GARDENING NOTES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 26 October 1928, Page 8

GARDENING NOTES.

(BY “WAR AT AH.”)

SLUGS -AND SN AILS.

These pests are very plentiful this season owing to the frequent showers and are doing- much 'damage to seed- , lings and young plants in the Howcr and vegetable gardens. There are - oral methods of destroying them. One is ’to place small -heaps iof bran here and there to act as bait and to go- out in the evening, -when it is dark, with a torch or lantern and gather them. Bv this method -they will be much more easily found and much time saved. Irritant and repellant substances may be 'used to protect young plants. Lime ,or soot may be sprinkled along the rows of seedlings or around young plants, but quickly lose their effectiveness, especially in wet weather, and need -to be renewed at intervals. Tobacco dust, (which may be procured at any seedsman’s shop) is also effective and resists 1 the action of rain longer than lime or soot. The United States Board of Agriculture recommend -the use of Bordeaux powder -as a protective dressing. It is both poisonous and repellant. . • Another inethod of destruction is to put down poison bait, -but this method is not advised when small children are likely to wander in the garden and pick it up. The most effective is a mixture of -Paris green (which may be procured of any chemist) and 'bran, -using* one ounce of Paris grcc-n to each pound of -bran and two ounces of sugar. These ingredients should be thoroughly mixed by shaking together in a large paper bag, and them-damped with sufficient water to -cause the particles to adhere together, the object in doing this is to -prevent the. material being scattered by strong winds. Small heaps of this -bait should be -placed at intervals along the rows of seedlings or among plants that have been -attacked. The best time to do this is just before darkness sets in. For protecting Valuable pot plants under glass, cotton-wool which is not easilv -crossed by slugs, may be tied round the pot. To make it more effective 'the cotton-wool should be dusted with dry Bordeaux powder. The- garden should be kept in as 'tidy a condition as possible and all weeds destroyed, especially in. rockeries, hedge bottoms and around compost heaps. The latter should be given 'an occasional dressing of salt. Where slugs are abundant in heavily manured land, the use of stable manure should be 'discontinued, artificials being- used for a time instead. The -application of lime is valuable in correcting an acid condition of the soil, which is often associated with an .abundance of slugs.

WOOD LICE OR SLATER'S.

These arc long oval gl-ate coloured insects with a hard shelly back. They thrive in damp -places under decaying wood, leaves, weeds or -any kind of rubbish. They are very -commlon everywhere, but in some gardens very destructive to young seedlings, tender shoots and ffo-wers. As these -insects only move about during the hours -of darkness the damage they do is not realised by those not familiar with their habits. They may be trapped by lying down boards or damp -sacks, or by cutting potatoes or turnips in 'halves, slightly hollowing out t'ho centre, and laying* the cut surface downwards. They may -also be destroyed by using the*Boris green and bran poison bait .advised above for destroying slugs. The garden should -be kept free from rubbish and weed's, which furnish a place of refuge for the insects.

-CUCUMBERS

It is possible to obtain cucumbers of -a size and flavour that will compare favourably with any grown under glass by attending to -the following directions. Dig holes about five feot apart each way, thirty inches in 'diameter and a -spade deep. Fork up the soil at the bottom of each hole and mix with -it a -liberal quantity of wellrotted manure or vegetable refuse. Return the surface soil and mix a little manure with it. Then rake it fine and smooth .a*nd sow about a dozen seeds,, protect from 'slugs, and as soon as large enough, -thin out to four strongest on each hill. For protecting the young seedlings from possible frost ■and -adverse weather conditions, it is a good plan to use 'portable wooden frames or tins open ito-p and bottom with a -square of glass on -top. -As soon as the seedlings appear this should be removed on warm gunny days -and replaced at night. As the plants grlow remove the glass cover on favourable occasions to gradually harden them -off and when the weather becomes warmer and -the temperature uniform 'these protections may pc taken away. The best time to sow the seeds is from the middle of -October to the middle of November.

