THE GARDEN

Evening Star, Issue 19002, 25 July 1925, Page 11

THE GARDEN

V=am WORK FOR THE" WEEK/««

OuP-amMnfinL a weH-known gardener, win bo glad to answer questions, which must ba received sot later thin Tuesday of each week. teflwHripiWMiviiiydlin «Jmnn HUUi bo handed in to the office before 2 p.ra. on Friday.

single crowns than in bunched heads. Give good rich soil, with the manure veil down, and plant the crowns just deep enough to show the little crowni above the surface. Never cover the crowns entirely, or you will have more leaves than flowers. Two or three inches between the single crowns will answer very well for distance apart to plant. ' H.C.

of all fading flowers, as seed heads form quickly on this plant, more quickly than on any plant i know, and, if allowed to form, the plant will soon cease flowering; and the pulling out of those untidy hollow, straggling shoots us the summer advances. Women gardeners seem so afraid to remove this untidy growth if a few flowers and buds have to ho sacrificed, but it is better for the rest that they should, and the blooms can easily bo used for the house.

Few flowers are prettier for a floating bowl than violas. Violas are true perennials, and if old growth is removed a mass of new shoots will soon ho thrown out from the centre of the plants, which will often flower much bettor than the original growth, the roots being by this time well established in the groijnd. The favorite colors for violas seem to be mauve, purple, aud yellow; and one of the best in the mauve variety is Maggie Mott. Many friends toll me I am color blind to call Maggie rnnuyo, and declare she is bine, so 1 will give you the name of another lady about whoso colors there can bo no doubt— Kitty Vincent is a. true soft mauve, with no mistake about it.

A good yellow viola is King Clip, and Councillor Waters is a rich purple, ami for those who like a pure white flower there is the lovely White Swan. There is a brownie-mauve viola, which pleases me much called Amy Barr, and King of the Blues is as near blue as a viola can bo; bub, then, being color blind, all tbo violas and campanulas other folk call blue I call mauve and purple!

FLOWER BIRDS

It has been known for a long time, writes Dr J. Arthur Thomson, in the ‘Empire Review,’ that hamming birds sometimes pollinate flowers, just as bees and butterflies often do. Rut the researches of Otto J’orsch show that there are far more flower birds than has boon supposed, and far more bird flowers, too. In Java be found that over 1(3 per cent, of the families of flowering plants have bird-flower representatives. Fully .fifty genera have species that are bird-pollinated. And the Javanese (lower birds belong to twenty-two different kinds. Altogether Porsch finds evidence .of over J.fiOU tropical and sub-tropical flower birds, including only those that habitually visit flowers, carry pollen on their head feathers, and more or less depend on the nectar of the flowers for their food and drink. With their intense metabolism and high temperature, birds usually require a relatively large supply of liquid, and watery nectar is a great help in tropical and subtropical countries. Moreover, nectar contains not only various sugars forming a suitable food For strenuously exorcised nmscles, but subtler nutrition besides. Flower visitors belong to such families as the humming birds and the honey birds, hut the habit has boon acquired in no fewer than thirty-one different families. Of course, some birds are more thorough-going flower visitors than others, but none arc included in the list that are not more or less dependent on nectar; rone are included that shindy go to the blossoms to pick off small insects and spiders. The flower birds tend to be small in size, and strong in wing, able to flutter before or puse themselves an the blossoms They usually have a linepointed bill, sometimes elongated. find a Jong, slender tongue, sometimes with processes like a. brush. The bird flowers are usually conspicuously colored (ini hiding pure white), and usually scentless.- They produce large quantities of watery nectar, and many of them have special canillary arrangements around the mouth of‘the nectar receptacle, which tend to prevent wasteful overflow. Good examples arc to be found among the following kinds;—Fuchsias, mallows, aloes, tropseolums, \crbcnas, honeysuckles, gardenias, cacti, cannas, irises. They must be so built that the stamens dust tne bud's boa,! .. 1 1li pollen. and that the stigma of another blossom is in turn dusted. H the bird is a good pollinator, it will be, tor several reasons, bettor than a bee; and floral variations that accommodate it on >ts visits will make for surer pollination, and, therefore, for finer adaptation. It is not that “ ornitbophily ” is a.new thing; what Porsch has shown is that it is much more frequent than was supposed.

