THE GARDEN

Evening Star, Issue 19517, 26 March 1927, Page 21

THE GARDEN

NEW PLANTS FROM CHINA

SEASONABLE WORK THE ROSE GARDEN This being about the right time for tho preparation of ground for the successful cultivation of roses, as promised 1 propose giving a few particulars or instructions upon their cultivation. Tho first thin" to be considered in any attempt at the successful cultivation of roses is the preparation of the soil, and i-s soils differ so widely it will be well to consider one or two classes, such as light sandy and heavy clay soils. Roses do best in heavy deep loam of a rather fatty nature, and worst on a poor, dry, sandy, or gravelly soil resting on rock. Discretion must therefore he used when dealing with medium soils. Let us suppose we have a clay soil not drained, which when trodden upon utter rain sticks to the boots. This will grow good roses. All that such laud wants is drainage, deep digging, and manuring. If one intends making detached beds upon a lawn to plant roses in one should dig out tho soil a couple of feet d iwn. On the bottom put in 6in of old lime rubbish, broken bricks, or suchlike, leaving the small .rubbish on top upon this place some hedge clippings or twigs, laid to prevent the fine soils from running down and clogging tho drainage. Then place some rotted manure next, with the soil on top, which should contain, if heavy, some burnt garden rubbish and lime, with as much turfy loam as possible. Provision must bo made for tho outlet of wafer. On light soils drainage is rarely required unless the position lias low or very flat. Here all efforts must be directed to making the soil heavy and retaining as much moisture as possible. If the sod is dug out and a layer of clay placed on the bottom so much the better, but keep the clay at the bottom. Upon this put a layer of manure—cow or pig manure, if possible, as these retain moisture to a much longer period. With heavy soils stable manure is preferable. Care must be taken that the roots of tho roses do not come in direct contact with it. As to tho top soil, for sandy or light ground uso turfy loam with a little fine clay soil and old manure well mixed in. This should remain for a few weeks to consolidate before planting. Should the land on which it is intended to plant roses consist of old turfy or grass land very little other material will bo required except trenching at least two spades in depth, with a liberal dressing of good manure between the top and bottom spit and a good dusting of quicklime upon the rough surface. Leave this until planting, then break the surface and lumpy soil down fine. How to Plant Roses.—Having prepared your ground, get your plants as early in May ns possible, and let it be so arranged that the whole business—from the digging up* of the plants to their being safely planted—shall be as quickly dine as possible. Experience has taught mo that quick and careful planting has much to do with the success or otherwise of tho first year’s blooming. Let there be no heeling in of the plants As soon as they arrive from tha nursery have them planted. Should heavy rain or wet ground prevent immediate planting, then temporarily plant them by thoroughly covering and making firm the roots until the ground is in a fit state to plant. When ready have your plants bv you, with the roots lightly trimmed with a sharp knife, as bruised roots are to be specially guarded against. Leave all the fine roots intact. The distance apart to plant should be 20in, or at most 2ft. Tho holes should be taken out lOin deep, with a slightly rounded bottom like a saucer upside down. I’ut a little ground bones over the soil; then spread out the roots evenly nil round, covering the roots with some fine soil, taking care that the holes are sufficiently large to take the roots without doubling them in. After this tho rougher material is filled in, and when the hole is nearly full tread around and make tho soil firm and tho roots quite secure against air or water, which loose planting would admit; 9in or lOin is the right depth to phnt in most cases. In light, dry soils tho roots may be a little deeper, but with wet, heavy ground a 6in covering of soil will be sufficient. Rose bushes that have been budded or grafted on about Gin of stem will be just right. In planting, the junction of the stock and scion should bo about 2in under the surface.' By this the plants make a double set of roots, and are consequently firmer and better in tho ground. Avoid longstemmed plants, as to plant those with no stem exposed it would bo necessary to place them much too deeply in the ground, which would soon prove fatal to the rose Roses may he planted any time from May 1 on to the beginning of September. The latter time should he avoided if possible, as roses have a poor chance if planted at that time. May I believe to be tiie best month of all to plant, for the reason that the soil is m better condition for planting, and the bushes become established before severe frost sets in; consequently they break away stronger and better early in spring. The arranging of color _in planting roses is an important point. Try if possible to arrange the colors so that they do not clash: for instance, whites against yellows or pinks against whites of light reds. Dark reds and whites and yellows always go well together. Strong growers should always be planted in the centre of a round or long bed, with moderate growers nest and weak or low growers next to the verge. By this all are seen to the best advantage, and each gets its share of light and air. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN A considerable number of potatoes are affected with blight this season. In cases where they show_ signs _of blight on the tops lose no time in lifting them or they will go quickly with the trouble if left in the ground. Lift them when tho ground is fairly dry so that they lift clean and free of sticky soil. Make a sowing of peas to stand the winter and come in early next season. Early dwarf kinds should be used for this sowing Spinach may still be sown. Use the pricldy kind, it being the most hardy for winter. , Plant cabbage as previously advised. ANSWERS “ 5.A.8.”-—You wish to know how to make a good weedkiller for a gravel path. You have tried several commercial weedkillers without success. This question takes me back to my young days. A very effectual remedy we used was strong boiling hot brine. Boil Gib of common salt in eight gallons of water. When thoroughly dissolved give the path a good watering with the hot brine, sufficient to reach the roots of the weed. You will find that will be effectual. “ Amateur.”—The leaves forwarded are. those of a half-hardy coleus (C. fruiticoleus), a native of the Cape. It is very frequently grown hero in small greenhouses, and it also makes a good Window.

