GARDENING FOR THE WEEK

Evening Star, Issue 16845, 21 September 1918, Page 10

GARDENING FOR THE WEEK

o’it r-ntribulor, a well-known gardener, will be qlud to answer questions, which must be'received not later than Tuesday of each wee!:. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Garden pursuits, a; all times pleasant ,md delightful, now become fascinating as iprin? advances. New features of interest i.n*l fresh scenes of beauty open around ns ■wery day as the birth of vegetable life increases, bringing with it innumerable kinds of fragrant flowers—the delightful shades of polyanthus, narcissus, pansies, violets, •wallflowers, and others no lass beautiful—and there is such a display ol company with new dresses and now fashions as is never seen more than in spring dowers. 1 think the same spirit gives most lovers of gardening a tap on the back as ho passes. Certain it is that their energies are generally stimulated to the full more in spring than at any other season, and the welcome change in climatic conditions will naturally stimulate us to still greater energy. All seeds intended to flower during the summer should bo sown during this month. Hardy annuals should be sown whore they have to flower. The modern system of furnishing the flower garden lias limited the use of annuals, bat in gardens where the family may not bo always at home annuals have a great deal to recommend them. Fancy grasses are also very attractive, and blend well with annuals. .All hardy annuals should be sown in dumps where they have to flower, and arranged according to color and height. THE ROSE GARDEN. All pruning should be cornu .< d, and | any planting Hut done last month should be brought to a conclusion as speedily as possible. Now is a good time for giving j stimulants. j VEGETABLES. Tako advantage of the dry change in the weather to keep down weeds by hoeing and raking. Stirring tb« surface of the soil after so much rain will both stimulate growth and keep df/vni weed?. Make sowings of Late broccoli, also j cauliflowers, for a late summer crop, and ;•? plants of former sowings come lit they j . ’multi ho planted out. I S.,\v also cabbage for autumn use, and j plant out former sowings. if the main crop of onion.' ha? not been I the soon-’r it-;» done the bettor. Farsley should be sown, if not already j in - " . 1 t • iat;nno to sew peas lor succession. A i g r>d time is just as others are well j through. ) Early plantings of potatoes will be soon j showing through. Care must be taken to draw earth’over the tops as they appear, in care of frost, for it is alui> st certain ■we shall get more yet, and perhaps srdlieiently hard to completely spoil the crop. Sow turnips, read hoe and thin out those from early sowings. CUCUMBERS, Now is 4 good time for making up a hot bed for cucumbers. Procure two good loads of fresh stable manure. This should be shaken out ami thrown into a heap, and turned two or three times at intervals of about three days—it should then bo in line condition for making up into the bed. To build the hotbed right away on receiving the manure would cause it to overheat and dry up, and, of course, It would tsoon lose the heat altogether. Whatever size of frame is at command, the bod should be 12in larger all round than the frame. Drivo in four stakes, one on each comer, as a guide, and shako out the manure, stack it neatly, and beat it down with the back of the fork, but avoid treading upon it. If the manure is at all dry, water it as the work proceeds. Place the frame on the centre of the bed, and rake down the sides to put on a good finish. All the Takings should be put inside the frame. In the centrs of each light place about one barrow ioacl of chopped-up turfy loam levelled *«on to 6in chief ■ Close up, awd when the bjfcspeeraturo of the soil has risen to 10 deuces, which should be in about three days, plant one cucumber plant in each light. If no plants aro at hand put in seed, pushing them in singly, say three or four in each frame. When they arc up ventilate carefully. Avoid cold draughts. Shade on hot, sunny days. Keep a moist nnd warm heat to promote strong and rapid growth. When the plants are strong reduce them to one in each frame. When they are 12in high pinch out the point of each plant to cause them to send nut side shoots. Train these evenly over the surface. When the shoots have made fairly good progress pinch the points again —this will give sufficient shoots to cover the whole frame. After this let them grow st will. Avoid crowding by pinching out excessive side shoots. Keep a moist temperature as near 75deg_ as 'possible. A light syringing with tepid water just before closing in the afternoon will be beneficial in promoting healthy growth. Care must be taken to add more loam ns growth demands until the whole surface is covered. If the heat goes down pack a little fresh manure around the outside close to the frame, TOMATOES. Tomatoes may be grown in almost any kind of glass structure, from a glass frame tilted on end against a wall to a well-con-

