GARDENING FOR THE WEEK

Evening Star, Issue 16398, 14 April 1917, Page 9

GARDENING FOR THE WEEK

Out contributor, a well-known gardener, wdt be glad to answer questions, which must b e received not later than Tuesday of each week. J

—Tlie Vegetable Garden.— sealmf Seed - S are aI T a 3’ s vel T active at this i lO ,? 1 ” 8 l ! p 111 EO’eat numbers. If ejected they will become a source of autaee’of ! ' dvice * S to take vantil rough them? 878 t0 nm the ho ° alld

tr. T s.v-ln P f alld , sto / e Potatoes, and box sets to spioufc for planting. Dig and trench all vacant plots. Ground ernn WGII . manured for the potato mevio T r f 3UU ' e a go .° d dee P forking l icuous to planting or sowing such as cabbage, cauliflowers, and dwarf pens for comin<r m earn- next season. °

L'') ny of tb ° goocl early dwarf marrowfat peas are suitable for this sowing, but no time should bo lost in getting them in as it is important that peas should bo well up before severe frost sots in. 1 Earth up celery as it becomes fit. Be careful to have the heads securely tied before tho sod is placed around them, or It will get down among tho leaves, and when this occurs there is a danger of the sticks being spoiled during severe -weather. Barth up leeks as growth demands. Looks require earthing up by several operations; celery at one operation, and that when it is about full-growu, although it is a good practice to araw a little more soil about their roots alter they have made some good growth. 6

Strawberries should bo got in now ns expeditiously as possible after cool, ■ showery weather. If the ground bo dry at planting gne the plants a good watering. Plant them 20iu by ett, but some varieties, such as the Lttersburgh, should havo quite 30iu by —Tho Rose Garden.— As a rule sufficient care is not paid to the selection of roses for certain situations. For instance, it is not wise to plant dark red colors, especially H.P.s, in light, dry soils or sandy coil, as on them such roses are rarely satisfactory. On tho other hand, these same kinds ar° first-class and their colors are beautiful on a cool clay soil, especially if the said clay has been trenched and manured previously advised. Light shades of colors should, always predominate, especially in roses and hybrid teas, wluSe the soil is light and dry. On the other hand, on heavy and letentive clay soils hybrid perpetuals, with Hybrid teas of life dark shades, should predominate. On such soils dark shades and colors show up to perfection. I am ju«*fc giving the two extremes of what to plant. Each one will have to judge the happy jv>edmm according to tho nature of soil and situation. No flower in existence will lend i.sc;t to the various conditions and situations as will tho rose if only care he taken in the. selection to suit the uiffereut positions and the_ proper preparation of the soil. Too little attention is generally paid to rose planting. Some people think that if a hole is dug and the plant dumped in with some soil about its roots tho job is done. It is, and Often the rose is done, too. Either the roots are far too deep for the kind of soil, or they are too shallow and loose, beinv exposed. In either case the plant perishes f.ic one by rotting, tho other by drying up. Tne depth to plant is from 4- to 9 tno snnaco. A4m covering of soil is quite sufficient on heavy, cold land, while 9in will not be too much on light, dry, sandy, or gravelly soil, a 6in covering being a good average on a medium soil. The hole should be dug sufficiently large to allow' the roots to bo spread out without doubling them. The bottom of the hole, should bo slightly rounded like a saucer bottom up, so that,‘tho roots have a slight downward tendency. Never let them come into direct contact with manure. Have a bucket of fresh earth by you to realtor about the roots in case of manure contact. If the soil is light, tread it in firmly about the rools. If it he heavy and of a sticky nature, fill it in and press it fairly firm immediately about tho roots, then finish filling in and allow it to settle naturally.

Do not have, long, leggy plants, as it is important that the junction of stock and scion should he just under the surface about Sin. Proofs will then form at the junction, and give tho plant what is termed a double action to the bush, beside having a steadying effect upon it. A wobbly bush will never produce first-class roses.

As to the autumn pruning of ramblers, trailers, mid climbing- roses,' “pruning” is perhaps not quite the word for this work, as it is only the thinning out of the old wood and replacing it with the new growth That is really all that is necessary except in cases where young wood is scarce; (lien the next best thing to do is to shorten back to two or three eyes from the base of each old flowering branch—that is, cut back all shoots or branches that have finished flowering. These eyes will then break into growth and produce quite a display of flowers. Now is a good time for pruning all this class of roses. Mot only is it advantageous to prune these roses now. but it, largely facilitates the labor in spring, when bo much other pressing work has to be attended to. —Answers.— “ Perplexed ” writes : “ Kindly give the test for mushrooms. Is !he enclosed a mushroom or toadstool?"— There is no doubt whatever as to it being a real mushroom. In no case has the toadstool a pink or dark-brown under surface, as with the mushroom. The toadstool hao a white or yellowish white under surface, and the mushroom under surface is pink when young and changing to brown, dark brown, or nearly black as it ages. This is the best way to distinguish one from the other.

“Apple” writes: “Please name the enclosed six apples and pear. The pear is from a tree over 30 yearsi-old, and the apple Mo. 5 is from a very old tree.” —(1) Adam’s Pearmain; (2) poor sample of French Crab: (3) Wagner; (4) Cambusnithan Pippin; (5) Carlisle Codlia; (61 Hawthornden. The pear is an old cooking pear, useless for any oilier purpose. Many confound it with the old Vicar of Wakefield, on account of its appearance; but the Vicar of Wakefield ripens to quite a good dessert pear. There are of these about. I have one my.'elf, and it is a great cropper. I do not know the real name of your pear. I think it is a seedling. In any case it is of little value, except as a cooker. “ Anemone ” writes: “ Please state if there is still time for sowing anemones, and what kinds do you consider the best.”—There is still time tor making n sowing; in fact, those who adopt autumn sowing wm not go back to spring sowing. I consider the St. Brigid the best of all the anemone family. Deeply trench and mamaa well the ground, and BOpr

the seed thinly m drills 9in apart; thin out tiae plants to 6in or more, and leave them to flower whore they are sown. The thinnings may also be planted. They will flower well, but not equal to those that are not dis-

“ Hasp ’’ writes : “I have » bed of cabbage and cauliflower plants. They were nice healthy plants, but something is eating them. It is not the slug. It seems to be a little green worm. Is there anything I can do ic save them? (2) What is the best time fc shift raspberry canes? Would you loav one root, and should they be manured?'' 1; is the diamond moth that is troubling voui cabbage. If tar water is poured on” Or moth will soon leave. Pour some wain- i.r ia tin with a little tar in it; stir well, and let it settle; then spray the clear water uv ■ the cabbage. (2) Three is a good’ number o"r raspberry canes to form each clump triauele shape, 9in each way, and 4ft from clump! o clump. Give a good dressing of manure to the ground when digging. They are a permanent crop, and have to last a long time so require good treatment. 'H.C.