THE GARDEN

Evening Star, Issue 19616, 23 July 1927, Page 22

THE GARDEN

■\ ■ SEASONABLE WORK THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 'As this is tlio beginning of tliq potato season I propose penning a few instructional points upon that most useful and generally cultivated Vegetable. The potato, like most other vegetables, does best in deeply-dug ground. _ Two spades is ■none too much, and if the soil can be turned up in tlio, autumn and left for a few' months tho hotter.' It is admitted by nearly all experts that good mixed farmyard manure is the best mamure for potatoes. Where this can be procured it should he dug in at tho time of early digging or trenching. ' . The Best Soils for Early Crops.—lt is important to bear in mind tho fact that light-colored soils are colder than darker ones, as tho former reflects the sun’s rays, whereas tho latter absorbs them. Therefore tho latter type of soils is best for early crops. , They are warmer and in other respects better suited for promoting the growth which is essential for early crops. The subject of manuring ground for potatoes is one of considerable interest. The manures advised by the most expert potato growers in the Old Land and elsewhere are farmyard manure, superphosphate, basic slag, bon© meal, Peruvian guano, kainit, muriate and sulphate of potash, sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of soda, sulphate of iron, sulphate of lime, magnesium salts, and soot.

plants at this season, as a sudden glimpse of warm sun through the glass with hanging to the leaves will cause brown spots or patches on the loaves. ■ Aspidistras and palms art) rather liable to ho injured hi this way. ANSWERS Amateur,’’—Yes. Soot is_a‘ valuable manure. ’ I Would not advise yon to dig it into the ground now, bub rather to' keep it until later, when growth is more active, as it is best used as a topdr'essing when the plants are. up and growing. It may then bo dusted along tlio surface between,the rows, also along the drills or on the,surface when sowing seed. It is also good used in liquid form—soot water, ns it is termed—but this form of stimulant is host used in spring or summer, when tlio plants are in full growth. H.C.

RESTORING PERFUME TO FLOWERS Because flowers are losing their scent botanists, gardeners, and even scientists are vieing with one another to be tho first to discover tho cause and correct the fault. The florist in the past has been content mainly with tile increase in size and color of flowers. This hybridisation or interbreeding was often made at the expense of the pcrlume of the bloom, for the energy of the flower was taken to make up the extra substance. By moans of an interchange of graftings an American botanist has now succeeded in restoring to flowers their original perfume and also in intensifying it. The flowers to bo treated are first divided into groups of the same species. In grafting wounwood on chrysanthemums, for example, both plants develop remarkably well, and their flowers give off a perfume much more powerful than that of the original plant. When the seeds of the grafted flowers aro gathered and sow > some unusually fine plants aro obtained. Perfumed flowers are also grafted on plants that had no scent, and the result is the production of a grafted perfume like tho original. Outside the trade few people have any .conception of the extent of flowers and their relative perfumes. Of the 4.300 species of flowers cultivated in Europe only 420 possess an agreeable smell. As a rule, those with creamcolored petals are more highly scented than those of yellow, blue, or red. In cataloguing the smell of flowers it is found that just over 3,300 possess an offensive odor. Of the 303 varieties jf violets only thirteen give off a pleasant smell. By the grafting process the intensity of perfume is increased, the scent lasts longer, and new scents arc produced, while non-smelling flowers arc given an agreeable perfume. With these findings in view, it is possible that in. future our range of perfumes will bo considerably extended.

Large experimental tests have proved that phosphates in somo form must be used, indeed,- they are absolutely necessary for the successful cultivation of the potato. There are several forms of phosphatic manures, therefore the question to bo decided is what are the best forms to bo used. This depends upon the nature of the soil. 'For land that contains a fair quutity of lime the acid phosphates are'. best—that is, superphosphate and dissolved bones; whilst for ground that contains no lime, such as peaty soils and clays, non-acid phosphates are best—-basic slag, bone meal, or Peruvian guano. The two first act more rapidly than the latter.

Potash Manures.—There seems to be a difference of opinion among experts as to the value of potash as a manure. It is, however, agreed that potash manures should not be used indiscriminately or at all on clay land. On light peaty or chalky soils potash. is indispensable. For such soils there .are three forms of potash available—-kainit, muriate (chloride), and sulphate of potash.