atructed glasshouse heated with hot ■water; but whatever construction is used there are a few essential points absolutely necessary to secure a good and satisfactory crop of fruit. Those are heat, light, and air. The tomato does not require a tropical temperature, though it can stand a great heat, providing it can receive air. On the other □and, it will endure a fairly low temperature. But it will not endure frost. Low temperature is not conducive to its wellbeing, hence those who have no means of heating- small glasshouses should not be in a hurry to plant, as cold checks of this kind retard the period of fruiting much more than being a few weeks later in planting. Neither will the crop prove so good as from that of a later planting, where the plants go right away from rhe start. Manuring is often carried to excess. Where good fresh sandy loam can be secured little or no manure should be given—only a top-dressing. When a good cron of fruit is set, then it may be applied with advantage. In the demand for potash the tomato resembles the potato, and of the two the former is the most exacting. !fo quickly docs this crop exhaust tho soil that it requires to bo changed at least every third year. To remove a whole largo house of soil means no small amount of labor; but as the tomato does not require _ a groat amount of root room a good plan is to dig out trenches a foot wide and a foot deep, till in with good loam made light and free, and mixing in wood ashes, sand, ancl_ a little bone meal. This method will give a fine return of fruit. ? Kerosene tins and other such vessels are ■excellent lor growing tomatoes in : in fact, the finest crops of fruit have been taken from plants grown in tins. This is proof that the restriction of roots is beneficial, and, in fact, preferable to overmuch room and rich soil. Firmness of the soil is another point which must bo considered. To plant tomatoes in loose, rich soil would be to cause them to grow too fast, and make too much foliage at tho expense of tho crop. But the nature of the soil must be considered. In the case of light sandy soil it would bo difficult to make it too firm, but in the case of heavy loam judgment must be used, or it may become so hard with tho heat that it would be a difficult matter to give tho roots of the plants when in full growth, sufficient water. Tho distance in plant is 15in in the rows, and oOin from row to row. The rows should run at right angles from the paths. Water well when it is given, and only when it is required—that- is, when the surface soil has a rather dry appearance. ANSWERS. " Jvoslyn" wishes to know what time of tho year he should sow cabbage so that he may have plants to sell in August. —About the middle of April. “Cineraria'' asks the lime to sow cinerarias, and the most suitable soil for them.—To enjoy a long season of flowering, it is a trvod plan to make two sowings : one about the Ist November, and again at the end of the year; threepart? good turfy loam, one-part each of old, well-rotted manure and clean sharp sand, all well mixed a few days before use. Too rh hj soil always tends to make cinerarias co too much to leaf. H.C.

