THE GARDEN

Evening Star, Issue 20980, 19 December 1931, Page 22

THE GARDEN

SEASONABLE WORK THE KITCHEN GARDEN Many of our principal crops come during this next month, such as peas, beans, carrots, turnips, and the supply from the kitchen garden may show too abundant cropping at one time. The young gardener or beginner should make a note to leave sufficient ground available for follow-on crops, for a winter and spring supply of broccoli, cabbage, savoys, Brussels sprouts, and others which form our principal supply for the winter. It is an easy matter to have an abundance of various kinds during summer and early autumn. The main object now is to prepare for, or plant crops of such as those abovementioned to fill the lean time blank. Unless attention is paid to this, there will assuredly come a time when there will be a scarcity when such crops are most needed. Hoe and stir between the rows of crops already in to stimulate their growth and keep down weeds. Keep asparagras continually cut until the end of the month. Then cease cutting for the season and encourage the plants to make as strong growth as possible to_ build up for crowns for next season. Thin out plants,singly of springsown seed to 12in or 15in in the row. Sow broad beans and top those that have set to a good crop of beans. Make a last sowing of French and butter beans. Stake runner beans before they become a tangled mass. Stake peas and make another sowing for succession, the last sowing to be made .about Christmas or New Year. It is not much use sowing peas later than that, as they would only be coming into pod when sharp frosts would appear and destroy them. Prepare and well manure trenches for planting celery in double or single rows, making the trenches rich, so that the will be well and strongly grown, for this is most essential to secure good heads of celery. Caro must be taken to keep them well watered, for they must receive no check for want of it. Thin out carrots, onions, and other crops requiring attention. 1 Plant out leeks in well-prepared trenches. Leeks like a warmer situation than celery. Sow turnips and spinach. ; Silver beet may still be sown. Sow lettuce and radish, and plant vegetable marrows. THE VINERY The work of grape thinning should now bo in full swing. It is a decided mistake to put this work off too long. The best time is when the berries are about the size of grape shot. Once they become crowded they are not only retarded, but the work is decidedly more difficult, and is also wasted energy on the part of the plant or vine. _ Thinning the bunches of fruit consists of clipping out with_ a pair of grape scissors all surplus berries, mostly the inside ones, for tho reason that the outside ones have more room to swell and expand to ‘their full capacity. It is customary to begin at the lower extremities of the bunch and work upwards until the _ shoulders are reached. Then, with a thin, pointed stick in the left hand, hold out the shoulder, and, as advised, should-' tho bunches be large, with big shoulders, tie them out with thread or thin strips of raffia, so as to allow room for the full expansion of _ both bunch and berries. A good guide as to the amount of thinning necessary is just so that one can put the point of the finger between each berry. Some people have the erroneous idea that this reduces the weight of the bunch or crop. That is not so, for when the berries have room to expand, they swell, and not only will one have much finer berries and larger bunches, but they would command a much higher price in the market. _ Poor and undeveloped fruit has neither the flavour nor the appearance on the table of those better grown and properly thinned. A good guide as to the amount of fruit a single vine should carry is about lUb of fruit to each running foot of caipA To carry more than that, sooner or later ouo will have to pay for it with poorer fruit and not much of it, besides leaving the vines weak and likely to be attacked with shanking of the berries and other vine troubles generally caused by over-cropping. It is marvellous what a vine can be made to carry if well fed and well looked after; but, even so, it is very unwise to over-crop a vine. The time to regulate the number of bunches a vine is to carry is about thinning time. Select the finest and best placed bunches and cut the rest off. I know it is difficult to' harden one’s heart sufficiently to cut off good big bunches, but it has to be done. Thoroughly soak the vine border, if inside, and it will greatly improve the crop to give a good dressing of artificial manure before the soaking, or give liquid manure. Now is a goond time to feed vines. Tend to pinching out surplus shoots, laterals, and sub-laterals as previously advised. As the berries expand and begin to stone guard against scalding of the berries. This is very likely to happen if the vents are left closed late in the morning, when the hot sun is up and the fruit not free from steam—in other words, damp. THE TOMATO HOUSE The work of pinching out surplus oxside shoots should bo strictly attended to. The sooner these are removed the better. Watering and ventilating must also bo carefully attended to. Ventilation is of tho utmost importance. A hot, stuffy atmosphere is to be carefully guarded against when growing tomatoes, for I know of nothing worse for bringing on tho various troubles affecting the tomato. It is hard to overdo ventilating at this season of the year. Plenty of fresh air during warm days with an occasional good watering will make tho growth firm and steady, and such plants are sux-e to give a good return of fruit. Guard against cold draughts when using bottom ventilators. Many good tomato growers do not use bottom ventilatox-s at all. Water only when the surface soil becomes dry; then give sufficient to reach every root. Assist the setting of the fruit by an occasional shake of the plant. This releases the capsule of the flower, and consequently the setting of tho fruit is bettor. Although tho tomato likes a fairly firm soil to grow in, it should not have that hard, caked appearance. In such cases hoe and stir tho surface soil. By this you are admitting the necessary air to the rents and retaining moisture at the same time, besides keeping in check any weeds that may he appearing. An occasional tap or shake of the stem when the pollen is dry will assist the setting of the fruit. In some in-

