IN MY GARDEN

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11009, 23 January 1926, Page 8

IN MY GARDEN

(By “Lino Slug”)

LAST WEEK’S THOUGHT

The jolly Sun, he shir.es like fun, A’o cloud obscures the sky; No little breeze disturbs the trees, The glass says “Very Dry.-” . And yet I know it's going to rain Before to-morrow morn; Because I’ve spent the livelong day A-watering the lawn. —From ‘THE DYSEPTIC’S DIRGE.’

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT

CULTURE OF CACTUS.-If the cactus plant is shooting and looiang well, we should leave it alone, as far as re-potting goes, till next spring. Cacti only want a very little soil in a small pot, and this only requires occasional renewal. Water it regularly, hut take care that it is never stagnant or overwet though summer; in winter water can be gradually withheld can he allowed to go almost dry till the growing season begins again in the early spring, when it may be re-potted. All the soil required is a good sandy loam, one part to tv o parts of brick rubble and a little crushed charcoal and crushed oystershell added. Cacti like as much sun as possible.

LAYERING CARNATIONS

Outdoor or border carnations should be propagated each year. The old plants are not to he relied on, and fresh ones should be raised each year by the process known as “layering.” ‘The non-flowering shoots or “grass’ should be cleared of old and decaying leaves which may occur round the base, and the weaker shoots may be entirely removed, the stronger only being retained for propagation. Neat the base of the shoot a convenient elbow will he found. Here an incision should be made with a sharp knife lengthways up the stem and through a joint and extendr ing almdst to the next joint. The layer is thus partially severed from, but still firmly fixed, to the parent plant, and at its base is a protruding tongue caused by the incision. This base is to he buried in a bed of prepared gritty soil and held in, placet with a hairpin, and the important point is to see that the incision is open and not closed when pressed into the soil. When.all the shoots on a plant have been pegged down in this way a top-dressing of prepared soil may be given in order to. ensure the complete covering of all the incisions.

Watering may be necessary in case of drought, but is best dispensed with if possible, as it washes the soil away.

CATERPILLARS ON CABBAGES

There is probably no grower of cabbages who is not familiar with the caterpillars that infest these vegetables, and it is pretty generally known that white butterflies are the authors of the mischief. In sunny weather the butterflies may. be seen flitting from plant to plant,, and on the leaves of the cabbage, they lay their eggs Two species are commonly iii evidence, the large white and the small white; of these the large white lays her eggs in clusters (which can often be destroyed) aiid the small white lays hers singly. “ A third species, the green-veined white, is not so common as the other two. Natural enemies are some species of ichneumon Hies that lay their eggs, in, and finally destroy, both caterpillars and chrysalids. ... Hand-picking of the caterpillars is an efficacious, if unpleasant, method of lessening the attack. A Watering with lime-water and a mild tion of salt has been found to have a good effect. Clean and thorough cultivation is very effective; it is in neglected patches wlire the ground is badly tilled and where useless and riddled greens are left standing in the bed that the caterpillars thrive. Where the land is well and deeply dug and dressed with soot, slaked lime, or gas-lime, and where cabbage crops are not taken' too frequent J; 4 from the same plot, the trouble eah be kept within bounds. Many chrysalids can be found and destroyed when one has learned to distinguish them; they occur in various situations, especially on the rails of wooden. fences.

EARTHING UP CELERY,

It is not advisable to earth up celery too early, as it begins the blanching process, which is in itself somewhat of jure heck to growth. ' The beginning of . September is us<ually sufficiently early for maincrop plants, but early celery may be ready now for a first earthing. Dry weather is important-and-the soil at the sides of the trenches should first be forked over. The plants must not be wet with dew, and care should be taken not to let the soil, fall into the hearts.pf the plants. ' *. >•■ A good plan is t,0. ; wind the garden line around each plant in succession, which will close the outer leaves over the hearts, and the line is of course unwound when the.earthing up is finished.

The soil should be placed about half-way up the stems at the first earthing, and this can be added to in about ten days’ time by adding another three or four inches of soil. In a further ten days, a final earthing up should be given and the tops of the plants can then be so bent over as to prevent the rain from entering the hearts. “

Soot and lime first sprinkled over the soil that is used for earthing will bo found a deterrent where slugs eat a lot of the outside stems, as is often the case. ■

Ashes from the garden fire or even flue dust or .fine coal ashes .will serve the. celery yell, where, the natural soil-Is heavy.' "• Should - the weather be dry. when, nne is about to earth early ;chler.y tbeliirst time a copious; waterihg;?befj tore the earthing will he advisable-; ' ; ; -v-