GARDEN HINTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15489, 22 December 1913, Page 11

GARDEN HINTS.

VEGETABLES IN WINTER.

II fa most gardens frame, or pita can be I produced which can be. used for l|Ltable-grow.ng in winter. They must am ° a sun exposure, of course, and the Ler and cleaner the glass the better. * three-sash wooden frame is handy, as ■t can be plated where it is wanted, and the soil inside can be kept warm by piling •haw manure against the sides. A deep, open soil enriched with manure from tho table' is needed. The beginning of ' autumn is the time for sowing seeds of I • sue!) plants as radish, lettuce, turnip, J carrot, and cauliflower, or, if young plants I of the last-named can be obtained, they I may he planted at once in the beds. The f Bearer the soil is to the glass the better I it will bo for the plants. On all possible I occasions the wishes should be left off, I and at all tinier there should be sufficient ■ ventilation to keen the atmosphere about tie plants ftch. The provision of tho riVht degree 01 aitili.ul heat by means of stable manure is not easy for the beginner, v bat tho way to do it comes with practice. t b i frame will do good work with proper management, even without any artificial heat, though the plants do not grow quite as fast as when the hot-bed is used. On cold' nisi"* a covering of mats, hay, or bracken 3 should be placed on the sashes. ' THE EGG PLANT. The egg-fruit plant iSoianuin ovigeram) js a tender annual ot the tropics, and needs warm positions and very rich soil. The plants niusl be grown rapidly, and jot receive any check. Tiny do not transplant well, therefore the seed should bo fO\vn where the plants aio to remain, in' th« seedlings grown on in small pots for 3 time and men transplanted when all fear of frost, is g->m'. Although they Jove . heat, a little protection from the sua should be given the plants when first set. j out' a lew branches round them would ' be sufficient. If the soil is very rich, j the plants should stand about 3ft apart j each way; if it is not, then plant a littlo closer. ' Heavy mulchings with manure, j liberal waterings in dry weather, with | occasional dose* of liquid manure, will bo j very beneficial. Frequent syringing, I especially on the underneath foliage, will! prevent attacks of red spider and other f insects to which these plants arc subject, j The young plants should be topped to in- | - duee a branching habit of growth, and I when the fruit has set the shoot should be j ~- stopped at the first joint beyond the fruit '■ that has set, leaving only one fruit on a j branch, or from eight to a dozen upon a strong, vigorous plant; if more are left the fruits will be small, or they may not j mature. These plants are sometimes | . grown only for their large, handsome, egglike fruits, either white, scarlet, or purple, but when properly cooked they are :nuch esteemed and are thoroughly wholesome. In France they are called aubergines, and in various parts of the European continent they are much grown. THE TOP SOIL. • A large, well-ordered garden requires many supplies, prominent among them being the provision of soils for potting and other purposes. Leaf mould, peat and silver sand are usually essentials, but what is of really cardinal importance is bestquality loam (top' spit) in sufficient quantity and at reasonable rates. Market gardeners must have it to renew the soil m their glass houses, and, apart from this and for potting purposes, in private gardens it is certainly a good plan to renew the soil in flower beds. Tho gardener's ideal is to have the run of an old pasture near at hand, to* cut sods 3in or 4in in -j depth when the grass is short and the • soil neither baked hard nor very wet, and to stack them turf side downwards for a few months, usually with manure between each layer. This makes an ideal soil, but if grass turf is not available a mixture of weeds, grass cuttings, straw, paper, old rags, and any other vegetable matter • mixed with soil into a good composition is .very useful. . NOTES ON WATERING. ■ One of the most important things in the ■: cultivation of plants is in the proper water- • ing. The correct kind of soil is, perhaps, more essential to the welldoing' of them, but watering certainly covnes next. Careless watering is the cause of a large number of plant diseases. The difficulty in watering is that plants require various amounts of water, according to their kind, age, situation, the time of year, and their state of health. To have a sound knowedge of the art of watering, one should know something of the conditions under which tho plants grow and thrive in their ; own habitat. In cases where the climatic I conditions of their native country are unknown one may be guided by the external :, appearance of the plant. Plant* with narrow, tough leaves do rrot require much I water, and the structure of the root often - ; furnishes a clue as to the water required; : succulent roots, which taper and grow rapidly to the bottom of the pot, require much water. Again branching rootlets, which tend to grow above the surface of 'the soil, can do with a small amount of water, but. require thorough aeration. It , must not be forgotten that roots must nave a good supply of air, failing which acids poisonous to the plant will be formed 5, the issues of the roots, causing decay, which - IS , transmitted to the living organs ..w the plants, and resulting in their death. nothing is more conducive to this than a wet ball of roots by over-watering the Pores are filled and suffocation ensues. If ' plants 'were to die quickly with such treatment we should see the death of a greater number, but this suffocation takes .. place slowly, and is only overcome by ft renewed supply of oxygen. Although'we "ay know the natural conditions of tho Plants, and tho remiircments of tho species- we cannot'water the plant ration- - any unless we consider the requirements ™ .jAe, individual plant. A specimen .newly potted or even freshly planted out does not need anything like as much moisture as those for some time established and growing robustly. j,-''" THE LETTUCE. ...The,lettuce is the most valuable salad ;■. P'ant wo have, and if it is wanted in perfection,; sweet, brittle, and lender it must grown quickly in deep, rich 'soil. If m Plant be allowed to suffer from dryness at any period of its growth its . leaves will 'fie tough and bitter. The phut responds quickly to occasional waterings with liquid manure. The ground should W deeply dug and heavily manured. in tie absence: of well-rotted stable manure, which is the best of all fertilisers for general purposes, bonednst or some other artificial manure should be used. At this time of year, and all through* the sum■'mer, it is better to sow the seed in drills Where the resultant plants are to remain, W m hot, dry weather there is * little .?.&. in. transplanting the seedlings; they receive a severe check, and the nlants are likely to run to seed. or winter culture ■ 1 is usual to sow the seed in beds and 10 transplant the seedlings. For present j , {wing the drills in which the seeds are ! »bo sown should be 18in apart, half-.an j nch deep, and the seedlings should be , mm out to 'about Sin ' apart. The Bitterness whirl, is sometimes present in -"10 lettuce may be caused by defective cultivation, such as lack of moisture and • manure. g| ' ■ THE CAPSICUM. ■ The capsicum plant requires very. similar treatment to that recommended for the .'gg-fruit plant. The soil cannot bo too rich, and it should be light and porous, W- is better to raise the young plants in njaeframc and to plant them out when a ml B , lze ,? ncl tlle col(1 "either has dc- •'{*"?"• There are capsicum plants which . «ar scarlet, yellow, and crimson -coloured ► r JWih and in the autumn specimens which !° K well laden with them are particularly 'tt a me ' and are sometimes grown in flower-garden for decorative purposes, t ;&onie varieties onlv grow to a height of a - -.loot or so, but others attain a height of ;«tor 4ft, a great deal depends on the j sou. they aro grown in, and the attention | ineyreceive in watering, etc. Red spider . very apt to attack capsicum plants, and c ISJJ Pest must bo warded off by frequent Agings.