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

Our contributor, a well-known gardener, will be glad to answer questions, which must bo received not later than Tuesday of each week. Advertisements for this column must be handed In to the office before 2 p.m. on Friday.

stances the flowers drop instead of setting, when a sharp rap oxx the stem or a shako may have gob over the difficulty—at any rate to a certain extent. ANSWERS “ C.L.M.”—You ask what has gone wrong with your marrows. They ap-peax-ed quite healthy up to a week oxtwo ago; now they—at least their leaves —are all dead. Are you sure it was not the sharp frost that appeared about a fortnight or so ago? I have seen several lots of marrows, tomatoes, and potatoes severely injured and some destroyed. I can hardly tell you what lias gone wrong, if it is not the frost, unless I knew more of the conditions under which the marrows were grown. Plant again. There is scarcely time to sow seed, as they would most likely be cut down with early frosts before giving you any returns. H.C. CARNATIONS Seedling carnations and rooted cuttings should have the tops nipped off them to make them branch out from the base. If this is neglected tho tiny plants will often run up into a long, thin flowei'ing stem, and will so exhaust themselves in the effort that they will be a long time recovering, if they ever do (says the Auckland ‘Star’). Old soot that lias been well exposed to the air should he dusted over all carnation plants, and soot water should bo given to those that are already flowering or going to flower. They should he watered also with very weak salt water. Carnations are well known to like salt and soot. Their liking for salt makes them ideal plants for seaside gardens. They positively revel ixx the salt sea breezes, and it seems to keep them healthy. Well-grown plants that are about to flower need a little special attention just now. In the first place they should he well staked; otherwise tlxe flowering stalks will lie about the ground. One stake is not sufficient. Three or four neat stakes should he inserted round each plant. If hoops of wire are twisted round the stake at short intervals above one another the flowers will be confined within these, and will liave a better chance to display their exqxiisite beauty than if tied in a tigixt hunch to one unhappy stake. The ground round tho plants should be kept in a state of fine powder to protect the roots from drought. _ Soot water should he given at regular intervals. A little judicious disbudding should bo practised, as all the buds cannot possibly flower. By removing superfluous buds, the flowers that develop will be much finer. Carnations are . most successful plants to grow from seed. The seed seems to germinate very freely and the seedlings come along very quickly. From a packet of good seed purchased from a. reliable seed merchant one stands a chance of securing many beautiful varieties. THE RETURN OF THE PINK ROSE The all-pink rose is returning to favour if, indeed, it has nob already done so. Beginning with