“M.H.”—■(!) Yon wish to know how to bud chrysanthemums. I presume you mean taking tho ■ bud, which moans leaving it to develop into large blooms. Watcb carefully the tops of the shoots or stems, and when you see a flower bud formed on the top pinch out all side shoots around it and down the stem. This will throw the whole strength into these buds and. naturally cause them to develop into large blooms. If you want quantity instead of quality pinch out this bud and allow the side shoots to grow aud develop blooms. These are called terminal buds The taking of bnds should be done as soon as tho side shoots can be pinched from the stem with the finger and thumb. (2) Yon say you have a number of annuals which have gone off flowering but are sending up green leaves and shoots at tho bottom, and wish to know what to do with them. If they, are annuals pull them up and dig the ground. But are they annuals ? Had you given mo tho names of them I could have advised more correctly and have stated whether they were annuals or not. H.C.

Inventory No. 77, issued 13y the United States Department of Agriculture, containing a list of seeds and plants imported by the office of Foreign Plant introduction, Bureau of Plant industry, during the period from October 1 to December 31, 1923, includes some interesting garden plants collected in Yunnan. China, by Mr J. F. Pock, of the National Geographic Society, Washington, says ‘ The Gardeners’ Chronicle.’ They include a white-flowered prunus, which grows about 2511 high on the slopes of Peima Shan, at an altitude of 13,000 ft. The flowers are succeeded by red fruits, which, although eaten by the Tibetans, are not apparently very palatable. _ The region where this tree grows is quite cold and. covered with snow for a large part of the year. Mr Hock has also introduced a wild apple from Likiang. It forms a tree about 30ft high, and bears small, attractive, uniformly red, oblong, cherry-like fruits, which are sold in the markets of Likiang. His new Castanopsis Delavayi is said to be one of the finest and hardiest timber trees of the Likiang district, where it grows at an altitude of 8,200 ft. The glacous, glabrous leaves are serrate on the upper halves. The fruits are small, and enclose a sweet edible kernel. DWARF IRISES In a recent issue of ‘ The Garden ’ interesting notes on the dwarf flowering bulbous irises were given. They come into bloom about the end of August in our gardens, and flower in February in English gardens at a time when the majority of plants are dormant, iris reticulata is possibly the most popular of these small species. The bulbs should be planted in a well-drained soil in a sunny position in a warm border or on a rockery. _ Under favorable conditions they will freely increase, and in early spring prove a joy with their deep violet and orange fragrant flowers; the bulbs may remain undisturbed for a couple of years unless they show signs of deterioration. Failure with iris reticulata may often be ascribed to a minute fungus which sometimes attacks the bulbs when left in the gi’ound, and the presence of this disease may be recognised by the coats or tunics of the bulbs being streaked with black, and by a marked deterioration of the growth of the plant. The variety of reticulata known as Krelagei is dwarfer than the tvpe, and of deeper coloring, albeit the latter varies, passing through shades of plum, purple, and reddish purple, but always of a deep tone. DIMITHUS ALLWBOBII Dianthus Allwoodii is becoming every year more popular in New Zealand gardens, for now most Now Zealand nurserymen can supply up-to-date varieties (states the gardening contributor of the ‘Dominion’). Many of the plants have the habit of growth of the pink, but the flowers vary, some being like glorified pinks and others like perpetual flowering carnations. The colors of tho flowers are charming, amt all the flowers are intensely fragrant. In sunny gardens Allwoodii are being used very much as edgings for flower borders; but may of the varieties are at their best when grown in the rock farden, where they form delightful rifts among the rocks. Allwoodii; in common with all tho carnation tribe, are fond of lime in their soil, and they do not like leaf soil. Tho soil should bo dug to a depth of 18in, and wellrotted manure should he dug into the bottom spit. _ The top soil should have a good dressing of lime. Allwoodii do splendidly in seaside sandy gardens, provided that they are not too much exposed to wind. The plants are easily propagated from seed or from cuttings. The best plan is to buy plants of the colors one likes, and to take cuttings from them as soon as they are available. One can then have a whole border or big drifts of one color. ROSE GARDEN r iEW ROSES If! AMERICA An unusual number of new roses are being offered in America' this season (said tho ‘ Gardener’s Chronicle,’ of January 20). While those are all primarily forcing varieties, it is entirely probable that they will also succeed out of doors if given suitable conditions. Perhaps the most sensational variety of the present spring is Rapture, from Messrs Traondly and Schenck, a prominent firm of rosegrowers in Connecticut. This is really a much intensified sport of Madame Butterfly, pink with a satiny sheen, shaded orange at the base of the petals. Being a sturdy grower, this will undoubtedly put Madame Butterfly out of the running as a forcing rose here. It is no doubt tho finest novelty of the year. Totty’s Red, from Messrs G. H. Totty Co., Maddison, New Jersey, is the richest sport of Premier yet seen; the color is crimson-scarlet, being really more crimson than scarlet. Florex, from the Florex Gardens, South Wales, Pa., is another lovely novelty; the color is rich coral salmon. The plant produces long, strong shoots, but the bloom is rather weak in petalage. Fontanelle, a seedling of that most popular of all yellow roses in America —i.e., Souvenir de Claudius Fernet, is not so good in color as its parent, bin flowers much more abundantly. Rose landia has been grown to some extent, but is too small. Columbia is rapidly losing favor as a forcing rose on account of so many of the flowers coming “hull-headed”; Briarcliff, one of its sports ; introduced last year, has been heavily planted, and lacks the defects of its parent )t is the most popular of this particular color here. There is also one named gilvor Columbia, of pale? oolo& yjiish

