THE GARDEN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1716, 6 January 1920, Page 7

THE GARDEN.

(Specially written for “Standard.”)

Notes are published weekly under this beading, and readers interested in gardening are invited to send, in questions relating to matters upon which they wish export advice ; answers will be published with the weekly notes. (

, THE YEAR. The old year has gone and a new one has begun, and one cannot help looking back to see what has been the result. Taking everything into consideration, it has not been a good gardener's year. The early months were far too dry, and then on top of these dry months a succession of early frosts were experienced which put an end to all hope of tender plants blooming late into the season. The winter was also a dry one,- and on the average it was possible to w'ork land nearly the whole way through it. Then the spring has been a dry one, topped by a succession of heavy winds, which have continued right up to the present time. November was perhaps the most unseasonable month of the year. frosts in November aril unusual, and. last November wo had quite a succession sbf them that cut down many tender plants, spoiling a lot of them altogether; tomatoes in some places suffered more than anything else. Scarcely one show this season did not reflect the effect of the wind on the flowers. However, that is all past, and as “hope springs eternal” we may be on tiro eve of bettor j things. Each year teaches us something' now, and from each failure we learn. For | those wfh) keep a gardening book, jotting down eacli success or failure as it happens^. there is much to bo done in looking up ( tilings and making notes of what to avoid j and what to continue. It is almost certain that wo are on the eve of great things in the way of practical forestry, one of the things that has been strongly advocated in these columns time and again. This year will perhaps not see much done, but next year again wo will see a little more, after that forestry will go on apace. It is our boundon duty to instill into our children a love of trees, not only for their ; own comfort, but for their future benefit. A treeless country is soon laid waste, but , whore there are trees in plenty, thorp is plenty of. work and comfort. The price ot firewood has risen so much during the last vonr that it has made many people stop and think, and their thinking has had the effect of making many plant, so looking forward, wo wish you a happy and prosperous now year. 1 DAHLIAS. A t tills time of the year dahlias are beginning to make their strongest-growth and f the best that they can do » to. be got out of them they must-have fan 1} cont...t attention. In the first place u they have not been staked it should be done gt once because a heavy wind will bend them over or, they will go down by them own weight even. The main stake should be a good strong one firmly driven into to *oii and a tie should be put round the main stem about a loot from the ground This stem when it gets about a- loot 01 eighteen inches high is sure to have a bud folia on top with two more buds on eithu iSfc. As a. rule this hud produces only von’ coarse flowers, but as a check to iegulatc the plant it is worth keeping until it opens. Remove the two side.- buds and the plants show sipis oi-growing-very to the' two shoots springing from the i|am <tcra below this should also be pinched Pinch out shoots that arc too jaosc to the- ground and’ leave five or six to grow on Vorv soon at the ends of each of these more buds will appear and should» lie disbudded as soon as the side buds are huge enough to handle. ,If you• arc going to crow blooms for showing the plants must have liquid manure given to them, and, contrary to the general opinion, it must not bo strong.' The liquid manure; can bo made in the same way as that for roses, but it should be broken down to less than halt the same strength. If two half sugar.bags of manure are put into a forty gallon tub of water, take out half a gallon .of the liquid and add six times its, bulk qf water and only give liquid manure lylien the soil round the roots of the plants has been thoroughly- soaked with water. Some growers bolievo in sprinkling artificial ♦manure round the plants and washing it in with water, but all are not so situated that they can spare the amount of water required for this purpose. The surface of the bed must be kept well cultivated all the time, especially during the time the. watering and manuring lias boon going on. When the side shoots are carrying flowers they must have stakes to'hold them up or thev are liable to get broken off by the weight of the flowers. When the bloom* are wanted for | showing it is very necessary to keep a sharp look out for caterpillars, which are about the onlv pests that damage dahlias badly. They Viceroy the buds before they begin to open. Arsenate of lead used in the same proportions as for apple trees will keep ihera in check to a certain extent, but. tins' must not be relied upon altogether. Hand-picking is' the best method after the blooms begin to expand. While the flowers are half open they can lie, protected during • the night time by tying paper bags over them. These should always be removed early in the morning and replaced again at night because dahlias are lovers of sunshine and very few of than burn very much even in the hottest sun. Those that do burn can be shaded in the same way as roses with a paper or canvas cover on a stick. As long as' the plants. have plenty of moisture they will go on blooming from now until frosts come and their gorgeous colourings make them a very welcome addition to our gardens. A FEW ROSE QUESTIONS.

