin with. As explained in pruning notes, small laterals are those that shoot out of the strong or aged leading branches. (3) As to rotation of crops, you wish to know to what class turnips, mangolds, silver beet, wheat, oats, aud barley belong, and ycu ask what kind of vegetables take the same kind of chemicals out of tho ground as the above-mentioned kii.de. That is a very big order, and would require far more space than I can afford in this column." Turnips, mangolds, and silver beet belong to tho. brassica or cabbage family. The chemicals found in turnips are phosphates 13, potash 39, soda 5, lime 10, sulphuric acid 14 parts. Beet, mangolds, and silver beet ran much on the Same lines, and are all brrMssicae. When*, oats, and barley contain go much silica. lime, etc., that it matters not what kind of vegetables follow them ''J.fi.D." —You have a hill section, and to get more room you have driven in posts to hold a bank, and you would like to know what trees would grow strongly and cover the bank and hold it when the bluegum rots. You ask if maerocarpa will do, and if it will be detrimental to fruit trees. Maerocarpa, if used, should be kept clipped into a close hedge, or it becomes a nuisance in a small garden. You do not say what height four bank is, or v/hat width your ground, would prefer a good 01-earia fosteri hedge to a maerocarpa, and it is much less injurious to fruit trees, but if slips aro liable to take place it is a different matter. Yoa 4» not say if this bank is made

np with loose eoil to any depth. If Wi it would require something strong to resist a '%."— V r ou wish nw to give you advice as to how to grow vegetables on a small plot, 30 x 20, as you wish to grow your own vogetabka. Yon say you have trenched and manured it. as I have pre-, vioiwly advised, and you have planted cabbage plants, but worlder if you put them iu too early. If they wero (strong plant* they will bo all right and start into growth as soon as the warm weather starts. Th-.» next thing you should do is to secure some potato sets for planting—say, 71b of an early kind and 71b of a late land, and pi ace them in shallow boxes one deep, eyes uppermost, to sprout. As soon is yonr ground gets fairly dry you may sow a few early peas and broad beans, also some Early "Horn carrot, turnips, parsnips, and onions. Lettuce and radish may bo sown in a warm, sunny spot. Rake tho ground down finely, and mark out a small square, say 3ft by 2ft, for your first sowing. Scatter the seed thinly aoid ovenly on the surface, and rako in. This is for the radish and lettuce. For peas and broad beans lay a line down and draw drills 3in or 4in deep, 2ffc 6in apart for early peas and beans, but oaiTots and- turnips" should be sown in shallow drilLa I2in or so apart. This will do for a start. I shall ba giving fnller instructions as the seed-sowing season comes on. H.G.