Mrs Henry Morse, in 1919, wo had Mrs Henry Bowles in 1922; Dorina Neave, Mrs A. R. Barraclough, and Dame Edith Helen, all in 1926; and May Wettern in 1928. These are pure pink in varying tones, some seifs, some shaded, and all of them are roses that have gained an important place in popular favour (writes a Pertlxshire correspondent of ‘Popular Gardening’). Dorina Neave is a pux-e, cool pink, pale, but quite distinct, practically a self, and almost mauve in the shadows. The enormous petals are very smooth and thick. _ So far, it has given us one perfect, highcentred bloom and one flattish (like Lady Alice Stanley) alte#nately, bxxt it is an exposed positioxx, and lias been “up against” very trying conditions. Rose May Wettern has in the same time produced far more blooms, all consistently good. In colour it suggests Mine. Abel Cbatenay at its best, but it is nearly twice the size and colour and petal are bolder. Tho surface of the petal has a fawny tinge over the rich cream-pink, and the reverse is deep rose pink; a two-tone effect, in fact, with darker shadings. A lovely variety is the little-known Mrs Alford, a Hugh Dickson production, which is in delicate “pastel” tones, of perfect form, beautifully _ reflected and remax-kably long-lasting. It has two _ faults; a little want of definiteness in colour and a habit of dying down every winter and growing up afresh every summer, so that it never has time to make a large hush. It carries its blooms singly, however, and has stiff, though slender, stems. Of oxquiite form is the _ Duchess of Westminster, and there is also the Dutch J. C. M. Mousing, 1924, a pure pink “sport” from Madam© Buttexfly. Beth these have a pure “ old rose ” perfume. Caroline Testout is too well known to need more than mention in passing, hut Konigin Carola, said to be a daughter, is still mox-e beautiful, with a higher centre, and of more striking form. Between tho old varieties and the new it would be possible to have a wonderfully vax-ied display of pink x-oses only. BEST SINGLE AND SEMI-DOUBLE ROSES. The following are tho best single and semi-double roses, according to * Popular Gardening,’ London;— Billy Boy, yellow. Cuba, orange-scarlet. Dazla, orange-scarlet. Dainty Bess, salmon-pink. Else Poulsen, rose-pink. Irish Fireflame, orange, flushed crimson. Isohel, carmine, flushed orangescarlet. Kirsten Poulsen, cherry-red. K. of K., scarlet-crimson. Red Letter Day, scarlet crimson. Vesuvius, scai’let-crimson. CHEIRANTHUS ALLIONII Easy to grow' and having flow'ers of a brilliant orange yellow', the Siberian wallflower is a plant that should be grown in every garden. Flowers arc produced almost perpetually, and are of such mi intense shade of orange that a largo bed planted with cheiranthus is a dazzling sight when in full bloom. Seed should ho sown in December or January, and cultivation is the same as for wallflowers. In. tho autumn plant out tho seedlings in a fairly dry situation. A striking combination is obtained in the spring garden by associating this orange-wallflower with lavender aubrietias.

