GARDENING NOTES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 19 October 1928, Page 3

GARDENING NOTES.

(By “Warctitah.”

BORDEAUX MIXTURE. It is not' perhaps .genet'hlify' ‘known that fsorauaaik mixture, bes-i aeis : bping an efficient fungicide lor the.prevention of various diseases iii- trees and plants, lias also a teneiicial effect by ’pioiniotuig a Jieaithful growth. Fbr this ipanon many nurserymen andf market gardeners I make a regular practice of the application of Bordeaux mixture. When applied to potatoes it causes the vines to remain green much longer than would otherwise be the ease, and this in turn causes the formation of'larger tubers. The result of' 20 years’ experiments by the Vermont ExperiimAifa,;:. Station; as recently published, gives the average yield'of the unsprayed plants aw 163 bushels per acre, against' an average of 268 'bushels' per acre for 1 the sprayed plants. This makes a difference of 64 per cent._ in favour, of spraying. Bordeaux mixture will: thus increase the j yield of potatoes more than enough- toi pay for its application, even though potato diseases may not be present. The best method of making Bordeaux, mixture in small quantities is to purchase tlie prepared Bordeaux powder which only needs the addition of water to ho i ready for use. Use lib to each ten .gallons of water and spray the plants at intervals of ten day s. SUGAR PEAS. I This vegetable is very aniaeh esteemed on tne Continent,' and is grown in preference 'to .tne ordinary ondnary peas. The plants, widen, bear heavy crops or pods, are grown and cultivated [in exactly tne sable way as the ordinary garden peas, but the pods when gatheied are cooked whole or out into slices iu the same manner as kidney beans?. The flavour is very delicate, and there is the additional advantage that the labour of shelling the peas is avoided.' SWEET CORN.

i This vegetable makes a pleasant ; change during-the summer and autumn. It does not grow well l until the weather . becomes warm, and for that reason the , oords should not be -sown until the Matter end of October, or the beginning ] of November, according to the district, i The soil in which corn is to ho grown should not be too ricli, or tine foliage will be developed at the expense of the heads. The seeds should be sown two inches deep and a tew indieis apart, and the seedlings thinned out too about a foot apart for small early varieties and eighteen inches for the larger | ’ater varieties. Successiooal sowings . are required to keep up a regular slip- s ply, as the crop must not all come in i at one time-' —the cobs are only fit for ; use when neither too young nor too ? ripe. The proper time to ruse the cobs is! when the silky tassel at the end has f just withered. „ ; The cobs should be cooked when j freshly., gathered, as by keeping they , lose their sweetness. The busies and ( every thread of tf-ilk should -be removed!, . then place the cobs in boiling water and , allow to boil for about twenty minutes. Serve with butter and pepper to baste. 1 VEGETABLE MARROWS. ! J There axe two chief types of vegetable ; marrow—the bush and the trailing. The 1 trailing kind sperads rapidly, and by the • end' of the season has occupied! a • large area of ground. A greater number of fruits may be obtained from the . 'trailing than froth the bush marrow, but’ the latter fruits freely, is of compact, bpsh-like growth, and four or five plants can be accommodated in the space. required by one of tnra trailing kind. For tbeee reasons the bush marrow is more suitable for a. small garden. Manows can be grown to perfection if a hole two-feet across and about «, eighteen;iriobes.deep be dug out, a layer of manure cr well-decayed vegetable refuse placed in the bottom this to be covered with the . excavated soil, in which, after it bijs been" made' firm, seeds are sown or ; plants are put out. Marrows will succeed in ai’most any soil, but return the best yield when a rich root run is provided. The holes for the hush marrows should be four feet apart and the trailing kinds .'fight feet. Sow a, few seeds two inches deep and thin out to the strongest three in each position. It is an advantage to bare the soil around the plants slightly below the surrounding surface, so that water may be easily applied when necessary. Marrows need copious supplies of water during dry weather. White the plants are young slugs aste their worst enemy, hut thpy can be kept down bv dusting the (soil around the plants with aluhi, soot, or tobacco dust.

