THE GARDEN

Evening Star, Issue 19776, 28 January 1928, Page 23

THE GARDEN

worn FOR THE WEEK.

Omr contributor, a welhkaown gardener, wiE be glad to answer questions, winch mast be received not later than Tuesday oi each week, AdrortißOmentff’iEte {lni mhmm must be handed in to the office before 2 jun. on Friday.

GARDENING FOR THE WEEK

bulb, and yet are easily grown from seed when obtainable. Plant bulbs about June in rows 12in apart and Gin between bulbs, and about 3in deep. The crop will be increased by stimulating with liquid manure during growth. The potato onion multiplies itself at the root and matures when ordinary onions are scarce. “M.H.”—You say that your carrots and parsnips, sown in ground that has been manured with hops, have grown rapidly and have gone to seed, and wish to know the reason. Hops is a rich nitrogenous manure, and carrots, parsnips, and such like vegetables are deep rooting, and the roots quickly get down to the rich manure, when rapid growth results. With I’egafd to your scarlet runner beans and the lack of growth under almost the same soil conditions, perhaps the foregoing aswer will give an indication of .the reason, and you will find that when the roots of the scarlet runners strike the richer material, which 1 conclude is several inches beneath the surface, they will respond rapidly. Keep the soil loosened about the runnel’s and water with liquid manure, which should encourage growth. “ Tomato.”— I The leaves forwarded are affected with mildew, and it is a diilicult disease to combat. Unsuitable soil conditions and faulty ventilation are predisposing causes to its appearance. The leaves you sent are small and do not point to a robust growth of your plants, caused perhaps by your soil not being rich enough or that the watering has been deficient. The growing conditions for the cultivation of tomatoes indoors are sometimes hard to obtain, as the ground must have sullicient moisture and yet the air should be dry and fresh. It is a good plan to have the plants in a trench, or have a hole round each plant and put the water in this troncu or hole, as this localises the water to the plants, and bo sure to kep the moisture off the foliage. Give plenty of ventilation, i would advise you to cut olf the affected foliage, taking the feaves immediately out of the house and destroying them. Then get some flowers of sulpnur and, preferably with a blower, spray the line powdered sulphur ou to tue leaves of the plant, especially ou the under sides, as tins is where the mildew is most prevalent.

THt VEGETABLE GARDEN Seize the opportunity, especially during the dry weather, of getting busy with the hoe, as not only does the disturbing of the surface soil benefit the ground, but also the keeping down of weeds is absolutely essential at this period of the year, as seeding will soon be in full swing. So exterminate the weeds before they reach the stage of shedding their seeds all over the garden. One frequently notices in .cottage gardens that at one particular period of the year the plots ore all filled with growing plants, and there is promise of abundant crops—but, and there is a big but—all these crops mature _at about the same period, and there is a feast for a couple of months or so, and then a famine for the remainder of the year. Now is a good time to plan suceessional sowing or planting, and, as crops are removed and plots become vacant, utilise the ground again in sowing or planting, so that vegetables may be available lor winter and spring. Of course, see that the ground is thoroughly prepared to enable it to do what is required of it. • Amongst the vegetables that may be sown, mention may be made of endine, short horn carrots, spinach, _ turnips, peas, and dwarf beans, and, il given a suitable plot and a quick-growing kind is used, success may be expected. Vegetables that can be planted out are kale, celery, leeks, cabbages, and broccoli. If a succession of broccoli is desired, it is advisable to put out plants of at least three varieties—early, medium, and late.- Give those ample room—at least 2ft apart—and press the soil firmly around them. See to the staking of all tall-growing plants, such as runner beans and peas, outdoor tomatoes, and so on, as nothing is more disappointing than to have these blown down by the wind and possibilities of a good crop ruined, all because of a little extra care in making them secure. _ , Care is always required in ventilating the tomato house, and especially so during the present warm weather, as tomatoes will not thrive in a stuffy atmosphere. When watering do the job thoroughly, and keep the moisture off the foliage.

