SEASONABLE WORK

Evening Star, Issue 22721, 7 August 1937, Page 24

SEASONABLE WORK

THE FLOWER GARDEN Pruning of roses should now be carried out and tho planting of new varieties should be made, and where roses are making far too much growth and are unbalanced in shape root pruning should be carried out at once and the plants replanted into some fresh compost. It is not advisable to plant back again into the old soil, it should be renovated by applying half-rotted tmt and well-rotted manure or leaf mould. Cuttings of late-flowering chrysanthemums should be inserted now. If placed in boxes in good sandy soil and a piece of glass placed over the top and shaded the cuttings will strike very easily. There is no hurry with the early flowering varieties, such as singles and deooratives. The end of the month is time enough to insert these. The hoe will be found a valuable tool if used between all plants after the rains which we have experienced this last few months, THE FRUIT GARDEN All pruning should bo completed as soon as possible and the trees and bushes sprayed. Planting of new trees and bashes should be done without delay, as there is every possibility of an early spring. All ground between the bushes and trees should be cleaned and lightly forked over and where required manure should be applied. Bush fruit trees take a lot of food from the soil. Where the soil is rich lime should be applied as advised in notes on the application of lime to soils. LAWNS Tho laying down of lawns and verges may be carried out now. The surface should be prepared to receive the seed, removing all weeds, stones, etc. Before sowing the seed a little red mad mixed with it dry will prevent the birds from taking it. Do not sow cheap seed, as it contains often numbers of weed seeds, which will mean a deal pf trouble later. A good dressing of well-rotted manure or leaf mould after being placed through a sieve should be apphed to lawns where the grass is poor. Failing this, bone meal is a good substitute. This should ho worked into the surface with the back of a rake. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN Sowings can bo made of peas, broad beans, early white turnips, and spinach. The planting of potatoes (early varieties), cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce on warm, well-prepared borders should be carried out. Autumn-sown onions should be transplanted from the seed bed into beds which have received plenty of wellrotted manure. A little wood ash worked into the surface before planting will be helpful to tho young roots. Now bods of rhubarb, salisfy, and sea kale may now be planted into rich and well-drained soil. Asparagus beds will require a good mulching of well-rotted manure or a good dressing of kelp or seaweed. This would add greatly to tho flavour of tho asparagus. When applying the kelp a covering of fine soil or rotted leaves should be placed over it. This will prevent it drying up with the hot sun during the early spring. It will also help to retain the iodine which tho kelp contains, and will be found to bo very beneficial to the flavour of tho, grass when cutting. Where the vegetable garden needs lime this is the time, from now on, to applv it. A very easy way to test the soil to see if it requires limeis to place about loz of soil into a tumbler halffilled with soft water. Mix thoroughly and then add ioz of hydrochloric acid (spirits of salts), and if a strong effervescence takes place it shows there is plenty of lime present, but if little fl proves that the soil needs an application of lime. _ There are various forms of lime. It is a substance which has very important functions to perform in the growth of vegetation. Lime is formed by the union of the metal calcium and oxygen gas, but is never found in Nature in a free state. The most abundant forms in which limo exists ave the great masses of limestone rocks and the deep beds of chalk. These are all in the form of carbonate of lime—that is, limo in combination with carbonic acid. The most important function of lime in plant nutrition is that qf a carrier, and when inside the plant it acts as ft disinfectant. Lime combines with several adds such as nitric and phosphoric acids, thus forming nitrate and phosphate of lime, both of which are taken up from tho soil as plant food. The lime, when united with these, carries them into the plant, and when inside the nitrogen and phosphoric adds are

used up in tho formation of new growth, and the lime is free to combine again. During the growth of the plant there are certain\aoids formed which unless neutralised or removed would kill it, this being oxalic acid. The lime unites with the oxalic acid and forms oxalate of lime, and crystals of this are found embedded in the cell walls of the plants. The lime which has been proved to produce the best results for vegetable and flower growing is quicklime (sometimes called shell lime). It should be bought in small lumps j and when required tor use if a little moisture is applied it will disintegrate completely and rapidly, and at the same time throw off a great deal of vapour and swell considerably, when it should bo worked into the soil and not allowed to remain on the > surface for any length of time, or it will become carbonated. Then it will no longer have a caustic action on organic matter, and cannot directly neutralise the acids • in the soil. The great qualities which make the value of the lime will then be lost. When applying lime it should he worked in a day or two before sowing or planting out various plants. If lime is used in an efficient manner and at the right time great benefits will be the result. On the other hand, guard must be taken against its abuse, for there is no doubt that it has beer, abused in the past. F. S. i.