The first flowers of marrows often fail tot set owing to imperfect fertilisation. Male and female flowers are produced on the same plant. The female flowers' may be easily 'distinguished by tlie embryo fruit at the base. The plants often produce male flowers first, especially during, cold spells. When fruit 'beearvs to form: some of blue Gr.rrwving- points should bo’urn died outfit two leave* beyond the joint at which' the fruit is set. When Die side l shoots are very numerous it will he 1 necessary to thin them out. It is necessaii'v to protect any plants at mVht while nights are cold and frost noss'bKAnv transplanted plants wbomW he shaded from the sun until established and. oifPwing again. Marrow's. do noit transplant well mm rots and it i,« wiser to sow the seed's where the plants are to grow. PUMPKINS. Pumpkins require the same cultural treatment advised' above for vegetable marrows', except that the holes should be dug about ten feet apart. It is a, good plan to grow pumpkins in any part of the gulden which has become exbaiiis'ted by constant cropping, or overgrown with weeds. The ground between the hills may be dug over at any time before the plants commence to run. Ironbark, Crown, Button, and Triamble are good pumpkins, with thick dry flesh. All keep well if ‘harvested in a thoroughly ripe condition. Squashes are a variety of pumpkin—the best kinds are Hubbard (golden and 1 - green), and Turk’ie Cap.

ROUTINE WORK. Plant cabbage, cauliflower, onion, and. lettuce plants. Plan,: tomato plants in a. sunny sheltered! position, eighteen -inches apart, in soil free from tiesih animal manure. Place a, stake four' feet high to each plant and tie the plants to it aist they advance in growth.. Pinch out all isi'de sliootw which appear at the junction of each nair of ’oaves and ait the stem as soon ay they appear. Plant main crop potatoes 1 fifteen inches between the tube to and thirty inches between the rows. Plant six 1 r» :• IrP rl PiPD

Sprav the tops of potatoes in growth with Bordeaux mixture (lib Bordeaux "■awder to ten gallons of water) every ten day s> to prevent attack by Irish blight. Kerb sfi'ftwberrv’ plant#* free- from weeds and sprinkle some sulphur (about 1 ounce to a. full-grown plaint) on th? Suit and lightly nuke or hoc. it in. Sow broad beans for .succession. Pinch out the toi>s of thcco- in flower as soon

ills they are two feet in height. This will accelerate the production of beans. Sow the long-rooted variety of beetj root for use iu winter. The turnip- ; ' rooted variety should be sown at 'intervals for succession and used while young and tender. . So'W all varieties of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale and Savoy cabbage for use in winter, sow the' seeds thinly in drills nine inches apart; thin out to two inches apart as soon as they can be handled. Sow St. John’s Day or succession cabbage for late summer and autumn use. These two varieties resist drought andi blight better than other varieties. Sow leeks for succession. Salsify mav now be sown. Sow radishes in rich firm sod and keep the soil in a moist condition, oow thinly and thin out to two inches apart. Slow gatreten swede for in winter. Sow turnip for succession. Sow peas for success'ilon. Sow in shallow trenches to facilitate watering when necessary. Pinch out the growing ipouits ol peas when the plants are showing plenty or bloom. This" causes the energy of the plains to be diverted to the production of nods. , , , Sow dwarf, French' and runner .beaus. I Sow lettuce and spinach in a partly shaded position as these plants do not like exposure to the heat of the sun. Sow cucumbers melons pumpkins, and vegetable marrows. Protect from cold winds' and frost. Sow celery for late use. Sou' spring onions mustard and cress for use in salads. p; c k off faded flowers of av,areas and rhododendrons: to prevent formation of seeds. .. , . Prune spring flowering shrubs as soon as the flowers have faded. Plant out seedlings of flowering plants. , , Sow sweet pc-as for late display. Sow seeds of hardy annual flowering plants. ~ , j ' Sow seeds of half-hardy and tender flowering slants in boxes or frames, or dm a sheltered nursery bed. Plant out chrysanthemum' plants. Sow bienninfs such as Canterbury hePs Sweet 'William, wallflowoiis. etc., in drills' nine inches apart iu a nursery bed Sbado the bed from the sun durum the hottest part of the dav Plant gladioli bulb-* in rich sod and, a. sunny position. P-'laht 'inches d °Roses should he examined frequently for greenflv and caterpillar, and sprayed if necessary with “Black leaf 40.