How and When to' Apply Manures.— Good stable or farmyard manure should be dug-in’in autumn, and not too liberally, or. there is a great danger of it producing too much top at tho expense of tubers. Kainit takes a long time to dissolve, so it should be applied at the time of digging. The same applies to muriate of potash. ‘Sulphate or potash or superphosphate may bo applied at planting, sprinkling them along the drills- - Nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammonia are best used as a top dressing after the tops are through tho ground. Lime*—There is no doubt that lime is an excellent material to use on land about to ~ ba. cropped with potatoes. Mechanically it renders clay soil more pliable and. less plastic, and in the case of light soils it helps to bind the particles together, and thus renders it less susceptible to drought. Lime may be used in winter or spring, and used at the- rate of one or two tons per acre. Seaweed is also a valuable manure for potatoes. It contains from 4 to 20 per cent, of potash and 3 per cent, nitrogen. It is best dug in in autumn or early, winter, . Sets By Cutting.—This is an old method, and varies in practice according to the high or low value of potatoes. When the tubers are properly sprouted each ©ye or sprout may be cut out and planted, which practice should not be adopted except in the case of new or rare sorts. The proper size of sots to use are; For . kidneys, an average size of.lJin to 2in in width, 2Jin - longhand 2oz to ’3oz in. weight; minimum size, width Ifin, weight Round: Maximum width, 2in; weight, 2oz; minimum width, 1 Jin, weight IJoz; plant in drills. Earlier kinds: 2ft apart: main crop, 27in to 30in, loin in the rows, and 12in for early kidneys. Digging, trenching, and manuring should bo brought to a conclusion as speedily as possible. Asparagus beds should have a good dressing of stable manure. This will act as a stimulant to tho roots and at the same tune make a good covering for tho bleaching of the young growth, .which will bo making a move shortly. Top-dress rhubarb roots with stable manure; also make fresh-plantings. Be sure to have tho ground deeply dug for them. Plant sea kale and artichokes (both globe and Jerusalem varieties). Plant also potatoes, cabbages, and cauliflowers. Sow dwarf early peas; also broad or long pod beans.

FiaWSR “DERBY" RACKS BETWEEN PLANTS. Races between rival “ Loams ” of plants and flowers arc to bo run in England this summer-- at University College, Southampton, and at Kew Gardens . to test for greenhouses and garden frames a new typo of glass which, unlike ordinary window glass, admits tho ultra-violet rays of tho sun. At Kew the Office of Works has decided to equip half an experimental greenhouse with the glass and half with ordinary glass, and a typical selection of plants and flowers will he duplicated in each section. A similar course will he followed with a, wide variety of plants, including radishes, sunflowers, and beans, in the large glass corridor witii a southern aspect fronting the now botanical research laboratory at Southampton, which has cost £5.000. The aim of both experiments is to find out whether it is possible,, by the use of vitaglass, to obtain any such advantages as earlier cropping, better quality, heat saving, better color, hardier constitution, and greater resistance to disease in plants grown in greenhouses or indoors. The glass, which is the invention of Mr F. E. Lamplongh, M.A., formerly Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, is made in the works from which all the famous Crystal Palace glass came. SWEETWILLIAM Though the varieties of the present day ai;e in no tense antique, nothing can rob sweetwilliams- of their prescriptive place in,the rather nebulous company of flowers always referred to as okl-fashioned (writes a correspondent in’‘The Times'). They must have been common garden plants before Parkinson’s day, for ho mentioned many varieties by name, and was careful to discriminate between the sweetwilliam and the sweetjohn, a plant which seems, as such, to have lost its individuality or disappeared from gardens. According to Parkinson the “ Sweete John hath his leaves narrower than Sweete William, set, by couples at the joynts of the stalks at the top whereof stand many small flowers iiko unto small Pinkos, more deeply jagged than the Williams, of a small or soft sent ”; from which it may be concluded that the iohn was a small and scented variety of the william. In those days, sweetwilliams can hardly have been particularly fragrant or Gerardo would not have written of them ns “ kept in gardens more for to please tho eie than the nose or tho belly.” The origin of the name has puzzled many others besides Gerardo, who,.-in 1000, confessed himself beaten, “unless we could persuade ourselves that Sweet Williams were so called alter tho greatest mrtn' of that age, William Shake ■speare ” —a wild shot. Before Ger arde’s time the nrefix sweet had been used as an adjective to distinguish the garden plant from the wildwilliam— Dianthns hnrbatus—the progenitor of the race, and that may prove to ho its natural if humdrum origin. It may have been that in course of time the original- strain of sweetwilliams lost its scent, as other flowers have lost theirs, but there is certainly no want of fragrance in modern varieties. It ' says much for sweetwilliams that, though in most soils they are only biennial and bavc to be continually propagated anew, they, have never lost their hold on Hie affections of generations of gardeners. To-day they are rightly more popular than over, for-by selection and cioss-brceding with pinks of various kinds there is a plethora of fine varieties, among which the deep, velvety-red flower retains its old pride of place. The propagation of sweetwilliams is simple, and, except for varieties with some desirable peculiarity of color or shape, which should be perpetuated by cuttings, a sowing or seed is enough. The'seed, should he lightly sprinkled on tho earth and just covered with fine soil or lightly raked in, and

