IN the GARDEN

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 1455, 7 November 1911, Page 2

IN the GARDEN

BY " THE AMATEUR."

lAmatcur will? be pleased to answer an questions in regard to the gardeu,

(By "Mid-oo. 11 ))

A MISTAKE,

Two or three times last week bnsiness took me through the residential parts of the town and on each occasion I was horrified to see people using the boss on their vegetables and flowers. what have they done tn be to au icy cold bath before they have had time to recover from the eflects of the rain that Jibb' fallen during this month? It is absolntaly absnrd to think that plants want water now. What is needed are a few nice hot days to warm up the soil to make them grow not a deluge of water from an ioyjoold main. The proper treatment would be a gond hoeing. This would let air into the ground, which would do inaoh niore to encourage growtli than all the water in the [reservoir, fit dies not matter if the ground has just been hoed,"hoe it [again, [and after every shower hoe again. JDo not go on thegground wlieu it is wet, but wait until the surface is ory aud then thejjwoik may-ba done. I was shown a very handy tool for use in the garden the other day. It has not been patented,ffso anyone has the right to make it. It was simply a small Dutch hoejjwith a small garden spade handle fitted on to the topj The,spade handle made the hoe mnch turn this way and tlmt, tl;aa is the case with au ordinary plain handled Dutch hoe. A feirol is put on the top of the hoe handle and the spade handle is let into this and fastensd*iu[place with a small nail or screw.

daffodils. j

It is a great annoyance to many gardeners to see leaves of daffodils sprawling all over the ground, but it is much batter for |next season's crop than if they are ont off. To cut the grass or leaves of a daffodil when it is in tliejj growing stags isjo take away! the lnngs of a plant. If theTf leaves are untidy ami something has to'be done the tost way is to tie [them together with some roffia. They should not be tied very tightly or the inner ones will be liable to rot oft' prematurely. Daffodil growers are thinking about womug next season's beds alceaQy laud that is where success oomes in.' Prepare the ground early and tnrr it over several timos before tl;e bulbs are put ont. It will sweeten quicker this way than by the addition of anything else.

DAHLIAS.

The season is at hand for planting out thes9 summer and autumn favonrites and if the'ground has already been prepared there will not be much more to do except make the holes and pntiu the plants. Where the ground (is not ready it must be got'in order at once. , It should be trenched and in a fine snooeed in growing these flowers, Dahlias like an immense amount of lime in the soil ami some growers go as far as to put lime in\the water they use to water the'plants with. In planting up the the best thing to do is to cut them [to and take care that each tuber planted has an' eye or on it. It is simply waste of time and trouble to plant the whole lot of tubers just as they were taken up from last year's bed. One shoot is onough to leave when exhibition blooms are wanted, bnt jtwo may be left if they are only for rieuuiative purposes. Even then it will always be found that one shoot will give quite as many blooms as two and also that the one. will longer in flower. i

HOW TO PLANT.

Planting dahlias is an ea3y operation if a little care is taken. Dig a hole about ten iuohes square and about a lootfldeep and in the bottom pnt two or three inches of good well rotted manure ana press down firmly on top of this about two inches of sharp sand if it is to be got, if not ordinary earth will do. Prrss this down and on top pnt the dahlia tnber the shoot will be about four inches from the surface. ; (Jover withiu au inch or so of Jthe top of the hole, then put in a name tally and a stake to tie the plant to as soon as it is big enough. Plants grown from cuttings may be treated the fame way, [ out the eatth should not cover the stem any higher than when it was grown in the pot. Later ou if the plant is in a depression the earth may be drawn up to it. Thnsa plants may want supporting and the stake to tie them to must be put in at | planting time.

IMPORTANT DETAILS.

Naming is a very important itam when growing blooms lor show and must not be omitted whore large blooms are wanted, the dsiilia plants must be grown in a selves and have plauty of rot m given Continued on page 3).