THE GARDEN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 160, 8 June 1939, Page 7

THE GARDEN

Notes are publisher] 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 FLOW HI? C! Alt DEN. The Arentlier has been so mild this past autumn that (lowers are still to hj .seen on dahlias in sheltered places. In some eases leaves are still on many trees that arc generally “dropped before this. The past month lias been a Avonderful one for making alterations to gardens and there arc few where some alterations cannot be made to improve the surroundings. Shrubs are permanent features and should he planted so that they do not push one another out. A move has been made in some cases to do away Av.itli front hedges and replant the space with flowering shrubs. There are many kinds or shrubs that are quite suitable for such purposes. They do not grow too tall and Avhcn mixed they make a splendid show, lierheri'is ntrupurpuria is a very tine copper-leaved shrub and this season avc have seen specimens Avith beautiful clusters of berries. J 3. prattii is another good tiling to use, and the berries are beautiful. We lmve seen lauristinus sometimes recommended for tliis purpose, hut if one uses this for such a purpose he is making a rod to ibis oAvn hack by increasing tho numbers of pests that he will get. Escallonias of several varieties can ho used to advantage. 15. macrantlui lias a very | fragrant leaf. Cydonias, commonly 'called japonica, have often been used as a hedge alone, hut Avlien they are I used as specimens they are beautiful in the early months of the spring. Later, alien there are fruits, these make a good show. Some of the rose species also make splendid slmilis, particularly Rosa Hugonis, It. rugosa, and It. I!uhrifolia. One has to he careful with species, as some of them are rampant growing climbers and avoiiUl soon cover up the smaller growing specimens. There are plenty of other good shruhs besides those that are mentioned and can lie used. Hose planting is general iaoav. Where new plants are being put in old beds it is necessary to iiioac the Avliole of the soil Avlicre the old plant Avas groAVing and replace it Avith some .perfectly fresh soil. The liest kind of soil is some old stuff that has been stacked up, but. failing this, fresh turf xvill do quite as Avell. Good drainage is _essential to roses; they will not grow if they have to stand the Avinter with “wet feet.” When planting, he careful not to allow fresh manure to come in eontact Avit-li the newly-planted roots. The question of manuring rose beds is one that often crops up, and growers want to know the host, time of the year to put manure on the ground round the plants. We believe that the _ early spring is the best time to do this, because if (lie manure is put on now it •is liable to keep the soil cold and wet when it should he as warm and free from water as possible. Another thing about roses is to leave the pruning until August and then do the work. If the plants are pruned too early in. the season they are liable to he cut by frosts, or the heavy winds early in the season will break them oil. When the plants arc pruned in August they generally escape frosts and conic on steadilv. QUESTIONS. “Query” says: “I have bought sonic black currant and gooseberry hushes this year, and as I do not: know much about growing them I ivould like a lew hints. The man I got them from said the ground should he heavy and we 11 manured. There is another thing, the gooseberries are on long stems; the roots are about a foot from the shrubs, hut the currants branch from the roots. I. would like to know if this is right.” .131 ack currants are easy enough to grow in any kind of soil as, long as it is well drained and you have plenty of farmyard manure to work into the soil between them when they are growing. These plants arc always grown from cuttings that have not been trimmed because it is safer to have the eyes underground because of the insects that attack the buds. Another thing is that if they are on stems there is a grub that bores its way down the centre of the stem and might kill the plant. Gooseberries can he grown on tho same kind of soil, hut they are usually groivii on stems a foot or more in height because there is nothing to ho feared by boring insects. Set the plants out about five feet apart and keep the surface of the soil well cultivated at all times. It will he necessary to cover the plants when they are in berry, or birds will take a heavy toll of the fruit. “Curious” says: “When reading a hook about plant gathering in China I came across a passage that interested mo very much. Tho writer mentioned a small pear ivliicli ho called Mains soratina. which lie said was a heavy cropper and made a delicious dish. He also mentioned an edible seeded oak. which he said was largely used for food by the inhabitants of the part, it grows in; this oak is called Cornea- Could you 101 l me if either, of these plants is procurable in this country ?” We have seen the pear you mention growing in Wanganui. 'l’lie fruit, are about an inch ill diameter anil ripen late in the season. Wo do not know whether plants are available or not. To us its chief beauty Avas in the wonderful colouring of its leaves in flic autumn. ’l’lie fruit- Avlten tasted was decidedly astringent, hut Avhethor this might go olf when cooked we cannot say. 'ldle oak you mention is the edible seeded oak of China, hub we do not. think it is procurable here. From accounts of this free in the ito-

