GARDENING FOR THE WEEK

Evening Star, Issue 16351, 17 February 1917, Page 11

GARDENING FOR THE WEEK

Our contributor, a well-known gardener, ■wi!l he, glad to answer questions, which must be received not later than Tuesday of each week.

—The Vegetable Garden

Take advantage of cool and damp weather ■to get in broccoli, savoys, and cabbage of the drumhead class. The ordinary varieties of cabbage may bo planted dose together to stand the winter and to some in early as young greens. Riant the main crop of such largo kinds as Blair’s Phenomenal at, say. 2ft by 20in, and plant the small kinds in between for cutting young; tho larger varieties to be allowed to grow on to full size. Care should be taken to null np stumps as the tops are cut.

Make tho last planting of celery, and faith np the early planted celery as may bo necessary. Earthing up must not he done too scon. A little earth may be drawn in around tho plants a.s a, top-dress-ing, but they should not be properly earthed up until thev are nearly full grown.

Plant out leeks, ns previously advised. Take up potatoes as the tops ripen, especially the early kinds, as, after the recent showers, with a few warm davs, they will soon show signs of stalling into growth. Keen the hoa going among growing crops to keep clown weeds and encourage growth. Trench, or dig and manure all' vacant ground. Remove all spent crops, especially such as cabbage, cauliflower, and turnips. No better place for them can be found than the bottom of a deep trench. —The Vinery.— Grapes should be well coloring now, if not ripe. Those that are only about half ripe should have their last watering. Do not allow an accumulation of young growth, but remove all side shoots as they appear. Ventilation should be increased as ripening advances. The top vents may now be left open night and day, except during very rough, weather, when they should be opened immediately after, and"the bottom vents regulated according to the weather. Avoid very cold draughts, as this has a tendency to bring on mildew. Where berries show signs of damping they should be lit once clipped out, or the whole bunch may be affected. But damping is not so likely to occur this, season, unless a very cold and wet ehang« sets in. —The Auricula.— Why this very lovely old, sweet-scented spring flower should have gone back so much of late years passes rry comprehension. It possesses beauty as a border or edging plant, and few tilings surpass it for its loveliness of coloring and its scent. Auriculas are not fastidious if only a few points : : n their culture are. carried out. They need rich and well-manured ground, deeply dug, in a cool situation, not a drybank. The plants should be-deeply planted. This point should be attended to. When planting, put them well down, with only the leaves sticking out of the ground. They will right themselves. Propagation is effected by taking slips from and dividing roots of approved varieties, after the seed has ripened. If the weather is 100 dry, wait for a change. The auricula is also raised from seed. The parent plant should be vigorous and of "A approved sort. Avoid rowing rubbish, ns they cause the same amount of tare and trouble as first-class kinds do, and you have disappointment at the finish, itveu if the good seeds cost double, they are cheaper in the end, and a pleasure when grown. Now is a good time for sowing the seed. Keep the soil moist, and when the seedlings have made four or five leaves prick them out in the border where they have to flower about 6iu or Bin apart. Or, better still, prick them out into other boxes ac not less than lin apart, and plant out when they are stronger and well rooted. There are two classes of auriculas—the show and the alpine. The show is looked upon as the florist’s flower, but the alpines hold the first place for general usefulness, and are much hardier than the show class. I advise beginners to go in for the alpine class. —Answers,— “ Inquirer.'-—I have not received any samples of pears and plums, so cannot reply. “ -Milton” asks whether tree lucerne is worth growing in that district, and as to the proper way to transplant off shoots of the P.omneya, coulter!, —I should not waste time in attempting the cultivation °f tree lucerne in Milton. You do not state if it is intended to grow it for profit. I have seen a few trees of it about, but not in the condition to justify growing it in quantity. Romneya coulter! is cultivated by seeds and offsets or root cuttings. You may succeed by digging up portions of the root and heading them well back (- but you had better wait until spring before doing so, especially in vonr .district. The proper way to propagate, is by small portions of rools potted up into small pots, or in boxes in the warmth of a greenhouse.

“ -M.J.a.” writes: “In the bawling green that I play on two or three patches oi bia-a-bid have come, and arc spreading <and taking the place of the grass. What should I do?”—Scratch it well with a tine, sharp-toothed rake, pick no the pieces, give the surface a good dressing of lawn sand, and roll well to smooth the surface again. Bid-a-bid making an appearance is an indication of poverty of Sol i, rec l u > l ' t ’f i a, stimulant of some sort. Mushroom” asks: “Can mushrooms bo giown outside, and. how?' I —Mushrooms may be grown successfully outside iu a lather warm and shady situation. If you intend growing them you wilt require to lose no time in making" a start, as it takes about eight weeks to get them through. Procure one or two loads of short, fresh horse droppings; turn tho niamu 'c at intervals oi tnreo days, and about three times, to take the fiery heat out of it. then build your stack, which should be rounded at the top about the shape of an opened mushroom. Beet it down lirmlv as you proceed, finishing off with a nice smooth, firm, round top. Over this place a layer of clean straw; over this imam some big boards, or something of "the kind, to ward off heavy rains. Before this insert a sharp-pointed stick or a thermometer, and when tho heat has gone up to about 85 degrees break up the mushroom spawn into pieces about the size of large walnuts. Then make little holes n_n apart all over the surface and about 6m deep. In these press the pieces of spawn and cover up the ho)e.s, making a nice firm and even .surface. If the. heat has been 'maintained and the spawn is good, in week th-e micoliiuu will begin to spread. Inis is like little white threads. Inen remove the straw carefully, and place a layer of fine, moist, turfy loam all over the sin face aoout Sin or 3in deep, ami pat it down firm and smooth, lleplaeu the straw and the boards to ward off the heavy rains and to hold the straw in position. If things go on well, in about eight weeks or mushrooms should begin to make their appearance. When gathering the mushrooms be careful to screw out each mushroom carefully. Do not cut them and leave tho roots in. as these would decay and rot tho micclium, and consequently give a_ short season of crop. If each one is carefully screwed out they may go on cropping a‘good long time. H.C.