Tlio plants must receive copious supplies of water during dry, weather and occasional doses of liquid manure, but only when the soil is moist. When no .animlal 1 manure is available one ounce of superphosphate and one ounce of sulphate of ammonia should be used to two galolns of water. ‘To keep cucumber plants in good 'health they should be watered every three weeks with a solution of sulphate of iron—half an ounce to each gallon of water. Cucumbers are subject to attack by mildew and red-mite during hot, dry weather. As a precaution against these pests some sulphur should be dusted on the s'oil round, 'the plant's’, and should either make an appearance dusted on tlie leaves, underneath as well as on top. Tf the plants are inclined to gi J ow too luxuriously, pinch off the tips of the long shoots. A‘s the season advances some of the older shodts from which fruits have been cut should be removed, to make room for those which have not yet borne. MELONS. The outdoor cultivation of melons is similar to that described above for cu-

numbers. Ro'ck -melons should be placed six feet apart, water melons ei°ht feet, -pie melon's ten to twelve feet. The-soil for rock melons should not bo so richly manured as for the other varieties. To prevent the vines being damaged j by strong winds -peg them down about every ward. 'Stop, the main shoots by pinching -off the growing tip about -the fifth joint, beyond, the first fruit formed to promote the growth of the Side shoo'ts, ■vvihioh should, bo stopped by pinching off the shoot one joint above the fruit. Give plenty of Water in dry weather until the fruit -commences to ripen. Raise the fruit on pieces ot board, slate or stone to keep them -oil the damp .around. When -the foot- 1 stalk cracks” away from the fruit the melon is ripe. ROUTINE WOR-K.

Plant cabbage, cauliflower, -lettuce, and onions.

Plant tomato plants in -a sunny, sheltered position, eighteen inches apart in soil free from fresh animal manure. -Place a stake four feet high and tie -the plants to it as they advance in growth. Pinch out all side shoot's which appear at the junction of each pair of leaves and the stem as soon as they appe'ar. Plant main crop -potatoes fit-teen inches -between the tubers and thirty inches between the rows. Plant six inches deep. . Spray the tops of pot a-toe's in -growth with Bordeaux mixture (lib Bordeaux powder to ten gallons of water) every ten day-s to prevent attack by Irish blight. lvee-p strawberry plants free from weeds and sprinkle some sulphur (about one ounce to a full grown plant) on the -soil and lightly rake or hoe it in.

-Sow broad beans fo : r succession. Pinch out the tops of those in flower as soon as they arc two feet in height. This will accelerate the production of beans. , -Sow the long-rooted variety of beetroot for use in winter, the turnip-root-ed variety should be sown at intervals for succession 'and used while juicy and tender. Sow all Varieties of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, and savoy cabbage for use in winter; 'sow the seeds thinly in dr-ills nine in'ehes 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 and blight better -than other varieties'. Sow leek's for succession. .

Salsify may now be sown. Sow .radishes in rich, firm soil and keep the soil in a- moist -condition. Sow thinly* and thin out to two inches apart. . . * Sow garden swede for use m winter.

Sow turnips for succession. Sow peas for succession. Sow in shallow trenches to facilitate watering when necessary. Pinch out the growing points of peas when the plants are showing -plenty of bloom. This causes the -energy of the plants to be diverted to the production of pods. -Saw dwarf French and runner beans.

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. -Sew -spring 'onions, mustard and cress for use in salads. Pick off faded flowers of azaleas and rhododendrons t((prevent, formation of seed's.

Prune Spring-flowering shrubs as soon as the flowers have faded. "Plant out seedlings of flowering plants. Sow sweet peas for a late display. Sow seeds of ha]f : h'ardy and tender flowering plants in boxes or frames, or in a sheltered nursery bed. 1 Plant out -chrysanthemum -plants. iSow biennials -such as Canterbury bells, sweet -williamis, wallflowers, etc., in drills nine inches -apart in a nursery bed. Shade the bed from the sun during the hottest part of the day. Plant gladioli bulb's in -rich soil and a -sunny -position. Plant six inches deep. Roses should be examined frequently for greenfly -and caterpillar, and sprayed if necessary" with “-Black-leaf 40. ” Spray peach trees affected with leafcurf, using lib borde-aux powder bo 10 gallons water.