THE FRUIT GARDEN Carry on the work of pruning of all fruit trees. Rake up and burn all clippings and all spare rubbish that can be got together. Dig the-ground between the trees, and carry on the work of winter spraying such trees that require it. Apples in particular are benefited by an annual wash. This keeps them healthy, clean, and in a better condition to produce good fruit. Shorten or cut hack any old trees that it is desired to regraft with better or improved varieties. It is necessary that they should bo cut back whilst the sap is down, so as to be in tho_ right condition when grafting time arrives. THE VINERY 'All pruning;of vines should he off hand now to give them time to be thoroughly healed up before the sap ai ises in spring. , . f ~ Make a general clearing up of all leaves fend clippings; also give the vinery and glass a good wash down in case of green slime or.dust forming on the glass, all of which partly excludes light and warmth from the vines themselves. A good practice to follow is the annual fumigation of tho house with sulphur, especially where there has been previous signs of mildew or other similar troubles. All green or foliage plants must be removed before sulphur can he burnt, or the fumes will destroy them. Close up the house, and use an old pan with some red-hot coals to burn the sulphur 08. THE GREENHOUSE Kow is a good time to examine and clean tho whole stock of plants, pots, and staging or benches, in readiness for a clean start in spring. Dust on foliage plants, such as aspidistras, palms, camellias, and others, should be sponged off and cleaned, ns not only are plants unhealthy in that condition, but they are very unsightly. Continue to keep the house rather on tho dry side and warm until brighter and warmer conditions arise, . Water moderately and with care, particularly - with newlypotted plants . x Keep pelargoniums in as warm a part of the greenhouse as possible until all "danger of severe frosts is past. Avoid the accumulation of damp on

WTOK FOIR THE WEEK.'

Our contribcSor.a weH-tisovm gardener, will bo glad to answer questions, which must ba received not later than Tuesday of each week. Advertisements‘dcr thts wUrrmn -mpat bo handed is to the o£Eos before 2 p.ct on ’ Friday. , ‘

provided the ground is not'allowed to dry out the seed will soon geminate. .When the seedlings have thrown their fourth leaf they may lie thinned out if only a few are needed, so that each may have.elbow mom; but if required in numbers, as they usually are, the youngsters .mould bo transferred to a larger bed, where each should be about a hand .span from the next. By tho autumn they will be strong enough to shift for themselves, and may he transplanted to the places they will occupy next year " Swoetwilliams' do not flourish' in heavy or ill-drained land, and aro at their best in tlio lighter soils; but where there is much clay in the ground tho plants can be grown ou : a raised bod'of prepared soil on the crust of tho clay, in sandy places old caw dung worked in b.olow the roots is a good stimulant. The tailor, ■ more flowery varieties are rather weak-kneed ami need tho support of light sticks. On warm soils old tufts of swcotwilliam are sometimes broken up in autumn and replanted, but tho flowers of tho second year are seldom up to the first Tear’s” standard, and in the end an annual sowing of seed or taking, of cuttings gives tho best results. The old crimson sweclwilliam, called numnilicus, is about tho only one with double flowers worth bothering about, and it is worthy of a place on the rock warden. Eor herbaceous borders the single-flowered, sell-colored varieties are best, though the newer so-called auricula-ovcd strains run them hard. Eor expert Dianthus Atkinsomi, an old hybrid of quality, is as much a trial as it is a joy, for its constitution is weak, and the plant soon exhausts itself; it should bo kept going by cuttings.