at present is to go right through the flock and get rid of any birds which have not, started to lay. Every bird should now be I laying, or she is!not worth keeping. It is easy to tell by the. pelvic bones whether tho bird is laying. PRESERVING EGGS. Eggs arc now down to Is 5d per dozen, and luousehSoldexs are putting down a : number for winter use. Tire eggs for pre- : serving should bo as fresh as possible, and are better if infertile—that is, when there is no male bird running with th© hens ; Infertile eggs keep much better than for- ; tilo ones. Watergla.-s is the best preser- 1 vative. and is made of different strengths. ! Tho best will take from 25 to 50 times I the quantity of water. The hot water . should bo mixed with it, and it should | then be well stirred for ten minutes until I it is dissolved—not only mixed. When cold tho eggs should be placed in it eaah i day when you bring them from tho nest, | if you have your own birds. If you have I to buy tire eggs it is hard to get all the ■ ergs quite fresh, and they are likely to become musty, particularly if they are fertile eggs. Proposals are being mads at Home- to send a number of returned soldiers to New Zealand to go in for puoltry farming. As things are at present, poultry farming cannot be much of a living, ns foodstuffs are far too high in price lo give breeders a chance. Wheat at 7s a bushel and eggs at Is 5d won’t pay. A hen'is oftoi found unable to stand, but with the comb very' bright and the eyes with a drawn look of pain. As a rule, this is a case of an egg broken internally, inflammation is set up, and the i bird usually dies within 24 hours. In \ some cases a dose of warm castor oil will 1 give relief, or a weak solution of Condy’s Fluid may be injected into the egg passage. In other cases the bird seems quite well, eats we.il, but cannot stand. This is usually a case of rheumatism, frequently up in the thigh joint. If the trouble is in tho lower joint it may be cured by dipping the legs in hot water, and then rubbing with capsolin ; hut if it is in (he | thigh the best plan is to give an aspirin ' tablet throe times » day, removing the j bird to a very dry nm. A little sulphate ' of soda should be placed in the drinking | water. " I Breeders who are running incubators during the changeable weather we have experienced this week will have to watch their incubators carefully. If incubators are in a cellar they are not so quickly affected, but if they are in a room the 'tommay rise or fall too much for the lamp to regulate it in the incubator. Ileus which are sitting should be kept as j warm ns possible while the snow is on the ground. A sack of two placed over tho j box or coop will help to k;AD up the lent- I perature. See tho hen does not stay off i too long during the cold snap, particu- | In.rly if the hen has only been sitting a- few ; days. ! Air Ayers, the well-known Rhode Is’and | breeder, says : Breeding has convinced, me i A * tV incin.i! factor ; n on ring Rh- d« j Island Reds is not so much the mark- ; ings and shade of the individual spun- | mens as the breeding of their ancestors! and a thorough knowledge of each ancestor for generations back. Tho first qualification to look for is vigor, and this cannot be impressed on your mind trio strongly. hi selecting tne females for your breeding pens, try to select birds with long straight backs, full, low breast, body carried level and tail almost level with the back. They should have little or no ticking in the hackle, as much black in tail as possible, and good red wing with red quills to the skin. Good head points in females are also very important, as I have found that the female has strong influence on head points. I also j like a bird about half a pound over fitaa- ! dard weight at mating time. • In selection of a male, vigor also should bo tho first consideration. .Select a hid with an alert and vigorous expression. : He should have extra good head points if possible, a long back, broad at base of tail, a body carried level, long keel bone, and. a. full breast. The tail should be as

solid black as possible, for in most cases a russet ehoen in the black tail will result in loss of color in the offspring. The wing in,-u-ki:ig.s should be strong in blade where allowed by the standard, and a red that -is a deep red. The hackle should be rich in undercolor, the richer the better. The surface color as deep and even a shade ns possible. A little smut carried in a few feathers in tho back, between the wing bows, with rod showing below and above the smut, may bo used to advantage to help strengthen the color of tho offspring, providing the bird carrying the smut is bred from rich, clean birds free from smut. In breeding a female with standard markings in hackle, tail and wing, mate her with a male that has very little black in wing and no black in hackle. I have bred along this line for some time now, and have a number of birds with pedigrees extending back several generations. Each year shows marked improvement' in iny flock, which gives mo reason to believe that my methods are successful, and that anyone giving close attention in details a.s outlined, with good stock to start on, can, with a little patience, improve his flocks so that really high-class specimens will not be such a rarity. This system is not claimed to be perfect, and that it will nroduce something out of nothing, but it •is a stop in the right direction, and if it will help just a, few beginners to a right start, I shall feel that I have done a bit for the grandest all-purpose fowl on earth. If you want to make a success with .Rhode Island Reds, start with something good and line breed. It will save you years of uphill work, and you will get big prices for the progeny.