THE GARDEN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 233, 30 August 1935, Page 12

THE GARDEN.

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

THE FLOWER GARDEN. Although it has been very wet this month there is one consolation in knowing that the water is draining out of the ground more rapidly now that the air is getting warmer, and there is much that one can do. The bulbs such as daffodils have had a good clean up and anemones and ranunculus beds have been stirred up to let the air into the ground. After the heavy rainfalls the soil had a hard coat on it which was almost impervious to water, but when this wa6 lightly forked over it soon began to dry and in a few days was quite workable. When the soil begins to respond to one’s care it is wonderful how interesting it makes the work. One has only to look round the countryside now and everywhere are to be seen harbingers of sirring. Daffodils are in bloom, the primroses are beginning to show colour, the wattle trees are a glorious sight and the weeping willow are covered with tiny green buds. Lawns want cutting and rolling, and this work must not he neglected if a good playing area is wanted. When grass is allowed to get away too far it is hard to control and takes a long time to get into working order again. Sweet peas are making a valiant effort to grow now and want keeping upright. A heavy wind like last weekend will break them away, from their supports. The only thing one can do is to keep them tied in to their supports. This is easy enough il the plants are being grown to produce show blooms because all the laterals have to l>e pinched out and one only has a main stem to manage, ft is very necessary when growing sweet peas to keep the soil at the base of the plants well worked and t plenty of lime and soot worked in. Soot has the advantage of being an insecticide as well as a valuable manure, and when it is used in moderation it imparts health and vigour to the plants and colour to the blooms. Riant out antirrhinums, nemesia, and any of the hardy annuals now. lie fore setting them out work up the surface of the soii to a depth of three or four inches at least and make it fairly fine on top. As long as the plants have some nice friable soil to begin life in they can soon get hold, and when they have begun to grow all that is necessary is to keep the soil well worked. Pansies should have the flowers picked as soon as they are fully open. If seed is allowed to set on the plants it will mean that their flowering days will soon be over. Now that roses are beginning to grow, begin working the soil between the hushes every few days. A Dutch hoe is an excellent tool for this purpose and one cannot afford to he without it. The beds, if they are narrow enough, can he worked from either side without the necessity for walking on them, which makes the surface soil cake and get verv hard. CHRYSANTHEMUMS. M’e have two letters dealing with various questions about chrysanthemums. One writer asks if there is any way in which the plants can be made to send up suckers for cuttings. He says: “I got quite a lot of chrysanthemums last year and 1 was toiu that 1 was fairly successful for a beginner. 1 cut the plants down about the end of June but they have not sent up many suckers; in fact, some of them have not made any growths at all. r j hey are growing where they flowered and* have not been lifted but have been kept clean. Can you give me some instructions Unless your plants have rotted away they should he showing suckers. There is a chance that slugs how done the damage and if you take up one of the plants carefully and wash all the soil away you will be able to see. If the slugs have been busy stand the plants on sand and cover with some more of it and they will soon send up more shoots, lo do this you will have to take them up and wash the toil away trom the rouLs first. Be sure to label each one carefully. When the new shoots come try and get each one with some roots attached as they will make plants quicker than by the cutting method. W hen putting in cuttings or rooted slips he sure to firm them well into the soil. Loose planting makes sappy plants and sappy plants never give satisfactory flowers. I lie second letter is in reference to the disease which was diagnosed as cel worm last season and which was very bad in some parts of the country. His letter is too long Lo reprint but there are parts of it which are answerable. In tlic first place lie asks “if it is possible to get rid of the trouble.” To this we say we think it is, hut to begin with, it is a matter of cleanliness and the use of sterilised soil, not only to raise the plants in but to grow them in after they have been rooted. The eelwonn that attacks them is a different species from that which attacks daffodils, but the same remedy, tliat is heat, is applicable in the case of the soil. It would not do to apply the heat to the plant itself or it would die. Further on he says. “It would be impossible to use manure from the farmyard on the plants.” This may be so but there is nothing to stop one from using good turf and sterilising this, and then putting in the necessary artificial manures such as sulphate of potash, sulphate of ammonia, and so on. The plants can be grown in narrow beds raised with six-inch boards on either side which will stop the eelworm from moving from one position to another, especially if the soil between the boards is sterilised. In reference to soil fumigants, we do not know if thev would be any good, but perhaps some of our scientific friends would tell us something about that. Also he asks, “Would cow manure he spoilt if it was sterilised.’ Me do not think so as long as it was not heated up too much and burnt. Heat at 120 degrees should kill the eelworm and not harm the manure. QUESTION. “Nom de Plume” says: Mill you kindly say in your gardening notes