THE FLOWER GARDEN

Most gardens at this period of the the year are a mass of coloring, and the average hortulturist is inclined to take a rest from work amongst the flowers and reap the benefits that have accrued from the passing of the Summer Time Bill at games or at the seaside Yet it is at this period that quite a lot can be clone to safeguard not only the present beauties of the garden, but also to ensure that those beauties can bp prolonged and carried right into the winter season A sowing can be made of B romp ton stocks, antirrhinums, and, though a little on the late side, such things, also, as polyanthus, primrose, and pansies. The first flush of roses is now past, and the plants are making growth ana developing buds for later displays, it is, therefore, a good time, to assist development by giving waterings of liquid manure. . A point worth noting with climbing roses at this time is to keep an eye open for those strong growths that will be needed for next season s display or bloom, and tie them in to the wall or rustic fence, or whatever they are climbing upon. These young shoots are very sappy and easily broken, and yet are also easily bent into the desired positions with a little care. If these growths are trained into the desired positions early a much _ better bush is maintained, and_ pruning is simplified. It disease is noticeable spraying must bo resorted to. Sweet peas that are 111 full bloom will b© helped with liquid manure and soot water. Be careful not to give either of these too strong, and be sure to water with clear water first. A good plan is to alternate the liquid manure and the soot water at different waterings. When watering give ample, so that the water gets well clown to the roots Be sure to see that the staking of such things as dahlias, chrysantnemums, carnations, and all tall-grow-ing plants is quite all right, and lookout for pests, especially for the caterpillar that has a predilection tor helping the enthusiast in “taking’ the bud. In case the last remark should occasion some confusion to readers, let me explain that the term taking the bud ” means selecting and leaving that particular bud, whereas the aforementioned caterpillar ‘ takes the bud in quite a different way.

THE GREENHOUSE

If pelargoniums have done flowering and the wood has ripened, cut the plants back to just below the forks of the flowering branches. Try to avoid long, letfgv branches and encourage short, stocky growths. Not much watering is required alter pruning, but spraying overhead encourages new growths. A cold frame or a cool part of the greenhouse is the best place tor them after being cut hack. As growth commences again, increase the supplies of water. Varieties that one likes can hi increased by cuttings, and those are best cut with a sharp knife just below a joint, then trim off the lower leaves and plant them in a compost of turfy loam and sand. Say, about one part sand to three of loam. They will strike best, in small pots in a warm greenhouse or frame, but will also do quite well in a sheltered place outside, it pots are used, placed the roughest of the compost on the crocks with the finest of the material towards the surface, which can be almost of pure sand. Then when the cuttings are pressed into position some of this is pressed down, and remains at the base of the cutting, and encourages root a °AU n plants that are well rooted or, in other words, have filled the pots with roots, and consequently have not fresh soil to explore, need plenty of water to keep them m good condition durum, the warm weather, and also occasional waterings of Hqmd manure to supply extra food for the plants. Do not forget the potting-on of young plants such as cyclamen and seedling begonias.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

“ Dinoris.”-Th6 best tune to ift your rhubarb’s roots is at period of rest, which with your variety will be later than the earlier ones. August is a suitable time for making the now bed. . “ Lily Yes, you can make up your new bed of Lily of the Valley now, and the soil most desirable is one that is free and open and of a sandy nature. It must also be rich to get good results. Do not make the bed in a sunny position, but choose one for preference that has partial shade. Lily of the Valley even does well when wholly shaded from sunshine. * , “ Onion.”—ln. reply to your question about the culture of potato onion, and so on;, it may help you to know that j&OSfe MM generally grown from the

