GARDENING NOTES

Northern Advocate, 21 December 1929, Page 7

GARDENING NOTES

[By “TAINUI ”]

[j OPERATIONS FOR DECEMBER. S 3 _ || THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. I' —~ • 1 I Spray tomatoes with arsenate of lead for caterpillars. Keep ; | the plants tied and pinch, out lateral growths. | I ; Cut vegetable marrows as soon as they have reached a usable i II size. | j Sow dwarf beans in good deep soil. j I Keep asparagus beds weeded. Also support the tall growth | f from strong winds. I [ Remove flowering stems of rhubarb. II Hoe lightly between growing crops such as carrots, parsnips, , | 1 1 etc. ! i I Pinch out the tips of vegetable marrows, and pumpkins 11 so as to cause lateral growths. 1 1 Pick runner beans soon as ready.

| THE FLOWER GARDEN. i ' j Many chrysanthemums will be ready to pinch back a second j time. The tips only should be taken out. I Tree dahlias, as well as other dahlias, may be planted out. I Chrysanthemums are easily transplanted if given a good watering first. Plants of zinnia, French and African marigolds', salvia, celosia, ; aster, petunia, portulaca, etc., may still be planted out. Ferns may be stood in a tub of water reaching about a third up the pot. If kept in a cool place they should be quite all right over the Christmas holidays. Strong paper dipped in tar will make a good mulch paper. Do ! not fit the paper up to the stem of the plant, rather leave a few inches of soil showing; but the paper should cover beyond the reach of the leaves. If young seedlings that are not are to look after themselves during the holidays, they should be completely covered with tea-tree or fern. ' To; dry statice and other everlastings cut just before fully out, tie in bundles, and hang upside down until quite stiff and dry. Seed of primula malacoides may be sown this month or early next. TMs flower is generally wanted for early bloom, i Gladioli may still be planted. If large flowers are wanted with dahlias, give plenty of manure and water. As rambler roses finish flowering, the old growths should be cut I out at the root and hew growth tied into position. |

THE BROWN BEETLE.

blooms.

As this pest has once more come into prominence, the following extract from “The Now Zealand Journal of Agriculture,” October 20, 1921, may be ofUntcrest: “The adult beetle of Odontria Zcalandica is brown in colour, but with a darker margin on the wing-cases, and is destitute of hair except for brownish hairs along the side of the body, on the head, and across the front edge of the thorax, where they form an erect fringe just behind the head. The surface of the head, thorax and wing cases by miai|td i degressions, while there are several narrow and smooth lines running along the wing-cases, which do not reach to the end of the abdomen. The body is rather stout, broader and blunt posteriorly, and measures about two-fifths of an. inch in length. , The adults are nocturnal' in their habits, taking.to the wing at dusk, their presence being detected by the loud droning sound which they create when on the wing. After dark they alight and feed upon the foliage of plants, at ,times causing Considerable damage in orchards by defoliating the trees. In this respect the brown beetle is frequently confused with the bronze beetle which however is a quite different sp’ecies. The bronze beetle also is diurnal in its habits. I>uring the day, the brown beetle shelters in dense foliage, or burrows beneath the surface of the ground.

Large swarms of brown beetle emerge during October, November, and December, there being only a single brood each year, although odd adults may bo found on the wing as late as May and as early as September^”

It is to be noted too that the grub of the Brown Beetle is the grass grub —an almost translucent grub that lies curled up. It feeds on the* roots of grasses ■ and of other plants—it has a palate for the roots of strawberry plants. ■ .

GUI? NATIVE PLANTS—AN APPRECIATION.

THE KUMERAHOU. The Kumerahou has come into some prominence due to its alleged curative properties in chest diseases. This plant, called, I believe, by the Northern settlers The Soap Plant, belongs io a genus of twenty-two species restricted to Australia, New Caledonia, and New Zealand. New Zealand possesses five species. The most common is P. Phylicaefolia (Tauhinu), a small heath-like shrub, common all over thei North Island, and very common in the | open country between Whangaroi and Oncrahi, It is sometimes called the wire weed and seems to relish tea-tree as an associate, P, Edgerley is a larger leaved species. It has not such a wide distribution as the preceding, but it is often prominent locally, frequently allowing a preference for the sea breeze, I remembr noting quite a number of plants on the hillside flanking the Thames-Coromandol road. P. rugosa resembles ti^ 1 preceding, but the leaves are hairiest on the upper surface. This plant occurs on the summit of the Manaia, P. apetala is larger in every way than any of the preceding. The Maoris assert that it sprang from the skids that were brought in the canoe “Tainui” when they first colonised New Zealand. Rather against this is the fact that Tainui is not an uncommon Australian plant. CHRYSANTHEMUMS IN TINS. There are advantages in the growing of chrysanthemums in tins. The plants can he l better cared for, atid there is also a bettor chance of

timing the growths and buds for show

Many varieties, when the plants are stopped about the end of November, will make a .steady growth and then from the bud to be selected about first week iu February. A careful note should be taken and put into form for future guidance, as, for .example, name of variety, when put into pot, when transferred into- flowering pot or tin, when stopped, first break, second break, last growth completed, when bud was selected, when flower was at its best, remarks. It is further advised ' to 'take the diameter of the buds at various stages, such as whoa showing points of petals, etc., ks by such means you are able to anticipate how long it takes before petals show colour, and when, to expect the flower to be fully developed. DELPHINIUM BELLADONNA. This is a particularly lovely larkspur of somewhat dwarf averages about two feet—and most beautiful pale blue colour. Thd rather loosely arranged spikes are ideal for decorative purposes, and the plant is first-rate for grouping in the middle of the border. This very pretty delphinium does not increase - so quickly as do some of its more vigorous brethren, neither does It set seed so freely, but nevertheless it is quite a satisfactory plant and should even now hold its place in all good collections of larkspurs.

Belladonna is a good bedding delphinium, and so used will prove a very charming and striking feature of the summer garden. Space may easily bo left for the introduction of plants to anticipate or to follow its display.

It is astonishing how little interest people take in our native flora. It may be that familiarity breeds contempt, that a prophet has no honour in his own country or, and let us rather hope that our massed flora looks such an impossible task that wc do not, know where to begin, or once begun wc would' ddspair of ever finishing or even half finishing the job. Hero, nevertheless, is a great and a wholesome hobby for anyone who wants a hobby. lam certain that the acquiring of a working knowledge cf our flora is not half as bad as it looks at first sight. The total number of species, including ferns, grasses, sedges and rushes is about 1700; but it must be remembered that a great number of these are seldom seen, and in any single locality you will find a surprisingly small number of the whole. If the subject appeals to you, make a start on the trees and most conspicuous shrubs, and you will be surprised in what a short time you will have to hunt for something new. And another point about our trees and shrubs is that generally speaking the foliage is wonderfully distinctive, so that in many eases the foliage alone (and often a single leaf) is sll that is necessary for identification, I do not know the flora of the world, v/ry far from it, hut I believe it would be hard to find any even regional flora showing a greater diversity of loaf form than our own; and in many cases the adult and juvenile foliage are quite different. I suggest the study of at least our more prominent plants as a splendid hobby, and if any readers feel that they would like to know more, I shall be pleased to give further advice or to identify specimens.