LOVE A GARDEN WISELY

Love a garden wisely, love it not too

well. ... Lest, Circe-like, it hold thee with a subtle spoil; ~ Lest, when clothes grow shabby, it snail stay thy piuse. Murmur “Roses, fences—ah those things bo first.” Lest, when books entice thee, it dare make complaint. “ For the seat and dial must 1 wait in

vain?” Lest when far lands call thee, it shall whisper bold: “Think not they are fairer though high-walled and old.” Lest when comes thy summons, blasphemous, it cries: “Me, thou shalt remember—yea, in Baradise!” Love a garden wisely, love it not too well, . Lest, Circe-like, it stay thee with its subtle spell. —Francis Higgins, in the New York 1 Times.’

LINARIA

The dainty flowers of linnria are most welcome just now (states a Wellington paper), both for the garden and loi bringing into the house. Some gardeners are afraid to grow it because it becomes such a, weed, but it is easily controlled by pulling up plants belore they ripen tlielr seed, and anything that gives such an abundance of flowers al this time of tbo year is worth gr aving. Bv the time winter-flowering liaaiia. plants are beginning to be past, their best we are sowing autumn flowering annuals, and it is an easy matter out all the linaria, or turn it under, to make way for the seedling asters, French marigolds, zinnias, etc. Tbc dainty little flo.wors of linam are very like tiny snapdragons, and they are sweetly scented. From seeds sown early in autumn, plants will bo produced that will flower all _ through the winter in a sunny, well-drained border. The more the flowers are picked, the longer the flowering season. Linaria is valuable, too, as a summerflowering annual, because it will grow in a dry situation where many other subjects would fail.

MANUKA

Our native manukas are not grown as generally as they should bo, and one wonders at this, for the plants are very hardy and are beautiful when in flower (states tho gardening contributor of the ‘Dominion’). Just at first they may need a little protection in exposed gardens, but, once established, they grow quickly and flower profusely from the time they are very young. Manukas stand hard cutting, and this makes them suitable for small as well as large gardens, for should they be inclined to take too much room they mav always bo trimmed back. Our scarlet manuka, leptospermum Nichollsii. with its rich rod flowers, is. when in flower, a wonderful sight. Lven the white manjika is worthy a place in our shrubberies. Were it not so common on the hillsides wo would no doubt appreciate more its graceful appearance, and at flowering time its wealth of bloom. The variety with double white flowers, leptospermum scopariunt alba floro plena, is very attractive. The double pink manuka is exquisite, and Once it becomes better known will no doubt bo very popular. It is easily grown and flowers freely. There are two varieties—leptospermum scaparium rosea fl. pi., and an improved variety of the same.

WORK FOB THE WEEK

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN., The operations in the vegetable garleu from now on will depend very much upon the condition of the weather. in mild, open weather radish may he sown; also onions, lettuce, spinach, and a little early shorthorn carrot seed. Make a sowing of early cabbage and cauliflower. Plant rhubarb on deeply-dug and well-manured ground. Planting the smaller kinds about 3ft apart and the stronger growers quite 4ft apart. Prepare asparagus beds in readiness for planting about the first week in August. Artichokes may be planted. They should have rich, deeply-dug, and wellmanured' ground, a light, free, rich loam being necessary to procure good, sound, .and well-shaped tubers. Sutton’s White is a good shaped and also a fine flavored artichoke.