ROSES IN AUSTRALIA A SELECT LIST The recent rose plebiscite . taken among • the executive of tho National Rose Society of Victoria for the benefit of all rose lovers will be read with interest. A list of roses written out by the amateur when under _ the spell of a modern rose catalogue is apt to run into large numbers, for the descriptions of varieties listed are so vividly and attractively written that they sound irresistible. Choice new rcses are being added yearly to the lists, some of which stand the test of time, while others disappear :n a few years. But when ordering, tho test of a final list is that the roses chosen should grow strongly, bloom ' freely, have a good color, good perfume, and succeed in a wide range of soils. Tho amateur in ordinary circumstances has-no opportunity of finding out these "facts from experience, and it is here that the accumulated knowledge which the executive of the National Rose Society has placed before tho public will bo so uselul (says the ‘ Australasian’). All the varieties recommended have beecn thoroughly tested, and are chosen from among’ hundreds. The list is very attractive, and contains the following roses;— Twenty-four Garden Roses.—Golden Emblem, yellow; Madame Abed Chatenay, carmine pink; Madame Ed. Herriot, coral' red; Lady Hillingdon, orange yellow; Ophelia, salmon llesh; Sunny South, pink; General Macarthur, bright scarlet; Mrs Bryce Allan, carmine rose; Chateau tie Clos Vougeot, velvety crimson; Hadley, bright rod; Red Letter l)a-v, scarlet.crimson; Hoosier Beauty, glowing crimson; Carine, coppery sulipou; Laurent Carie, velvety carmine; Etoile do Holland, dark red; Columbia, rose pink; Los Angeles, salmon pink; Isohel, carmine orange; ‘-Mrs A. R. Waddell, reddish salmon; Sunburst, orange yellow; -Madame Butterfly, flesh pink; Lady Battersea, cherry crimson; Rev. P. Page Roberts, yellow buff; Gustave Grunewald, carmine pink. Twenty-four Exhibition Roscs.--Mrc; Herbert Stevens, white ; Jfevs Foley Hobbs, ivory white; Mrs Then. Roosevelt. creamy white; Frau Karl Druschki. white; Duchess of Portland, pale yellow; Kaiserin Augustin Victoria. white; Molly Bligb, madder pink; Mrs H. R. Darlington', creamy yellow; Nellie Parker, creamy white.; Lyon Rose, shrimp pink; Madame Jules Bouche. salmon white; Modesty, pearly cream; Mrs H. Brocklcbank, creamy white; Yvonne Vacherot, ,porcelain white; Mrs R. T). APClurc, salmon pink; Mrs Mackcllar, deep citron; Lady Ashtown. rose; .Mrs George Shawyer, rose; Mrs Charles Lamplongh, soft lemon; Edgar hi. Burnett, flesh-tinted rose; Ophelia, salmon flesh; Mam an Cocheb, deep flesh; Gorgeous, deep orange yellow; Alexander Hill Gray, lemon yellow. Twelve Climbing Roses. —Black Boy, deep crimson; Miss Marion Manifold, velvety crimson; Cl. Mine Abel Chatenay, carmine pink; Cl. Chateau do Clos Vougeot, velvety crimson; Cl. Mme Segond Weber, rosy salmon; Cl. Ophelia, salmon flesh; Souvenir do Leonie Viennot, silvery rose; Cl. White Maman Cochet, deep flesh; Jessie Clark, pmk; Cl. Sunburst, orange yellow; Cl. Mme Ed. Harriot, coral red; Cl. General Macarthur, bright scarlet. Six Poly an th a Roses.—Ellen Poulson, brilliant pink; Orleans, carmine rose; Borderer, copper pink; Miss Edith Cavell, red; Cecile Brunner, salmon pink; Tiptop, golden yellow. Six Wichnriana Roses.—American Pillar, pink, white eye; Hiawatha, deep ermson; Dorothy Perkins, rose: Excelsa, scarlet; Lady Gay, rose; Bushfire. crimson. Some other roses, either new or Icssknoun varieties, recommended for a trial are:—Souv. do 11. A. Verschuren, yellow; Mrs Henry Winnet, red; Dame Edith Helen, glowing pink; Richd. E. West, yellow; Rev. Williamstown, coral red; Frieburg .il., -peach shades; Airs Beckwith, buttercup yellow; White Ensign, white; Rose Marie, rose pink; Mabel Morse, golden yellow; Souv. de Georges Fernet, red; Florence L. Izard, buttercup yellow; Pbnebo, creamy white: Sensation, crimson red; Airs W. G. Egan, light to deep pink. The twenty-four garden roses and the twelve climbing roses have perhaps the greatest interest from the point of view of the amateur who grows roses for garden and home decoration, and Air James Allan, the president of the society, adds some interesting comments on the growing of these roses. Golden Emblem, placed first on tho list of garden roses, belongs to the Pernctiana type, which may ’ be seen in tho rich color of the cadmium yellow, with reddish .gold blooms. But it is only 50 per cent, pernetiana, and does not share in the tendency of this race of roses to a weak constitution. The growth is vigorous, and tho roses freely, borne. It requires little or no pruning; if pruned too heavily it tends to die back;'all that it requires is to take out the twiggy wood, open the centre of the plant so that the sun may get an opportunity to ripen tho wood. A peculiarity of this rose is that it is a failure as a dwarf or bush rose, and should always he ordered as a standard. It does not seem to have any affinity with the Alanetti stock used in the bush roses. Madame Abel Chatenay does equally well as half-standard, dwarf, or climber.’ It also thrives under all climatic conditions . in ..the Commonwealth, and appears , in the leading plebiscites taken in. districts with such

