THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15521, 31 January 1914, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN.

Owing', to-'long' continued s dry- weathsr there is; a- 'much greater,activit-y'ofiflbwers than- is usualat, thi.v season of;,the -year. A 1 good floral display can' only: be maintained by: regular 'and■■] copious*waterings.'ln _unwatered gardens '.the* drought /has penetrated deeply into the > soil. . consequently,! shallow , rooting plants are suffering for want of - moisture,-iparticularly'tridse grow.-' ; in!/ in borders.'^^.*befe>tho roots of large growing shrubs arid trees, ;absorb the -nutriment. In s6me;iiistaneeß' artificial wate.'iitgF' must be,resorted'to' in order to;save the > plants, - Azaleas 'are: susceptable ;to drought at the'roots.''The'leaves-assume.a; 1 nßty.«: brown- colourind £ flag, -and ' usually; become ' infected 'with; thripi ' and : the ? rod, spider. Rhododendrons suffer considerably when the.soil at the roots.is allowed to lecome too..dry. ~: Tree ferns are,, moistureloving, plants, and should be ..copiously watered otherwise fin larger frouds: soon flafe. ,'" -■ ~( ;■ _;' \ - .". Sarly, • Howeriiig 'Annuals. ... Many-pi.the. eaHy jflcWerinß' aiwiuals .havecompleted .their flowering.. Sweet, peas are about over'; the; haulms may be' ; cleared away, arid . the, ground deeply; dug and turned roughly, to. Sweeten in readiness for further plantings. -Daffodils should;be taken vp .every >secoud or : third year otherwise they •become-' too crowded—•hesides:.the taking up. "enables.■;'the; ground '■to -S-be cleanse'ctiof -weeds;,^^dr , 4hb^ulbs;to7--be : sre-. moved Jjo' fresh/quarters.".: ■■/.:■ .\ " .■.^^■^■i ,;■ -' ;'j^ayeriiig : ..Carnations. " .'.■_'■". .' The layering" of carnationß',ahd.Jpicotees should be attended to, at once. Layering, is a surer, method;, than, propagation by: cuttings or piping;?,' arid consists of cutting the shoot half-way through bel6w a,biid ' making" the.incision int-an upward ! direetioH<for about half .art; inch, or more. This method is" : called: tongueirig . : .the . ; ;'shobt,- keeping ;tlj.e '1 tongue;, pr'iheel downwards,'secure with 'a peg 'to'.keep'the^layer.firm "in'the ground, aiid'cov.er uover with : earth: Tn -preparing, the shoots- for layer-; ing strip oft a. iow' Of the-ldwfer (leaves: before'; making 'the-iricisiori;. "arid if dry,-well water" the'soil..'; Under.ordinary conditions roots will three weeks time, and t after six weeks the plant should i Be. 'sufttcie'ntly -well* roo'ted : -tofcut off .from the" olid-stool. for;potting ; or ; -bedding?; oat;: Carnations soon '' become':too ' (.Id : arid requi to be ienewed every secorid ortthird year, hepce the; necessity- of providing? heal?Jry; young. plants by -layer ng. : . !:.' ~ ..' ,' ":•:•_ Tb«i • Jacaianoft. ; i;, 1; ..Amongst, plants -n'flower/the Jacararda mir4.osaO-,volia'is,worthy',lof '■ .'note. /This niagriiiicent •'■ small-growing' .tree has ;extremely,.'graceful ■'•■ teim-liKe . folfay 9 •and produces 'large Terminal, ap'kes'of light l-lue or, mauve-coloui'ed ' bibssoint;. .Ericas are also flowering, .profusely at, the.preserit time, they_ are:extremely sihdwy, .'small-' growing shrubs, that are Wearily 'giowji,: .jjfi thrive -well'- provided' > no''Buihuj' ri'is,; ■given. : beyond - a • light • suria4». mulching of - thoroughly, decomposed: dry cow manure. -the soil arouhd, the'plants:mustVn6t :lie stirredr otherwise ohiastj A'6i iibrous root* ■ that. are ! . produced- near »the : ; sus'fks© * are iniured and' the:plaiife;sudfer in couSLqueuce.;' ', Tecoma';vfiluthia-/i£- aibtl c v shßub worth growing.;,it'prodncos;an-abun-dance.of vly.»yeUow- ilowers!iii-.bui*ls:s duranta •oumie?ii,^escaUpuia-•JBaribUpd*,*' the Afferent varieties , of: hibiscus :syriacus,- clematis iflammuia/ ~ oleanders, <. several - kinds ? of; .■ veronicas/ , arid rhydrakeas', amongst the'latter hydrangea pani'culata grandJflorav-: bearing - enornfe-s trusses of pure white powers, This ;is\ considered' of .the finest; hardyrsluTibs,m,cultivation -

