CHILDREN'S GARDENS.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 1344, 16 June 1911, Page 2

CHILDREN'S GARDENS.

AND THE LOVE OP FLOWERS,

The Rev. J. .laoob h»B a lot to say about encouraging children to study liottionltoiM ami to iuterest them fu wilii plitit life. Gardening is now being taught iu rnauy cf our public school) atifi tl.ove is uo doubt it will increase as time goeo on. He saya that iu his own far off school days liis own iuterest wan first aronssd by a competition for a collection of wild plauts and which were to be shown in a dried sbat?. Aigning from this be goes ou to say that it is likely that many more would taka up tfie work if they were only a little euoouraged at the first. It would give* tliem a taste for the ooonpatiou which is so oft9n both a valuable asset and a pleasant relief trom the wort day of so many, In New Zealand we have very few native wildjflowers that grow in the hedges and ditches'as tliey do in England so ohildran should eaoli have a piece of ground allotted to them to do what they like with. A sixpenny packet of mixed seeds will give them enough to plant a large area and so the plants ooulii be divided. up between a number. I have offcau heard' it said that ohildren plaut one day and pull up the nerfc. That doesn't matter, enoonr-. age them to plant again and in time when[the'plant does grow they will get quite excitadl to see the tiny bads growing. Once the£ beoome nsad to growing plants they will soon see the necessity of studying the growth and when they get to this stago they mav bo safely allowad to go on alone in that path of hortisulture that so many have trod before. 1 wan going along a street one day with an old geutleman and we met a young fellow who is well up in cultivation of sweet peas and roses. After the ycung man had gone on the old man turned to me and said "I started him gardening when he was teu years old. He had a small plot with nothing in it and 1 gave him a rose and a paoket of feed." How many another has been started the same way and how many more oould be Btarted? Children appreciate a little interest in their affairs and a little interest shown in their gardens will help them along wonderfully. We may be able to say in years to oome, I started that man (or woman) gardening. How proud one would feel of saoh a thing. The late Dean Hols tells a tale of a ourate in bis parish who took a great interest in children and flowers. Many of the children used to acoompany him on rambles and gather flowers and plants for their gardens. , Some of these Bame children were and still are the greatest cnlturists of the day. •

SWEET PEAS.

ADVIOB AS TO PLANTING OUT.

Many gardeners are planting out their sweet peas now, but thay must be oareful to chocsa a day when the ground is not wet and sticky. Give at least a foot between each plaut, Some varieties want mote room than others as they are stronger growers and will send up from six to ten main growths. Some of these must be cut out. From two to four stems are guide enough to retail]. Jt is neotssarv to give this information now as the best time fcto ont out the stoms is when they are young. To leave them till they are olderjs bad policy as it bleeds the plaut considerably. Use the band of zlno and you will net have muoli trouble from slugs. As soon as the plants are in the ground put in some short wiggy sticks for them to cling to. 1 Remember that in growing bloom for exhibition there are at least three objects that have to be considered (1) cultivation, which means size of blooms,length of stem, stoutness of petal, and the ntpbar ol blooms on a stem; (2) form, which means placement on the stem, not too far apart and nut too close together, and all the blooms facing one way, and net too olose together, and all the blooms faoing one way, absence of double standards, absence of butterfly wiugs, wiugs that are not too reflexert. A broad upright standard fairly waved should be a'med at, The peel not Piidnly ?&• posed; (3) colour, wliioh meafig the best colour, fineness of finish, oleannesi of texture, absence of spot or ?tain, ami freshness of bloom. The shade Gl flolotii 1 of each bloom throughout fihi bag; liiUifc be thu same. These two tiitogs really depend ou the first cultivation/ The oommittee of ili§ N.S.P. Society are to meet in Pdliuerston on Wednesday the 21st at eight o'clock, when many juatt?rs will Iwe ro be arranged.

WINTER WORK,

A SMOULDER FIRE.

I would Etrougly advisa all tlioss who nave a htavy Boil in their garden or who want to grow carnations to go in for n tmouldc-r fire tiurinpr the winter when tliey have plenty of time to attend to it. It is not necessary to burn tlio omtli to such a blackness or redness thai there is no good left in it, but to heat it np till nil the weeds and tacts are killed. It is wourlerfnl what a magical effect this oart!i lias on carnations wliru it is spread round the plants, Rcsaa ulso like a iitlle about their roots. Alien it is properly mixed up with (Oojitinned on page 3),