the name of the most suitable leaf for cigarettes or pipe. Also, where I could obtain the seed or plants. Do you know if the white stemmed Orinoco is a good variety to grow.” One of the best varieties of tobacco to grow in this district is Yellow Burley, or as it is sometimes called, Cliloe. It is a light cigarette tobacco and is said to Ik? very light in nicotine content. Our tobacco expert says that the white stemmed Orinoco is- more of a pipe tobacco than for cigarettes, hut when blended with one in' the lighter ones it can he used for any purpose. Gold Leaf is another good cigarette tobacco and Yellow Prior is one that does very well hero. The seed can be got from most seedsmen. Tf they have not got it ill stock they will get it from some who have. The seed should he sown in boxes now and transplanted out into other boxes as soon as the plants are large enough to handle. It must he raised in a place that is free from frost and if you have not got this take the seed to your nurseryman and ask him to raise the plants for you. Tell him the number you want and lie will do the work and save you considerable trouble. None of the above tobaccos should he grown on over-rich ground, hut rather on land t'cf had to he manured to satisfy the requirements of the variety of leaf you are growing. “Fruit Trees” says: “M'e were very much interested in an article on fruit tree manuring in your notes some time ago. Two of my friends and I have been trying to grow some peaches and nectarines, but so far they have not made much growth. 1 was going to take them out this year and try something else. I must admit that they are in round patches in grass, but since the article in question we have begun to dig the whole space as a vegetable garden ; my friends are doing the same. M'hiit kind of manure do you think would be best, artificial or animal, and should it. he dug in close to the trees? I only have six, but my friends have more. Please say how much would be required for my trees and we can work out the amount required for the others.” Animal manure would be the best to dig into the ground which can be used for growing vegetables. Allow one well filled barrowful per tree and do not put it too close up to the stem. There arc no feeding roots there and it would only he wasted. Three feet from the stem will bo close enough. Animal manure by itself is not a complete manure, and later on you could use superphosphate at the rate of a quarter of a pound per tree and sulphate of potash in the same quantity. Fork this into the soil when the trees are growing. You must not forget that it is necessary to spray both nectarines and peaches with lime sulphur or Bordeaux. In your case it may be necessary to prune rather heavily to make the trees grow. From your description of them wo think they are probably poor specimens without much new growth about them, and it may take another year to get them growing. A good healthy poach or nectarine must have plenty of new wood about it and this can only he got by attention to cultivation, n .untiring, and spraying. MTien you have got growth you can expect iruit. f THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

The vegetable garden is really the most important part of the place at tlie present time. If one makes a late start with planting or sowing it takes a long time to catch up. Most of the salailing plants such as lettuces, onions, radishes and beet can lie sown in the open ground at the present time. Cabbages and cauliflowers can he planted out in well-manured soil. It is no use sowing seed of these plants now and expecting to get a crop later on because bv the time they are ready for use the diamond-hacked moth and white butterfly arc ready to take a heavy toll. Peas can be sown at any time now, hut when handling this crop, lie sure to see that there is plenty of lime in tlie soil. Even if there is lime in the soil it will do no harm to the plants if some lime is sprinkled along the drills. Another thing is do not sow thickly. If a drill is made wide enough to take two rows two inches apart that is all right, but closer than this they should never l>c sown. M'hcn the young plants come up above the soil they must he protected by means of cottons strung along the rows or by wire netting which can he l>ont into a semi-circle and pegged down along each side of the row. M'hen fire plants are four or live inches high the wirenetting can he taken off and used for the next crop that is coming on. Unfortunately birds are rather troublesome to the onion crop when tlie small seedling plants are showing tlirough the ground and if they arc not protected for a few days they will soon destroy a lot of them. Onions can be planted out from tire autumn sown seed. They like a good firm soii and should never he planted too deeply. As long as their roots are in the ground that is enough. Make a small raised bed where parsley can lie sown. A small sowing is all that is n"°ded and six or a few more plants w: T. supply quite a large family with all the parsley they want. Tomato seed can lie sown in boxes under glass now. Sow the 6eed thinly and prick out the plants into other boxes as soon as they begin to show four leaves. Good, sturdy. shortjointed plants are much better thi>i»i long leggy ones. M’hen tliev are first pricked out, keep them under cover for a while until they l>egin to grow again and then the boxes can Ik? stood in cold frames where they can lie protected when the weather shows signs of becoming rough or boisterous. Spinach is a crop that is very much neglected in most gardens. It is easily grown in well-manured ground and can lie sown at any time now. Plant out a row of Jerusalem artichokes. This vegetable does not require a very rich soil. One that has been manured for some other crop will suit it admirably.