“A Beginner” says: ‘T and some other amateur gardeners here would be very pleased ii you would answer a few rose questions lor us. Wo are all beginners and all want to grow the best (lowers we can, roses particularly. This season we arranged a date and laid a little rose show of our own. Five gardeners brought flowers ami an outsider judged them for us, end gave us a few points about staging, etc. I showed less roses than my friends, as mygarden is more exposed and nearly all my blooms were spoilt, but next season my shelter hedges will bo high enough jto protect, my garden, so 1 am making'some enquiries in anticipation (1) Should; newly planted roses Ixi allowed to bloom or, should all the buds be picked off to gel the plants to establish themselves the first season; (2) wo all have plenty of water. Do you think it is a good plan to keep the bushes growing the whole season or would it be better to stop watering now and to allow them to have a rest if the autumn is dry?; (3) in case. they arc to bo watered pier,so say whether overhead or only round their roots; (4) and in ease the watering is to' cease would you suggest mulching? (5) can you tell me the cause of some of the leaves being covered with a white powder, and is it harmful. i( so what will cure it? (f?) when should the. plants be pruned? (7) is it advisable to cut buck long shoots that are now three or four feet long or would you leave them? (3) what manure should we use in the autumn, if any. (1) newly planted roses'may bo allowed to bloom as freely ar they want to, but they-ishould never be allowed to produce seed pods or ,l Jiips,” as they are called; (2) as you hove plenty of water use it when the ground be* gins to get very dry. In fact hj would pay well to keep the plants growing steadily the whole season; (31 watering over-head is liable to bring mildew', that pc.wdyry substance you ask about in question five I“ c best way to give the water would be to sink .some four inch drain tiles on cud into tho ground, and these filled- with water until ,hc sub-soil is thoroughly soaked Then work the surface with the hoe, but do not nioro water until it is needed; (4) hocL, ja mulching, and is better than coverbm fill' .soil with some substance that will keep the m> away from it; (5) the efiußC of mildew i c mt properly understood, but it pomes from watering overhead and wetting tiie foliage. It is a bad tlung to got amongst your plant? «mj should be stopped as soon as possible. >Vp have found tho best remedy’ to be Cooper s Bordeaux powder mixed at the rate of onemound o the'powder to eighty gallons of watei, and sprayed on to both sitjoa of the leaves If vou use this, early in the season and continue its use about every three weeks or a S 0.1 will not have any trouble With H; (fi) prune about tho first or second week in August; (7) no. allow the plant to grow naturally and cut what blooms you can get , (8) the best autumn manure is basic slag, if vou can -mt it. Use at the rate of half a pound to "the square yard surface measurement. ' You would find that s book, like Eoster-Milliiir’s Book of the Rose would be

a groat help to you, and is worth getting. Ho gives chapters on diseases, watering, manuring, and almost everything you want to know. VEGETABLES. Finish planting broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower plants as soon as you can now, and bo sure that you keep thorn welt sprayed with some wash that smells of iar it possible. -Joyes’ Horticultural wash answered very /well Inst season, and so did “katakilla.” The plants must bo sprayed about every ten days or so or it will' be useless trying to grow them._ Leeks and celery shduld also bo set out now for main crop purposes. They will want plenty of water, ai.d the more you can give them the bettor they will grow. As soon as the wet weather sets in watering can . be discontinued, hut liquid manure may he given as often as possible. The larger those things are grown the more tender you will find them. Do not forget to earth up your last lot of potatoes. They will not come to very much if they are left on the flat. Make another sowing of peas and water the seed in the drills before covering in. This will bring them along quickly. A sowing oi French beans should also be made nosv and treated in the same way.