THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16169, 4 March 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN.

The different varieties of bouvardias are now flowering profusely. These extensively cultivated plants are amongst the most useful for garden- decoration and for the production of. a continuous supply of flowers throughout tho late summer, autumn, and early winter months. They are of easy cultivation, and when the j plants havo become properly established 'they may be.grown for years without being taken up or renewed, all that is {required being good cultivation of the 'soil around them and a liberal manuring iat least once every year, and to cut the I old plants well back every winter or ! spring beforo they break into fresh growth. Pruning the Bouvardia. Hard pruning of all the varieties, with tho exception of the Humboldtii family, is essential to produce well-furnished, bushy, florifcrous bushes. Neglect in this respect will produce ill-shaped and almost flowerless plants. For bouquets, buttonholes, and other floral decorations bouvardias are invaluable. There are now quite a number of varieties in cultivation; some produco beautifully-shaped double flowers, others single. Two of the sorts are deliciously perfumed. Alfred Neuner produces charming trusses of double white flowers ; Hogarth 11. pi. is the best of the double reds; President Garfield is an exceedingly pretty doublo pink; President Cleveland is the best of the double reds, being a i most brilliant fiery scarlet; Priory Beauty ! and Rosea Multiflora are charming single 'pinks; Beauty of Brisbane is pure white; I Vreelaudii is. another useful white; Flavescens is yellow. All the kinds are exItrcmely floriferous, every plant producing ; an enormous quantity of blooms throughout' tho season. The more they are cut from the better they succeed. Some Good Flowering Plants. Solidagos, rudbeckias. and heleniums are conspicuous flowering plants at the present, and are greatly in demand for cutting for floral decorations. Solidago Canadensis, tho golden rod. has almost completed its flowering. Rudbeekia, the " colden glow," is conspicuous with its.beautiful rich yellow double' blossoms, produced on _ tall stems. Heleniums also produce single yellow flowers on tall stems. The variety Riverton Gem hears large heads of I ouaintlv-coloured chocolate bronze flowers. Some ; 'of the early-flowering perennial J asters or Michaelmas daisies are in bloom. These make an attractive display in the borders and are useful for cutting. Summer Lilies. Belladonna lilies, Amaryllis belladonna, are useful flowering bulbs. Their beautiful large, pink, highly-fragrant blossoms, several on a stem, precede the foliage. They irrow in dry or moist places, and naturalise in the grass. They thrive equally well in. the open or beneath the shade of trees/ in time, forming largesized clumps. They are useful for cutting, and are not. affected bv dry weather. Lihums have been specially good: this summer, the pure white and rose-coloured forms of Lilium sneciosum are exceedinly showy and valuable for cutting purposes, and greatly in demand with all florists. Lilium auratum, the golden-rayed lily of Japan, is gorgeously beautiful and deli- . cately, scented. Lilies during their^flowerj ing periods. should • be well . mulched with , partially decayed manure, and should reJceive, copious waterings. 'After- flowering do not cut the stems hard' back; allow them to.mature gradually. ,:■ Lilies are better to be left in the ground. Label to denote their whereabouts and prevent their being disturbed in digging. ■•; The. Caterpillar Pest. Caterpillars ",are . exceedingly. numerous and most destructive,. especially to chrysanthemums, dahlias, and many other ' plants. ■ ' They ajre j present in; different ■ kinds,'from the.large green 1 and brown caterpillars to'.the- minute species that en- ' cases itself under a web. Hand-picking and ; spraying ; with. arsenate of lead, are the : .best /means of protecting : the undeveloped /buds' of ; chrysanthemums and the : young shoots. ;YSparrows. do' good work in keeping down the large green caterpillars that, attack dahlias, disfiguring the foliage and/; holing/ into ■; the : '« buds. Liquid manures may be applied at this season -with ,'beneficial - effects. 7 Cow manure with some soot placed : in a' bag and immersed in 'a barrel of water makes one of the best stimulants when diluted with clear water and given to the plants. Manure water may also be, made from organic and chemical manures'. Owing to the continuance of dry weather, the regular watering of portions of the garden containing such plants as dahlias - ; and others that . need ' moisture during the blooming period has become a necessity, also of lawns to keep the sward green. -. SRUIT-TREE PLANTING. ' Ground intended for the laying out and planting . of .new. orchards should.now ' be thoroughly worked, so that the soil will be. well pulverised and sweetened duri-g the, dry weather.'