HYDRANGEAS

RAISING MEW VARIETIES The raising of new hydrangeas is engaging the interest of many cultivators, and each year new raisers come forward to make additions to the already large number oi existing varieties. The cultivation of the hydrangea has become immensely popular, thanks to the eminently decorative qualities of this magnificent plant and to the placing in commerce ol varieties with large flowers of vivid coloring, supported on rigid stems, it has become one of the most lashionable ol flowering plants, and there are certain growers who specialise in its cultivation unci grow hydrangeas by hundreds of thousands to supply the markets and florists throughout several mouths of the year. This popularity is clue to the great improvements which have been effected, and to the display of new varieties at horticultural exhibitions, where the public is able to judge of the great progress which has been made. It was in 190 S that M. Lemoine, of Nancy, distributed the varieties Avalanche, Fraicheur, and La Lorraine; and M. Mouillere, of Vendome, gave us Vieonitesae Dc Vibroye and MadameE. Mouillere, in 1909. The efforts of raisers during the last few years have chiefly been directed to the production of plants with brightly colored or pure white flowers, and also to the increase in size of the “ blooms.” In regard to the latter, “ flowers ” measuring 10 cm. and inflorescences of 40cm. in diameter are to be seen at leading shows. All these improvements are the result of patient work, assiduous care, and long and untiring observation. New varieties of hydrangeas are obtained exclusively by means of seeds, which may be produced either by selffertilisation or by artificial fertilisation. Seedlings resulting from self-fertilisa-tion usually differ very little from the seed parent, so that growers prefer to obtain seeds by artificial fertilisation. The choice of the seed parent plays an important part in the production of a variety, and it goes without saying that this choice must not be made on theoretical grounds only; it must be indicated by the results it is desired to obtain, always bearing in mind the fact that the male, or pollen-bearing, parent plays a preponderant part in the production of new varieties. The inflorescence of a hydrangea is composed of two kinds of flowers: (1) sterile flowers, and (2) fertile flowers. The sterile flowers, more or less large, are composed of well-developed petaloid organs, with an insignificant corolla and more or less numerous stamens, but lacking an ovary; they are not therefore capable of producing seeds. They are more or less colored, orwhite, and form the ornamental portion of the inflorescence.

The fertile flowers are, on the contrary, quite small, and are placed at the base of the pedicels of the sterile flowers. They are more or less numerous, according to the species or the variety in question. For example, m Hydrangea rnariesii, which has served as' the parent of a number of varieties, they are numerous, and also in H. petiolaris, in ivhich the inflorescence is almost totally composed of them. These hermaphrodite flowers thus contain the well-formed male and female organs, and are capable, therefore, of producing numerous seeds by self-fertilisation. Artificial fertilisation requires to be done with the greatest care, the first operation necessary being the suppression of the stamens, at the time_ when these organs are totally enclosed in the flow r er bud, and always before the pollen is in a dehiscent condition. This delicate operation requires great skill, and must bo done with all necessary precautions by the aid of the small forceps usually employed for this work, special care being taken not to injure the oyary. At the end of three or four days after, the removal of the stamens the stigmas are generally sufficiently developed and ready to "receive the-pollen from the plants chosen to be the male parent, and taken, so far as possible, from the stamens of. sterile flowers. A short time after the pollen has been applied, with the aid of a small brush,- to the stigma of the flower, the petals fall, the ovary begins to swell, and the fruits develop normally. The fruits assume different shapes, according to the variety; they are sometimes spherical or rounded, as in the variety Sensation, sometimes more or less long, as in the variety Triomphe. Plants carrying the fertilised flowers should be placed in a well-ventilated house, and lightly shaded when the sun is hot. Under these conditions the fruits attain their complete development and ripen, usually in about four or five months. So soon as they are ripe—which may be easily recognised by the brown color they assume—they are harvested and preserved in _ a dry , atmosphere in paper bags on which the

names of the parent plants have been inscribed. The seeds are sown in the spring, under glass, in March or April (September and October in New Zealand). For this purpose very clean pots must be used, tilled with well-drained terre de bruyere (a kind of peaty leaf-mould). The seeds, ot which each fruit contains a goodly number, are very small and elongated, and should therefore be sown on the surface, without being covered by the soil—as in the case of begonia seeds. The pots are then placed on the staging near the glass. If kept moderately damp and in a temperature varying between lodeg and 20deg centigrade, germination soon takes place, and small plants are formed rapidly, and may be pricked out into pots so soon as they can be handled easily. When the young seedlings are sufficiently developed they are potted separately in small pots, 7 cm. in diameter, and placed under a frame that is kept airtight for several days. After this it will be necessary to admit air freely and eventually to expose them to full air and sunshine whenever the weather permits. From this point the young hydrangeas may be treated exactly like cuttings; for instance, they may be repotted into pots measuring 10 cm., and then into larger ones of 15 cm. towards the middle of August (February). A month later the plants have attained complete development, and the flower bud is already formed. They are at that stage single-flowered specimens if they have grown normally, or multi-flowered if the growths have been pinched in June (December). When there is danger of frost the plants should be placed under cover, either under frames, or, better still, in a cold house, near the glass; this, permits of their being brought into growth early, and they will then flower magnificently about May 15 to 20—i.e., a little more than a year after the seeds were sown. Cultivated ip this way hydrangeas become practically annual plants, since 80 per cent, to 90 per cent, produce their flowers the first year. _ The raiser therefore concentrates all his attention on these young plants, for if he has done the crossing cleverly he is repaid for all his trouble by the satisfaction of obtaining new varieties of leal merit. But it is necessary to eliminate all but the very best plants, retaining only those that may be classed among “pinnies d’elite.”—H. Cayenx, director of parks and gardens, Lo Havre, in the ‘Gardener’s Chronicle.’