_•'"■ Treatment rpf • (Satjrdiin ; si>il. ■■-•' 'fH • To obtain anything ,Iil»; satisfactory, reSU^ in i h t of. garden: o>ops, whether ;it;b.e- :wuil,- vegetable;, bi-'flower it. is of.the utmost importance to : have the soil -in such' condition/as : :will"bnsure'Eeal I thy root growth It is,during the:summer, or. at least beforexthe- autumn;rain: sets m, that, land. can ; be/best rtreated. -In a i great many, ■ cases: of t "faalures, the. cause'is i attributed -to; unfavourable' weather:- cbnditions rwifle irrthe.^ority> of ) instances I it: is, the result of imismanagement: of ; the' and. Draining is;a,matter that/is, seldom thought.of j.yetan. .heavy clay land it is a -most important arid necessary o D era- i turn in • order to ; cfey.. off superfluous moisture, which so- sodden .arid -'sour - the J lad during the, wet : season./as,to ' render' the subsoil quite, ;-unfit for the'growth'of vegetables or flowers; # B' : wiU;-« B^ihg ffi olt injurious to roote.of -fruit-trees.v '-^ ■.-.,. . Effects ; of, Drainage. '■/■, . i ". : ,!><,.■ : On account of ...the'.very "heavy'■ rainfall experienced during the -.winter months" effi cientdrairage.isJof.-parumourit.amportance in the cultivation oL-all ; gardener orchard lands. -To,be. effective, in. its results drainlog must be systematically,-plaimpd v and earned out. A : ..means . of outlet n lower than' the other .parts, of/'the:, laridi to: be drained must v first -bV-fdetermined. •" Th' j main ' drain- proceeding'-from this' point must be constructed;;with an equal gradient throughout the. length "required.- When I practicable it is'adYisable'-tohave'ari-opeh [main .drain, as . Jail -' side or -tTibutarv drains runiiing into.it ism then be "se<^and any- imperfections in their once detected/Branch; drains/may fe~'^ ranged oh either side.of. the maitf drain* running the. pipes in/eyery: isritaiice »in'a direction- that"will;all J ow'''9f;a '&o^i^--

/improving stijs Ola? u" <" In-stiff clay land these should wlr V<* at distances'of ' not, more• than■ .*», apart, but in lighter land, tw ; H' II even thirty feet, will; be "'-J size'of: the,'pipes forV^^.S'Wr. :j pend upon, the- length of drain t cn „ ; ! £ e : | if , not more than one r hundred . JjSpSfe S 1 and a half inch will do, if of crei)rr1 S ' flßE - 11 larger- pipes in proportion .to £ * >i length made should be. used Tae | ite depth for drains varies * the ;class : of • soil; from two' and a v?- I,J > % three t feet .is , generally found . sdw ' It 'is essential with every draw fr': that the necessary amount of' falp-'^te cured before any . attempt \to caw? oil' pipes' is made. Before .filling i n a good layer of ii-tree o r othbrllwili material should be placed over or, better still, if procurable, or. other rubble that Hill allow tfibWM'l to percolate quickly. Draining if v* perly planned - and carried out' v-li/T both -permanent and effective, for carrying ; off gases that areHnjtfMM healthy root action, many de<u-e? ? - warmth is added to the soil ' ° . -?' - ! Deep Tillage., , - Deep' tillage, too, is an important -u„ in the successful cultivation of crow r the preparation of the soil for the plant,, i pf young orchard trees, as well « shelter or ornamental purposes, tE6iwu • cultivation •' is of the greatest import,™? With land of a stiff retentive nature ..'i ■ soiling as well as ploughing should K he done. , With skilful hands at the plod?-' this ! can be done • without bringing Ipl subsoil to the surface, yet giving iit-L'S 1 twelve inches of well broken up 50 il thorough t cultivation of the soil; wlicti '*~ for fruit, shelter trees, or any other: c^'" " the • advantage is always on* the: sid c the planter," as the success attained ffitS? naturally bo , much greater than ! ijg' ■ planted without due regard to the.pUntf V requirements. , ■ ' ; r : ANSWERS TO COEEESPOKDEHXB. • 4 "Much Troubled," Remuerd. A lb' ' prevention and cure of the silver-leafv|j#f ease {Stereum purpureum), so far the nam .erous experiments tried have not'pjxjjf&M? i sufficient ' evidence of any (-pliable; Tlieeld remedy of rooting out badlv in! tested trees, although drastic is ilio'ojft! sure- cure. •• . The. cutting out : of.-iaJfcrtSl branches' should bo done; always paiiiu;. e ? cut over, with tar or smear oyer the wound, as this • fungus'attadjj : the tree ' through its wounds. Exp'enfficffli with - ferrous .or iron sulphate- appK'd -ft the .roots and inserted into the trfinfc drilling",a hole and, placing thesfcteriS*J iu, about loz of the sulphate to each hole""' is said to have been 'successful- in.treat™pr partially' affected trees. Miss Bali er.'®' the .""Annals- of Botany," for 1913, jfjnsts - fungus)juice : a remedy—an -j of ; the. fungus Coprinus coniatus which the power of secreting- a. kind of digestif- ' fluid by which it v is itself digested. writer-has -known . trees ' that have be® attacked with silver blight - to' • {rradualiy recover, .clearly proving; that pome. un- - known -self-cure- or other, agency must, : j*? at work. .^Whatever: the cause -or rein'cd/ Stereum. purpureum, or silver-leaf is everywhere'in evidence, and is adesiHf ing- subject' for the -fullest'- investigation;! It ; is- an insidious-"arid; most destructive disease.;;- t'i'&i . " Fruits to.- Name " : .Peach is .a- good specimen -of; the .variety " Parasol?." eii. deiitly gathered t from,a tree : . thai is in'j, flourishing -* condition. - The sizo( colirqr;' arid t flavour are above the average. 'Rio plum :is Ogon, a- well-known • Japanese kind./ .The' defects are due to sui "mM. a /common occurronco with ? this '• yarietyj! probably < attributable to some ; peculiar! characteristic .of the skin.; "f<" ' -T j" Lily," -. Parnell-r J The - torch My, > at'' flame flower, 'is known 'urider-JtherboUui.' car name of'- Kniphofia, also- Tritoct; They - are ■ natives of ■ tropical ! andsSwjp Africa, also . Madagascar. - They - Mfplj long spikes of showy ■ flower^ : shades .of scarlet' and;yellow.' K. ' Uvstki: is commonly "ailed • tlie' rsd ho* .flower. ' The majority of the varieties fu' ceed admirably in our gardens. SS@BH| * ' Ktros.;