- The preparation of the soil is one of the most -important matters in- transplanting fruit trees/, 'as'-the future success of the trees depends '.hi a very t ro*t, measure upon the condition of the soil-at the time of planting. .Tins, in. fact, applies not only to fruit trees, but'to trees intended for shelter belts, plantations, ' as well as to ornamental trees .and shrubs. Too often little or no preparation is mode until the time arrives for planting, then holes are often dug, perhaps, in virgin soil that has never before been'brohen up, or, at any rate, not for many years, with the result that- even if the trees survive they make little or no growth. No intelligent farmer .would sow or plant and expect to reap a crop under such conditions, Growing Fruit Trees Successfully. To grow trees successfully/particularly fruit trees, the soil should be in such a condition as would ensure success with any, other farm crop. It has. been fully demonstrated that some of the finest fruits can be grown, particularly pip fruits,, on what is often termed the poor gum land. With careful planting and good Cultivation the trees grow well and fruit abundantly, while the high colour • produced is rarely seen when growin* , in J soils of a lighter nature. . The stiffer°the land, however, the more necessary it is i to have the land thoroughly worked a'-.ri I in such condition that 110 stagnant Mater i will lie at the roots. Good Drainage Essential. 1 The wants of good drainage is too rftui the cause of failure, as trees when planted ill soils of this nature make but weak and feeble growth, and si on become covrtd with moss. Simply digging holes in otherwise unbroken land, particularly if of a stiff retentive nature, "is malting wells in which water, accumulate, and too often for ; the want of an outlet, lies stagnant at the roots. Under such conditions no trees can thrive. When the soil has been thoroughly cultivated there is no need to dig holes until the time of planting. It may j not be always convenient to break up tho I whole of the ground intended for orchard before planting. It is necessary, however, j that strips of land six or eight feet wide, | where the ra\\> are to.be planted, should be ploughed and worked, and placed in i the best possible condition for the trees. The other portions between the rows can be broken up later. Selecting Varieties lor Soil Conditions.In addition to breaking up and working the soil, tho orchard should be carefully planned out, selecting the most suitable soils and situations for the different varieties to be planted. Where a mixed ■ variety of fruits are to be grown, select , the' lighter land for tho peach, nectarine, j and other stone fruits, as well as lemons. j Apples, pears, and other pip fruits succeed best in soils of a stiffer nature. ProI vision must in almost every instance be mado for sheltering the trees, though the shelter reauired will naturally • depend ! upon the lie of the ground and natural shelter already given. The different fruit j trees vary considerably as to the amounts of shelter necessary to produce the ' best

is not conducive to fruitfulness, a s almost every fruiting,tree is benefited by reasonable exposure to the weather .during the winter, or season of rest, as it enables the wood and buds to ripen and mature much better than when deprived of the necessary lights and by too dense shelter. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS"Inquirer," Putaruru: Erica arborea is the name of the shrub which YOU send twigs of. It belongs to the heath family,, and is a native of South Europe. It comes up so freely from seeds that in time this pretty-flowering shrub becomes a nuisance- " Papatu ": To furnish you with a complete list of suitable subjects to produce a continuous supply of marketable flowers throughout the year, especially winter and spring, would occupy too much space in these columns. The following is an abbreviated list} For spring, paper-white and other varieties of narcissi, anemones, ranunculus, freesias, cyclamens, watsomas, Bias, and other hardy bulbs, violets, whitecandytufts, roses, carnations, stocks, perennial delphiniums, antirrhinums, sweet peas, marguerite chrysanthemums, cinerarias, nemesias, penstemons, etc.; lor summer, roses, perennial delphiniums, asters, zinnias, marigolds, liliums, agapanthus, gladioli, aquflegias, margaret and tree carnations, gerberas, helemums, rudbeckias, phlox, solidagos, hydrangeas, bouvardias, monttesettias, Spanish iris, coreopsis, ornamental grasses, dahlias, sweet scabious, and numerous others; for autumn, bouvardias, dahlias, chrysanthemums celosias. vallotas, belladonna lilies, cosmte'a, gaillardias, Michaelmas daisies,] or perennial asters and others; for winter, mignonette, nemesias, winter-flowering