WORK FOR THE WHEEL,

Oar coaduabubw, a woH-known gardener, win bo glad to answer 1 questions, which must bo received not later than Tuesday of each week. AdverEasmoitta Sbc tida eofamn must be handed in to tha office before 2 p.m. on Friday.

is quite popular. Mrs F. B. Pierson, a red sport from Premier, introduced in 1926, is meeting with a somewhat mixed reception; it appears to come very., variable in color and be rather too much subject to black spot; when well grown, however, it is beautiful. Another novelty of the present season is Premier Supreme, ot a very deep rose-pink shade; it has l*s3g, pointed buds, and is a robust grower. Madame Alexander Dreux has attained some favor as a forcer; the flowers are small, but the extreme richness of the blooms has caused _it to be an excellent seller. It is omy being handled in a moderate way compared with other hybrid teas. Souvenir de Claudius Peruet is easily the leader amongst yellows here, both for forcing and outdoor culture. I‘ancy, long-stemmed flowers' for Christmas trade realised 75 dollars to 100 dollars per 100, wholesale, a price which was equalled by Templar and surpassed by American Beauty, the latter realising 200 dollars per 100 with 4ft stems. TRANSPORT OF FLOWERS BY AIR Some interesting facts on the development of air transport for flowers are given, in * La .Revue Horticole ’ of January id. For several years past fresh flowers have been earned regularly by aeroplane between Holland, Germany, and Scandinavia; and in 1922 the Netherlands Dahlia Society sent to Paris by air a splendid collection of new varieties which were entered for the special competition organised by the French National Horticultural Society, and were afterwards distributed to the hospitals. The idea is being seriously considered of making use of air transport for the immense trade in fresh flowers which is done in the South of France and on the Italian Riviera. The utilisation of the air-line which has plied regularly since the summer of 1926 between Marseilles and Paris, forming a link with the air-lines from Paris to the towns of Northern Europe, would mean an appreciable saving of time, without a great increase in cost, especially as the flowers would arrive fresher at their destination and there would therefore be less loss in transit than at present.