RAIN-RESISTING ROSES Heavy rains in two successive summers have afforded an opportunity of judging of the rain-resisting qualities of roses (says ‘Popular Gardening’). In view of the vagaries of tho_ English climate, and to avoid disappointment, the amateur will do well to grow, as far as possible, those roses which have proved to be “ all-weather ” varieties. One of the handsomest in cultivation and one of the most prolific is Mrs A. Barraclough, carmine pink, which is impervious to rain. I have had as many as fifty blooms on one tree, all of great size and perfect form. Another pink ■sort which has done equally well is Mrs Henry Bowles, which, with twelve beautiful ‘blooms all out full together, presented a striking appearance. Of the yellows, Florence L. Izzard, Mrs Beatty, Golden Emblem, Golden Gleam, Rev. F. Page-Roberts, Christine, Mrs Wemyss Quin, and Billy Boy have given a plentiful supply of perfect blooms, but Julien Potin has “ balled ” rather badly. Clarice Goodacre, Mrs Henry Winnett, Ellesmere, Lady Hillingdon, Mrs Henry Morse, and Sunburst, though full of blooms, failed in many instances to open owing to the wet. Those highly decorative varieties Desmond Johnston, Mrs G. A. Van Bossem, Duchess of Atholl, Sunstar, Shot Silk, Gorgeous, and Wilhelm Hordes have all done splendidly. Among those which never fail to flower freely are Ophelia and its “ sport ” Madame Butterfly, one of the most popular roses grown. Others which have done well this year and can always bo depended upon aro Charles P. Kilham, Orient red; Independence Day, orange-yellow; Countess Clanwilliam, jieach-pink, a variety that is not frequently seen in the amateur’s garden, but is well worth growing for its dedicate shading and clean, refined appearance; Doris Trayler, orangecadmium; Dr E. Deacon, shrimp-pink; Joan Davis, another Ophelia seedling; Holt Hewitt, dark red; Los Angeles, flame-pink and coral; William F. Dreer, of somewhat similar colour; Donald Macdonald, carmine; Betty Uprichard, salmon-pink and carmine; General M'Arthur, scarlet-crimson; Mrs Bryce Allen, carmine; and Polly. The last-named is very floriferous, the colour being cream, rose pink, and gold. I have a tree of this variety which this season has had upwards of sixty blooms and has thrown up a new shoot which has a mass of buds slowly breaking into flower at the time of writing , (mid-September). Another good feature rf this rose is the length of time the blooms remain on the tree. SHRUBS CALCEOLARIAS Bedding calceolarias were at one time considered a most essential class of plant for the adornment of the garden in the summer, and there were few bedding schemes which did not include a goodly proportion of these, particularly of the yellow and brown shades. Nowadays they do not, however, figure quite so prominently, having either been displaced by the larger and more bril-liantly-flowered greenhouse varieties or by some different class of plant entirely, with the result that many of the oncepopular varieties are now difficult to procure (writes Leonard A. Griffith, in the ‘ Hawke’s Bay Tribune ’). Fortunately, for they are charming little plants, it is still possible to obtain these in sufficient variety to enable them to be used with good effect either in bedding schemes or to brighten up some portions of the garden. Provided the weather is at all favourable, these may be planted out now, and as short-jointed, stubby little specimens give much better results than long, spindly ones, preference should be given to the former when selecting one’s plants. Success or otherwise depends to a certain extent on the season, as a very hot, dry season considerably shortens their period of usefulness, but as coolness at the roots is appreciated by this class of plant, these should bo planted in a fairly rich loam, which has been deeply cultivated. The space allowed between each plant depends on whether they are used as dots or massed; but well-shaped symmetrical plants can only be obtained by permitting ample room for development, and the ground between the plants should either bo carpeted with a dwarf subject to keep the roots cool or else stirred regularly with the hoe for the same purpose. GROWING LEEKS Leeks are best grown in trenches like celery. The trenches should be prepared as soon as possible. They should be from eighteen inches to two feet deep, and fifteen inches in width. Into the bottom should be placed six inches of fresh stable manure. Then should follow a layei of six inches of rotted manure and turfy loam mixed together, then a three-inch layer of fine soil with a little more i-otted manure, and next a little plain soil sprinkled with soot, and finally enough of the best soil taken out almost to fill up the trench again. Tin's seems a lot of trouble, but it is well worth while if those long, fat leeks with plenty of tender white flesh art looked for. The seedlings should be planted nine inches apart for ordinary household use, and fifteen inches apait if exhibition specimens are to be aimed at. The holes to receive them should be dug out with the trowel, so that the plants can be sunk until only the tops of the leaves are showing. Some growers place a stiff collar of cartridge paper around each plant immediately planting is finished, in order to keep grit from lodging in the stem and to ensure cleaner blanching. The collar is then lifted up as the plant grows, soil being banked up around the length of the stem thus exposed. The alternative to paper collars is the use of soil alone, but earthing up will be dealt with in later notes. CATMINT (NEPETA MUSSINI) Borders of catmint are very lovely just now, for they aro one mass of slender spikes of soft mauve flowers. A little fertiliser pricked into the roots, followed by _ a good watering, helps to keep catmint flowering for a vei’y Jong time. Superphosphate or dried fish powder may bo used. When the flower spikes begin to fade they should be clipped off, and fresh shoots soon take the place of those removed..