GARDEN NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 9483, 4 August 1891, Page 3

GARDEN NOTES.

{CANTERRVRY TIMES.) ERADICATION OF INSECT PESTS. Is there no new thing under the ennf Last week we chronicled the claim of as Auckland orchardist to the discovery of a blight and scale specific, the basis of which was the salt of copper, with an alkali added. Since then we have come across several references to a similar remedy fof insect pests generally, its use being strongly urged by men of repute. . For example: The Ottawa (Canada) Depart* ment of Agriculture publishes the follow* ing for general information : AMMONIACAL CARBONATE OF COPPER, a wash for scale, blight, &c., to be made M follows:—Carbonate of copper, Soz.j am* monia, Igal; water, lOOgals. Or. car* bouato of copper, 2oz; strong liquid am* monia, Iqt; dissolve the copper in th« ammonia, pour into a barrel, and add 25gals of water. It will be noticed that “carbonate of copper" is the base recommended. This is readily made in the following way:-* Dissolve 11b of sulphate of copper (blue* stone) in 2gals of water. Dissolve lsib of carbonate of soda in Igal of water. Mix the two solutions, and a brownish powder will be precipitated. The water ii then poured, off from the precipitate, which is the required carbonate of copper. • We hope the specifics will be tried intel* ligently. It is a matter.of supreme importance to determine what is the best general plan to follow in the effective management of fruit trees. Year by year the fruit industry grows iu importance; year by year, we hope and believe, it will continue to develop. Therefore it behoves every grower of fruit, for his own gratification and for the good of all, to adopt any reasonable means for the destruction of insect peats and the prevention of their ravages. Solomon’s seal. The ordinary polygonatum of the gardens,' Solomon’s ' Seal, is strongly recommended by English growers' as an admirable plant' for table decoration. Now is the time to try the experiment here. Eemove the soil carefully,'an'd from the root-mass break‘off a few pieces, selecting such as have strong shoots. Pot these off, carefully and firmly, and place in soma sheltered situation —under cover would ba better—until the stems have pushed up and are well forward. The graceful, drooping habit of the plant, and the delicate perfume of the flowers, will abundantly compensate the grower for any little trouble. CROWDED VEGETABLES. Unduly crowding the vegetable. crops is of very frequent occurrence. In many instances nothing is gained by growing kitchen garden crops too closely together, but on the contrary the results are mora often than not most unsatisfactory. Not unfrequently the vegetable quarters ara much screened by a variety of shrubs and trees, fruit trees and bushes also being scattered all over the garden, these conditions having a weakening effect upon the vegetables which thick planting or sowing further intensifies. Thus treated they are neither so productive nor nearly so hardy as other plants of the same species or varieties more intelligently treated. These facts should not be lost sight of at the present time. A practical English gardener says:— Commencing with potatoes, it will ba found that by far tha heaviest crop! are obtained by planting moderately strong tubers from lOin to 12in apart, in rows 2ft to 3ft apart; the mora vigorous grower* naturally receiving the greater distance. It is somewhat late to advise upon planting, bub there is nothing to prevent the hoe being put through every other set in ja row, and the least that can be done is to thin out the shoots where they are at all thick, one or two strong growths producing mora serviceable crops of tubers than three times their number will do. To make matters worse it is often thought the right thing to plant Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflowers between the somewhat closely arranged rows of potatoes, one crop simply spoiling the other. Broccoli that u to stand hard weather ought never to be planted on loose ground or among potatoes. Broccoli ought to have fairly rich, very firm open ground, and If arranged thirty inches apart, in rows 3fb asunder, the plants will grow sturdily and stand through an ordinary' winter. Brussels sprouts, put out early on rich ground may well be disposed hear# or quite as far apart each way. they grow very spindly and produce poor thin crops. Given an early start and good room, they will make fine stout stems, strong foliage, and yield a heavy crop of close sprouts. On poor light ground tha rows may be 30in apart and the plants 20in apart in the rows. The smaller 'or earlier cauliflowers may be grown rather more thickly. Curiously enough, savoys very frequently get more room than they need. Very large heads of these are not the best, and if all but the drumhead and Tom Thumb varieties are 15in apart in rows 18in apart, that will he ample space. The drumheads may be 18iu apart each way aud the little early varieties 12ia apart iu rows 15iu apart.