THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13722, 11 April 1908, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN.

The autumn is the best season for top-dress-ing and renovating the surface of lawns that were made and sown the previous year, and for resowing where the grass has become thin and patchy, and also for filling up any holes and inequalities. No matter how well the work may have been done at the first, subsidences are sure to take place, especially where deep fillings were made. Consequently the whole surface should be gone over and relovelled, and have all such defects remedied. A top-dressing of surface soil that -is tree from weeds will, with the addition of suitable fertilisers, form a good compost, and when properly applied so as to fill up all subsidences and inequalities, give an even and level surface, ready for the sowing of fresh seeds By this means the lawn will be placed in a state of good repair. Again, in older lawns, where the sward has become thin and patchy, and overgrown with moss, these may be considerably renovated by the application of a good, rich top-dressing to the depth of about one inch evenly spread over the whole surface. A good dressing of lime should be applied to the compost, and the whole raked well in." Nutriment derived from such dressings to the old grass, and by an additional sowing of seeds, will bring the sward into good condition, and be a permanent benefit. Old lawns that have become unsightly with weeds and bad grasses will requite to have I the surface deeply dug over. Tins work should be done early in the autumn. By i being well dug end allowed to remain with a rough surface' the sun and air will sweeten and pulverise the soil, and render it in hi condition for forking ami digging (during this month), and at the same time eradicating as many of the noxious weeds as possible, and relevelling and thoroughly manuring preparatory to resowing with suitable grasses. Both before and after sowing the surface should he well rolled. The formation of new lawns should always be commenced in the summer or very early in the autumn in order to have the work completed and everything in readiness for sowing the grass during the present month, or before, ii the weather be suitable. The present autumn has been exceptionally favourable for early ' sowings. The abundance of moisture and I warm atmosphere soon brings the grass up, which will have ample time to grow and I become established before the cold, wet winter weather begins. In laying down new ; lawns it is important that the soil be properly drained, particularly in instances where deep excavations have to be made to produce a level surface, on where the soil is naturally of a stiff, retentive nature. In draining, the filling lis immediately on top of the pipes should consist of from six to nine inches of scoria, to allow the surface water to precolate quickly to the pipes. It is next to useless to insert pipes and replace the clay upon them. It soon consolidates, and no drainage takes place. In soils of a light, porous nature, with a free subsoil, draining will not be necessary. Another important matter is to save all the good surface soil for the final finishing off. Too often the top soil is buried, and the poor, cold clay subsoil is brought to the surface. When this is done the result will never be satisfactory. AXSWEnS TO correspondents. " R.M." : The following clipping, supplied by an enthusiastic horticulturist, will give the information you seek:—Remarkable progress has- been made in the evolution of the potato by the cultivation of a new species in the Department of Vienne in France, called the Solatium commersoni, which originated in Uruguay. Amid its new environment in France, and by dint of careful cultivation and selection, it has developed several forms, which promise to become fixed, and to possess much value as additions to the food resources of Europe. Amongst these forms, all springing from one parent species, there are a yellow variety, a white variety, and a variety not specially characterised by colour, all of .which possess distinctive shapes and qualities. A fact that distinctly interests botanists and cultivators is that these varieties have evidently not reached their final settled form, and the experiments in Vienne are closely watched, because it is thought that they will throw light upon the unsettled question of the origin of the potato. " Sweet Pea" : The following are amongst the latest and best novelties:— George, fiery scarlet; Primrose Spencer, primrose throughout; White Spencer, flowers pure white, very large, and beautifully waved; Pride of St. Albans, the flowers are of enormous size, beautifully wrinkled and caved, and nearly always four flowers to each stalk, colour rich clesp rose pink; James Grieve, yellow or primrose; Frank Dolby, pale blue; B. J. Castle, rich salmon rose: Airs. Alfred Watkins, pale pink; Helen Lewis, very large, bright orange salmon : Enchantress, a lovely rose pink, of the Countess Spencer type"; Queen Alexandra, intense scarlet: Nord Unwin, pure white; Evelyn Byatt, rich fiery orange; Beacon, bright carmine and mauve, wings clear primrose; Phyllis Unwin, deep rosy carmine; Bolton's pink, pale pink and I rose; Florence Spencer, deep rosy pink; Black Michael, deep maroon; Countess Spencer, shell pink. The above are amongst the cream of the varieties. "Amateur," Epsom: To successfully remove and transplant most varieties of "ever* green trees and shrubs a certain amount of preparation is required to be made some time before the trees are shifted. The most important thing is the preservation of as many of the small fibrous roots as possible, so that when the trees or plants are. shifted there should be a, good ball of earth, adhering to

the root*. - To ■do tiii»';*»!»ece3Bf«My»'. however., cutting the root* around the- tree—-what m generally termed winching—is necessary. This is a. very simple. operation, particularly if the trow an* not too lira*, simply cuttog around the plants with » sharp »pade, about six inches from the ma.in fctcai with small trees, and further away a.* the tree** increase in size, and lifting sufficiently to ;'loo*e-ij*ll root*,: that are'. uncut fey' the : .spade.. ■■~ '■■ aW plants should be kept upright, and the ion again made firm by treading, arwribo plant* allowed to remain until fresh fibrous root* are made. In this condition there* will be; no difficulty in removing the plsiits with ft good ball of" earth and plenty of young fibrous roots that wSII entire growth. ; With lairse tree* a deep trench should be dug at a *uffidently wide radius from the main stem, tiecording to the size of the tree, working ln a circle tints! below the depth of the roots. When all the large .' roots are cut the trench should foe again filled with the. soil, and/ah lowed to remain until voting roots are made. The hall of earth can "then be reduced to a movable size, and the tree transplanted without risk of losing. Kxwa*