tanical Magazine it should ho avpll worth importing oil Recount of the size of the acorns, Avltieh arc said to ho larger than walnuts. Jf they Avcrc not relished as food they Avould make good pig food, and the timber is said to he durable and lasting. VIOLETTAS. Generally a breeder, in Ids eflorls to make new Huwers, aims at size as being one of the most desirable things lo improve the new type. Uilier poinis receive attention in breeding, but nnprovoiileiits in colour, and so on, are not considered suilicient, and unless there is an increase m size ol the flowers the raiser's pleasure is not complete. In regard to the new flowers created by the date Air I>. Ji. Crane, the above remarks do not apply because the new violettas are really miniature A'iolas and have a great deal to commend them as excellent garden flowers. The raiser began Ids work before the Great War, but unfortunately during that period he lost most of the better varieties. However, after the Avar he began his. work on them again and got a collection ot flowers together Avldcii embraced all the colours peculiar to tho viola. The habit of these plants is neat and compact, forming dense cushions of green-studded rvith flowers, Avldcii are held on short, Aviry stems. 'J he flowers are small, about an inch across, and arc perfect in i or in, add each with a distinct yellow eye. The value of the plant is greatly enhanced by a remarkably strong and pleasing scent. Half a dozen of these flowers Avill fill a whole room Avith a delicious scent. One tiling in particular about them is that anv soil seems to suit them perfectly and they last in bloom for at least six months. These plants are suitable for many planting schemes. They make ideal edgings and are very attractive in beds Avhen they arc grouped according to colour or are mixed. They make splendid plants for the rockery because they keep in bloom for such long periods. The above note was sent by our friend at Covent Garden, xvho has seen these beautiful plants in bloom and Avbo says there are seven good colours. He gives the following: Creamona. a creamy yellow; Neapolitan. a blue; Ideal, canary yellow; Oliver, a purplish violet; Itosimi, Donna violet Avith petunia: Charmer, sulphur yelloAV ; and Teaec cau-dc-nil. THE EFFECT OF THE AIOON ON GROWTH. A correspondent says: I think the folloAving avill be of interest to your readers. 1 have been in communication Avith some scientists and others who have been trying to find out whether the moon, Avaxing or waning, has any effect on plant growth. Go far their investigations seem to point to the fact that there is something in it. One man lias sent in diagrams Avliich seem to be almost conclusive, even though his experiments have been carried out in a small garden surrounded by houses. He began Ins studies in this subject because lie read something about tho increased crops that peas had given ivlien the seed was planted Avith the waxing moon. Sowings Avore made from the same packet three weeks apart and from the first lot of seed sown over seventy more pods wore picked than from the seed sown three weeks later with a Availing moon. Three times tins experiment was undertaken, with nearly the same results. In another ease maize was planted two or three days before the full moon and the same number of •seeds Avere planted hv the same grower three days after the full moon. The lirst lot "planted came away strongly and were four feet high, and the others worn only thirty inches high, and the difference in the crops was as strongly marked. Some small unprotected trees Avore planted under the same conditions in groAvth and lie Avas so much impressed by the growth of the two plantings that lie tried some more. rvith the same result. The soil in Avhieh these two sets of trees were planted was carefully analysed and proved to lie the same in quality. 1 would like lo get in touch -with someone who has tried out these experiments or similar ones, and Avould like to hear what he has got to say on the subject. I am going to try sonic plantings for myself and ivould like to get someone to duplicate them. 01 even to try some for another groAver. T have a. diary of seed solving covering some years, and though T did not sow with any idea in view T note that some crops did well that were sown before llio moon readied the full. TITE Y EG ETA IS LE G A It DEN. The vegetable garden, apart from its undoubted value, can he made quite an attractive part of the home grounds. Apart from that, 100, there are some experiments that can bo carried out which are both instructive and interesting. A gardening friend says. “T have always wondered if the depth of soil. in a given piece of ground could he increased, and some years ago I took in a new piece in the vegetable garden where the soil wa.s only six inches deep. I did not know much about trenching in those days, hut he cause I read somewhere that it would help I began on that piece which was only thirty feet long by I Oft wide. A certain quantify of rubbish was put in with the day. which was not very heavy, hut rather inclined to be sandy and was easy to break up. Two years later l was able lo do the work again and I found it was much deeper than when first worked. Last week 1 trenched the soil again and I found there was a foot of it that was quite black. Since mv first attempt f luu'e gradually trenched the whole of my vegetable garden and it is growing bettor vegetables than ever. The last season or two tho potatoes have not been as good a« usual, but I have always found that they make belter growth and do bettor in new soil. They are tlie best things I know of to break in a now piece of ground, and when followed by celery the soil seems to deepen automatically. I am growing finer crops of onions now in,my garden than T did at first, and I think this is due to using all the hedge clippings for the fire heap. These plants are never grown two years in succession in tho same place, and so far I have, never been troubled with any kind of disease. Leeks are great favourites in my household and T have t'o provide plenty of them. T believe that they are grand soil-mn.kers. Tliov certainly get manure when planted and a watering or two to follow, and then they can take care of themselves. T always like to use tin’s soil for peas and have grown some splendid crops on last year’s leek bed. T harm had to make Avire netting covers for (lie early peas, but they have paid for themselves years ago as they can be stored away under the house Avhen not in use. This season T have had a wonderful crop of carrots and parsnips. and f can safely say that they have had less wafer than any other year. I avas fold that if cabbages were grown between silver beet plants 1 hoy would not be attacked by aphis

or other ills that affect them, but don’t i you. believe it. I planted them this uay this season and have lost the ’ Avholc of the cabbages, but the sih-or < licet a.ro doing xv oil. .Runner beans were a complete failure, but I sun notj: sure that I was not partly responsible, : as [ planted them too late and it. 1 came on very dry. I have lined all my paths Avith violets and primroses

and they do very well in the fine soil, t. believe that if the flower garden was treated in the same w'ay the flow- i (•ring plants would ho hotter lor it. My small fruits have a small wire- I netting enclosure and on the walls are > some loganberries. Strawberries have i done well inside here, hut so far I • have no luck at all with raspberries or < currants. I am thinking of moving l<

this enclosure so that I can include the strawberry bod in tho vegetable garden area as I think it is. about time that it had a change. Some gooseberry hushes are growing in another place and give good crops every year. This season two or three of the hushes were allowed to ripen and were covered with some fish netting. Gardeners could make better use of this stud

if they erected a small frame to put tho netting over and ran thin rope round the edge of the netting to keep it in place. As soon as the berries are finished, store the netting away and it will last for years.” AVc thank our correspondent for his letter and hope that, to will find ti'mi to write again telling us how he manures his soil.