THE GARDEN

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 28, 2 January 1926, Page 9

THE GARDEN

THE OLD TEAR, At the beginning of a new year it is a good plan-to look back over tlvo past one and see what mistakes have been mado. Mistakes are common enough in a garden and perhaps if it was not for them gardening would not be the fascinating and engrossing subject it is. And one of the strangest tilings about it is that our mistakes in it do not trouble us as much as our mistakes in other things. There is a future to look forward to when tho mistakes of the past can be rectified. Wo also have the we'ather to turn to when wo want to put any of our mistakes on to other shoulders and, after all, it is very often the weather that is at_the bottom of our disappointments anil not our mistakes. Given better weather wo could do bettor things; is this not so ? There is a patch in the garden that suffered badly in tho dry weather last* season and did we get the soil trenched when the weather was right? Oh, no, it was too wet to do anything with it after tho crop had been taken off, or we had no time to spare. It was not our mistakeit was the fault of the weather. Is it doing any better now? No, not a bit. Then there are the seasons to consider. January was a splendid month for growth but, until tho latter part of it, very little rain fell and when it did fall there was enough to soak tho around thoroughly, and it would have done far more good if that piece of ground had been trenched in tho winter or autumn. February, was dry but cold—colder than roost months at that time of the year. March was tho driest month of the year and started all plants ripening up well for their winter rest, and April continued tho good work. May was the wettest wo had had for years and work that is generally done’ in that month had to be postponed for a while. June, July and August were wet but not with soaking rains; just wet, that is all, and tho ground underfoot was sloppy all tho time. Those who got things planted in the winter months had them drowned out in September with its twenty-three wet days. It was October before any real work could be dono and it was well into Novembor beforo any growth to speak of came. ’When plants did begin to grow they soon made great headway. Roses came on well and then the wind began. It certainly has done Ps best to nullify any good that we have got from trenching our soil, but still tho growth goes on. Roses have been good—better than usual peihaps. Vegetables have suffered considerably, but principally from tho cold soil rather than from tho wind. Last season bedding plants did very well and some splendid beds were to be seen in various parts of the country. Late frosts were responsible for considerable damage in various parts of the country, but strange to say it was only in patches. Tho wet weather was very severe on chrysanthemums ar.d dahlias, and in a great many cases tho old stools failed to grow altogether. In the case of the dahlias the rotten part seemed to extend righ.’ down past tho collar and, as soon as that happens, it is useless trying to get them to grow at all. Those that were taken out of the p ound early in tho season were better ti. n those that were allowec. to remain in until wanted for division. This is not always the case as those planted out and left in are geuerall’ the best to use for dividing up. Au far as chrysanthemums wero con cerned, it was an early batch of slugs that did most damage. "We tried tho ammonia spray for this pest and found it very satisfactory. Two applications cleaned up the ground wonderfully. There is one thing that we deploro more than anything else and that is tho loss of so many valuable trees all over tho country-sido owing to the exigencies of electric light and power services. There wero lar too few trees in the country . nd now that so many have beeii cut down thhe position is getting very serious indeed. Something must be dono in the near future to restore tho balance of treeclad land. The spring* and sununor have been one of tho worst wo have had for many years in the matter of wind from tho north-west and the loss of the trees has shown us what it means to bo without thorn. One cannot do better than make a resolution now to plant as much as possible next planting season. The most suitable kinds of trees for this district are cupressus macrocarpas as they will stand tho wind well and will givo shelter to stock and tho pastures in a very few years. Finns insignus come next, but they should bo planted

Notes aro published weekly under this heading, and readers inlci*csced in gardening aro invited to send in questions relating to matters upon which they wish expert advice; answers will bo published with tho weekly notes.