Plant cabbages and cauliflowers from the autumn-sown seed bed. Make the soil rich with manure, particularly for cauliflowers, as the quicker both of these vegetables are grown the more tender they will bo. Plant early potatoes, selecting the warmest and sunniest situation where late spring frosts are not so likely to affect them. Early boxed-up sets should bo in fine condition for planting now. Take care not to allow more than two good sprouted eyes to each set.

THE FRUIT GARDEN

Continue planting all kinds of hardy fruit trees, including strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, and currants. Carry on the work of pruning. It is important where real good fruit is the object to dig the ground between and under the trees.

The work of spraying should bo got on with after pruning is completed. Clippings and other rubbish should bo cleared away and burnt. In bad cases of scaly blight it would be better to defer spraying until just before the buds burst" in spring, as that is about the best time to make a clean sweep of scaly blight, as it is about that time that the scale hatches its young. If a pood strong solution is given, it is almost certain death to the blight. The kind of spray to use must depend to a certain extent upon the nature of the trouble. For instance, for fungoid diseases some form of limo wash should be used, such as Bordeaux mixtures, lime, sulphur, and salt. Again, for scaly blight oil sprays are most suitable. Red oil sprays are excellent and easily mixed, but for very bad cases nothing surpasses the limo sulphur and salt wash. The most objectionable part of this spray is the making of it, but bad cases require strong measures.

For the various kinds of oil sprays full directions are given for mixing and use. -Bordeaux mixtures may also bo procured ready for mixing, but the lime sulphur and salt wash has to bo madp uj). To make fifty gallons take 501 bof best unslakcd limo and 1001 b of flowers of sulphur. Put ten gallons of water into an iron boiler, bring it to the boil, then add 101 b of fresh slaked lime, and next the sulphur. This is best mixed into a thick paste with hot water before placing it in the boiler. Boil it for thirty or forty minutes until the liquid becomes red or a deep bronze color. Thoroughly stir, and add.sufficient water to make fifty-five gallons. Then add 101 b of salt, and bring the whole to a vigorous boil for about fifty minutes. Strain off and keep it in a barrel. If the barrel is not quite full pour in a small quantity of kerosene to prevent-a crust forming; then the liquid may be drawn off as required, adding one part of the liquid to twelve parts of water, and for summer spraying one of the liquid to thirty parts of water. Copper boilers must not be used on any account, and care must be taken not to stir uj) the lime or sediment when drawing off for use, or it may get into the nozzle of the sprayer. If only small quantities are required it need not be put into a barrel, but’used hot right away. Caro must be taken at all times to add the proper quantity of water—preferably hot water. The wash is more effective when it is hot.

This wash may bo made successfully in a kerosene tin where small quantities are required for small gardens. In this case take 7Jlb of unslakcd lime, 7Jlb powdered sulphur, 7ilb salt, and twenty gallons of water. First boil one gallon of water, adding the sulphur and half the lime after being slaked, and half the salt. Boil this, as with the larger lot, for forty or fifty minutes. Then take a large tub and mix the remainder of the lime and salt, stirring briskly and adding the extra tmount of boiling water required tn make the twenty-five gallons. Then let it settle, and strain and use as required. This makes a good wash for rod spider and red brobia, those verv troublesome pests that attack the foliage of apple trees in the summer, and also apple scab; but for this it must be diluted to one in twenty of water. Spray well in and over the foliage

ANSWERS;