MARKET APPLES

The need for increatfesg the number of dessert varieties of apples grown for market, was the subject, of _a very interesting paper read by Mr F. Paget Norbury at the conference of growers, held in connection with the recent Imperial Fruit Show in London. To illustrate his paper, Mr Norbury bad staged a collection of apples, old and new varieties, which had been suggested to him as possibly possessing market qualifications. Amongst these, the one which probably attracted most attention was Paroquet, one of thejate Mr Charles Ross’s introductions. This has the great merit of being an entirely red apple, the brilliant appearance of which would bo quite enough, to soli it. Unfortunately Havor is said' to be poor? Important as color is, it would be a mistake- for growers to adopt any variety which is not oi good quality, for the public are certainly becoming more critical (says a correspondent in the Gardeners’ Chicnicle ’). Many, nowadays, will not buv Worcester Pearmain, and have learned at last to recognise the superior quality of James Grieve, which at one one time was difficult to sell.

Two other apples of very striking appearance in the collection were amongst several sent from Wisley. One of those, George Carpentier, is a now variety, a cross between King of the Pippins and Peasgood’s Nonesuch, 1 believe. The single specimen shown was of good medium size, and most attractive color, the shape being flatround. If this apple crops well and :s of good flavor it should make an excellent market -variety. The other kind was Reinctto Rouge Etoilee; a small-to-medium-sized fruit of perfect flattenod-round shape, colored carmine with prominent white dots. Nothing more attractive-looking could bo imagined, the fruit having a delicate, waxy appearance. I have seen this apple before in collections, and at one time was keen to plant it; but I was told that it was apt to come too small, and that it is not of very good quality. Unfortunately, quality and fine appearance seldom go together in apples. In this collection were Ellison's Orange and Easton’s Supreme, both varieties of good quality which are being planted by market growers. Neither, in my opinion, has enough color to make it worth serious consideration. What is wanted is a late apple of brilliant appearance to rival Jonathan and M'lntosh Red. It is sometimes said that color is not of great importance, Newtown Pippin being cited as an example of a greenishyellow apple which is first favorite with the public. But Newtown Pippin has a waxy, sweet appearance, quite different from that of a poorly-colored English apple, which suggests sourness, T find that, with the market varieties we already possess, high color adds about 53 per cent, to the selling value. Commenting on the above, Mr F. Chapman wrote to the ‘ Gardeners’ Chronicle’). Your correspondent wisely states that if only we had one or two good late dessert varieties we could compete, thoughout the winter, with the imported apples which now hold undisputed possession of our markets at thas time. Later on, he refers to Laxton’s Supreme, and I presume this is a slip of the pen for Laxton’s Superb. If markel growers want a lata variety to compete with the foreigner, surely Laxton’s Superb fills the.bill, it has only to be tasted to bo acclaimed. I detest the usual childish and silly question: “Is it better than Cox’s? ” It is neither better nor worse than Cox’s Orange Pippin, but it has a most delicious flavor entirely its own, and it. is a worthy follower of that variety. Further, it is a free and consistently annual cropper. I regard it as one of the really great market apples of the future, especially when the public becomes educated to the fact that a brilliant scarlet skin does not inevitably indicate an apple that is good to eat. I saw an apple exhibited at two recent R.H.S. meetings, bright scarlet all over, yet I would not eat it. Laston’s Superb is not of this type, but is an apple that one may eat with enjoyment, and when ripe it possesses a warm, mellow coloring, without the brilliancy of some of the “ shopwindow ” sorts. Another apple mentioned by your correspondent is that nice little Belgian variety, Reinette Rouge Etoilee. I know this apple well, and having grown it for many years, I can assure your correspondent that it is of very fine flavor and quality, though not, perhaps, in the very front rank. A peculiarity is that it carries its bright red color right into its flesh in many cases, giving a cut fruit a very appetising appearance.