contrasting-climatic conditions as Sydney and Ballarat. Ophelia is one of the best garden roses grown in the world to-day. ft will be noticed that it is included in the lists . of exhibition, garden, and climbing roses. In a bed of mixed roses in 'flower in spring or autumn some may be poor and some good, but it is safe to predict that Ophelia is always outstanding. It has a vigorous constitution, is mildew resistant, and free from black spot or disease of any sort. Its inherent fine qualities are seen in the number of good roses raised from it, and , in America it is largely used as a parent stock. Flowers are freely produced -and frequently in the form of a water-shoot, with a cluster of six or seven beautiful blooms at the end of the shoot. Madame ’ Edouard Harriot was 'sent out by the firm of Fernet Ducher in 1913. It has steadily grown in popularity, and the rich coral red coloring of the blooms makes it a general favorite. It has a strong constitution, and seems to give equally good results on sandy or clay soils. The pruning is similar to that required for Golden Emblem. Mr Allan considers that. Lady Hillingdon js the best yellow. rose. It is contained in the leading popular lists of roses throughout the States, which proves the vigor of its constitution. Roses are freely produced on long rod stems, and when breaking into fresh foliage there is a peculiar bronze shading through the leaves, which makes the plant very attractive during spring and late summer. The flowers have a strong tea perfume, and if cut in tho Into mid stage are at their best. Sunny South is now a well-known rose in all Australian gardens, and in. Mr Allan’s opinion, which will bo shared by many rose lovers, it is the best Aus-tralian-raised rose. It is a hybrid tea raised by Mr A lister Clark, and sent out in 'l9lß. During the last few years the public taste for light decorative roses has been increasing, and Sunny South, with its beautiful- coloring of pink, flushed with carmine on a yellow base, iV an ideal color, both under artificial light and daylight. Like practically all Mr Clark’s roses, it blooms almost continuously, and if given a portion of ground or a rose bed in which nine to twelve plants can be planted a .supply of roses is ensured for nine or ten months of the year. It has very strong growth, and is essentially a bush rose. If grown as a standard the growths arc long and hard to control.

SEED PEOP AG AXING BOXES GROW YOUR PLANTS TO PERFECTION IN ‘STAR’ SEED PROPAGATING BOXES. ' A BOON TO NURSERYMEN AND AMATEUR GARDENERS. Many plants that, will not transplant successfully because they won’t stand any disturbance of their roots can be successfully raised by Use of ‘ Star ’ Propagating Boxes. These boxes are made of material which retains the moisture, and are so compact that the air cannot dry the soil as with earthenware pots. When ready f< planting out, tho material of which the boxes are made ia so sodden and well rotted that it forms a manure, and can be set out in the cold frame or border without disturbing the soil. ‘ STAR ’ SEED PROPAGATING BOXES can be supplied in very small sizes suitable for the smallest seeds, or larger sizes suitable for Sweet Peas, iu handy Seedling Trays. Particulars and prices may he had on application to the - MANAGER, ‘Star’ Bos Factory, Bond street.