“ Forbnry.”—You say your ground faces south-east, and consists of a stiff clay soil, containing a few apple trees. Some bear fairly well, and others give a profusion of bloom in spring, but no fruit. I should say the roots of the apple trees are down in the cold clay—that is, undisturbed f! ]ay—ground that has not been trenched. Supposing one digs a deep hole, say, two spades deep, to plant the trees in. It becomes like a basin which holds water. Naturally the roots get down to this, and under such conditions it is impossible for trees to fruit successfully. As I have so often pointed out, it is better to grow one or two well than a lot badly. You say yon would like the names of two or' three good late-keeping kinds that would last through the winter. I recommend Alfreston (a late large rooking apple), Prince Alfred (extra large and a good keeper, and useful for both cooking and dessert), Sturmer Pipnin (a very late and fine desrest apple, also a good cooker). These are the best three late varieties and good cropping kinds that I think I could advise for your situation. They are excellent croppers. “M.M.”—The names of the leaves forwarded are:—(l) Olearia traversii, (2) not , ( snro of its name, (.3) peach. This may have grown np from .a stone dropped'into the soil. Your signature next time, please. “ Raspberry.”—The piece of wood from your raspberry cane forwarded is riddled with the borer grub. There is no cure for this, for the reason that the grub is inside the cane, and cannot be-get at with Sprays. As a,preventative, spray the canes now and later on the leaves and stems with arsenate of lead wash, One teaspoonful to one gallon of water. “ Lily of the Valley.”—-Yes, you may plant lily of the valley now, and the sooner the better before growth starts. They will grow and flower either in a partly or wholly shaded situation. It iS best to plant them rather closely by

GARDEN

There is no more useful flower ■ for the gardener with a small garden than the viola (states Mrs F. Bennett, F.R.H.S.). Violas wdl grow m any wholesome soil, but they take a heavy toll from the ground for so small a plant, and the surface soil should be constantly enriohcd with hop manure and any other good fertiliser. Other important points to remember when cultivating violas arc plenty of water in dry weather, a daily inspection of the plants for the removal.

GARNISHING THE GREENHOUSE

It is most important that a greenhouse should be thoroughly cleaned at the beginning of the seaspn, for it must be obvious to the most unthinking gardener how much more easy it is for insect pests to breed and increase and multiply under the protection of glass than in the open (states the gardening contributor to an English journal). Sometimes the owner of a greenhouse deliberately allows conditions to exist that encourage the harboring of pests. This was brought home to me the other day when I was going round the greenhouse of a friend, where the grape vine was an eyesore on account of the loose hark dangling from the rods. Surely the veriest novice in vinedulturo knows that the rods of a vino should bo rubbed free of all loose hark and dressed with some good insecticide if there are to be good grapes. A greenhouse should ho cleared of all pots and seed pans not in use, for they all harbor insects and their eggs when unoccupied by plants. The woodwork and glass should bo thoroughly cleansed; there is nothing better than Jo,yes’ fluid For the purpose, and the walls limcwashod. There should now ho days when it will not hurt the majority of plants in a cool greenhouse to have a breath of fresh air while the work is being done; but if the house is heated pack the plants all together in one part of the house, and move them ns the work proceeds. And let me remind you how important it is that ventilators should be in perfect order before the season advances, and it is an excellent plan to cover them with the finest meshed wire when one is growing fruit for exhibition. Many plants must have an abundance of fresh air when they aro cultivated under glass if they are to give good results. Crapes and tomatoes are two good examples. And this brings another thought to my mind. Readers who are filling a greenhouse for the first time must ho careful to select plants liking the same atmospheric conditions. It spells disappointment to attempt to grow tomatoes and encumbers in the same greenhouse. But there is no reason why a plant that yields fruit should not be grown among flowers and fernis if one makes sure at the outset that they like the same conditions of life.

ROYAL LILACS

"Visitors to 1 Kew in Lilac Tune,’ of which Mr Alfred Noyes has sung so sweotlv, generally overlook a remarkable lilac tree which ouro grew ; in the gardens of Cambridge Cottage, but. has lately bemi removed to the la.wn in front of Key Palace (observes the ‘Morning Post’)- .The peculiar formation of this tree is very interesting to arboriculturists, because, instead of producing sucker growths from the root, as other lilacs do. it possesses a clean, single trunk. There is a similar lilac tree in the gardens of Windsor Castle. These two curious trees came from Rumpeiiheim-on-the-Main, near Frankfort, and wore given by tho Landgrave Frederick to the lato Duke of Cambridge. Lilacs of this abnormal typo are now fairly common, but they wore considered extremely rare at the time of their introduction.