where they will givo plenty of shelter without being too near tho houses or buildings. Millions of trees aro wanted in this district alone and tho sooner everyone gets planting the better it will be for all concerned. It has been ono of the mistakes in tho past that tree planting has been neglected; let us see -what the future will do to rectify this mistake which is ono of the greatest importance not only to farmers and dairymen, but to tho towns also. The wholo prosperity, of this country depends upon the farming community and, unless they aro making money, tho towns and cities will ho in a bad way. Tree planting is one of the surest methods of insuring a crop, so do it as soon as you can. ROSES. A correspondent asks us to give him a list of tho twelve best roses. Such a thing is impossible, because tho rose that does well in one placo is not always the host elsewhere. We could give a list of twelve “good” roses but, as far as the best twelve goes, wo must call it a miss. A few notes j about tho newer roses may be accept- j able and so wo shall do that. Shot Silk was ono that took out fancy and it looks as if it is going to hold its own this season. The colour is very lino in the bud and fades away to a bright pink something alter the stylo of .Cheerful. Jt is not a good lasting rose when cut and is rather on the thin side. It seems as if it is going to bo a fairly free bloomer and so far lias shown no signs of mildew. Richard E. West is another that promised well last season and has kept itself well to the fore this year. The growth is good and tho llowers aro full and shapely enough for exhibition. So far tliero are no signs of mildew. George .H. Mackereth is a fine shapely red or, rather, deep crimson and holds its colour well. We aro certain to see moro of this rose as time goes on; no signs of mildew so far. Earl Beatty was sent out as an improved General McArthur,''but it is not like the rose at all. The colour is darker and tho buds aro moro shapely and it has not got tlvo rich full scent of that rose. If Bloomfield Progress had been called an improvement on General McArthur wo would have said it was true. Earl Beatty is a fine roso and is doing well. The description of John C. M. Mensing as a deep roso sport from Ophelia leads us to expect too much. It is very little deeper than Mme, Butterfly if any. Tho bloc ms are a little larger than the parent and it may bo a very useful rose. R solandia, Mrs Calviit Coolidge and Golden Ophelia are all too much alike. Wo aro c uite willing to lot anybody pick up tho threo and get someone elso to nhango them round, and it would only be guesswork if they picked them out again. Roselandia is the sturdiest of the three so far. Amelie do Bethuno will bo a good gard .1 ro" j and is quite a distinct break in c a ur. It is a coral red with somo ot shading over it. Not a very lucid description perhaps, but as near as wo can get to it. Tho growth is good, but it is inclined to mildew. Barbara is a very bright red and may bo the forerunner of something better in shape to follow. The fully opened llowers aro very taking with a bright yellow centre and pretty stamens. The growth is good; in fact, ono writer describes it as a climber, but it is not that. It is inclined to mildew late in tho season. Herman S T euhoff is given as a sport from Geu- ! -Mip. A. Janssen, and is very like that 1 .osg in shape and growth, but lias not ! shown any signs of mildew yet. Tho colour is good and lasting and the sliapo is all that can bo desired. Henry Nevard is a good grower but is not worth a placo in the garden. Every bloom comes a bad shape and it mildews very badly. Blush Queen is a very shapely rose, but it lvangs its head badly on. weak stems and we do not wa.it that kind when there aro so many better. Christine Prior, Gwynne Carr and Mrs Tresliam Gilbey aro too thin and do not give much promise of being bettor. Golden Mme. Segcnd Weber is a poor thing not worth growing. Tho colour is just about a shade lighter than tlve type Blanche Messigny, creamy yellow, and Mme. Mallerin, scarlet seeded Vermillion, aro two strong growers that are good for garden decoration, although they are not good lasters when out. Miss'C. E. van Rossen is a crimson scarlet and, although the blooms aro small, it is a charming roso for bedding purposes. It has not mildewed yet. Mrs C. W. Edwards is a rose we cannot pass judgment on yet. It is a bright roso pink in colour and seems to hold its colour and form well. Another season will

tell. Mademoiselle Irene Hennessey, is a strong grower and may be a good roso in tho near future. F. J. Harrison has not dono as well as wo expected and will havo to remain under observation for another year. The scent is good but* tho flowers have been weak. Lorraine Leo is a strong grower but thero has been nothing in it to rave about yet. For all that, we believe that it is the forerunner of a strong raco of garden roses. Climbing Columbia is a splendid rose that lias come to stay. The stalks are long and strong and it is an ideal rose for cutting and lasts well. Some of oho dwarf sports are from Columbia and there aro many coming on well. The New Columbia is a shade or two darker than ono type, but Columbia Supremo is much darker and will ho wanted when better known. An old gardener has written to us to say that he has had most satisfactory results from sowing basic slag with various crops. Ho says: “Last season I used basic slag with most of my crops in tho garden and was surprised to find what a wonderful difference it mado with most of my plants. The difference was so marked that I could not believe that it was tho slag that did the work and determined to try it out again in moio experimental form, and again it has proved its worth. In the first case I bought thirty cabbage plants and divided thorn into fifteen each. One lot was planted with a pinch of slag in each hole and the other lot were not given any. Tho result is most marked and those that were given the slag are twice as healthy and strong as those without. That was not enough so I sowed somo lettuces in a row and slagged it in tho same way. The next row was given none and tho difference was just as marked. Peas wero treated in tho samo way—ono sown with basic slag and tho other without—and wo aro picking from tho slagged row and the unslagged row will not be ready for a fortnight. I have various flowering plants under the same tests; asters aro planted in two rows and ono treated and ono • untreated. The treated plants are all strong and are growing well and the untreated are small and ono or two have died. I believe that it is the-slag that is doing its work here. Dahlias aro responding to the same treatment, hut here there can hardly be said to bo any control of plants bocauso they are growing in a bed that was slagged last season. My chysanthemus were planted too late to be able to show any difference when thr time cornea for them to grow. I think that the advantages of stag are so marked that it is worth while recording it in your notes.” AVo havo inspected the various crops spoken of in the above letter and the difference between the two lots of plants is most marked ; so much so, in somo cases, that it looks as if somo of the plants are older than the others by at least three weeks. The soil in which theso experiments havo been carried out is a very heavy one—wet in winter —but has been well worked and drained as far as possible. No great amount of manure has been worked in but groen manuring has been dono as often as possible.