sweet peas, cyclamens, violets, polyanthus, primroses, paper-white narcissus, marguerite chrysanthemums, and amongst winter flowering dwarf shrubs, daphnes, ericas, diosma, veronicas, etc. L.8., Waihi: Apple trees with much dead wood and presenting a. stunted, unhealthy appearance denotes want of systematic pruning, manuring, and good cultivation. The aspect may be too exposed. At the end of the autumn cut out all dead wood and syringe trees with lime, salt and sulphur, or Bordeaux mixture. Apply a liberal dressing of basic or super slag, and have the ground deeply dug. A green crop may be sown to be dug in towards the end of the winter. W.A., Wellington: Geranium leaves are attacked with a rust like fungus, similar to the chrysanthemum rust. This destructive disease has made its appearance during very recent years, and,has spread rapidly throughout the Dominion, seriously affecting the. growth, and beauty of ono of our most useful and popular flowering plants. Fortunately,'the, ivy-leaved section of the geranium family is not affected. Remedies: Syringe . with Bordeaux mixture or other reliable fungicides, well wetting the under sides of the leaves, Pick old leaves and those badly affected off, and burn them. A.M., Avondale: Peaches < splitting and opening, then falling. This is probably due to defective stoning and to the fungus that causes the rot upon the fruits. It is very bad this year. Quinces • rotting on the trees, and becoming 'useless: This happens when the trees have become stationary, and. where the subsoil .consists of a stiff, hard, dry clay. Apples occasionally rotting: This is apparently due to a fungus similar or the same as that causing peach rot, and in a measure to want of vigour in . the trees. - The only remedy the writer can suggest for the rot is. after well pruning the trees in early winter, to thoroughly syringe with Bordeaux or the lime arid sulphur mixture at "full'strength. Be careful' to burn all the primings, and to break up and well fertilise the ground around 'the trees to encourage -fresh vigour.; - Where the subsoil, is.very stiff and ' retentive insert charges, of gelignite at -suitable intervals apart. '. This > has*, a ■wonderful effect, upon the -arid the root, action of the trees. For wooly aphis: To destroy this, soft soap or commn soap reduced .to the • consistency ■ of ?&-. thick paste by -the addition of a strong solution of washing soda in Water-' isial'gpod,'formula; I- This, applied to .the affected parts, .'destroys the insects, and forms a coating on the bark that prevents their" attack for. a ■ time/ Eleagnus hedges" may be' cut almost at any time, during the present slack season being suitable. .-;" ' " " : . 1 HINTS TO GARDENERS. Now is the time for 'gardeners to begin preparations for securing a winter supply of vegetables* , ! ■ ,; '^ : : J,. •'• , "; The soil Should be worked fine, should be. well manured, with all-round fertilisers, and ! should . have incorporated with it plenty of humus from the compost heap. If it is'then well watered plants or seeds will grow rapidly. j '~-• "■[ ''■ \" , Woodlice- are very troublesome about) Auckland gardens. A remedy for these pests is to boil parsnips or carrots cut to small pieces <in water ■ with arsenic. The pieces' when 'soft should be strewn where the woodlice are most numerous. A good method ! of storing. potatoes is to make a sort of , rack with wire-netting, j and to stack the potatoes on suspended bag made by the wire. -Of' course,_ the rack' should 'be '■ under cover, for it helps to keep the potatoes dryland free from the' ravages of rats and similar vermin. . Amateurs who wish-to. grow cabbages, cauliflowers, and other "of. the brassica family can raise seedlings in boxes..well packed with good soil and liberally watered. The seedlings.may be allowed to grow 'to a considerable size before transplanting, but when transplated into good soil, kept moist, they ..will 1 - grow rapidly and well. v . ' : '-"■'•, ' Wireworms may be trapped by -at few, pieces of turnip or potato fixed on ; a wooden skewer, and sunk" a? few inches into the soil. Salt is also destructive to wireworms, and if the soil is dressed with this substance when being prepared for crops. will kill many . forms of' "rubs besides helping cabbages and kindred plants to thrive. * *','",'" V"' '■ "•■"■ " If you want yearly cabbages and cauliflowers get the plants in right away; but .before you go ahead take' hold of the fact that all the brassica. tribe are very gross feeders, and that if they are at all stinted in the food line they simply don't do any gocd\ Therefore dig your ground deeply and incorporate with it "plenty of organic manure and 2oz of super and loz of tain it to the square yard. Then make some slight furrows about* apart, and placet the plants in these at a similar distance from each other. It's an Al plan to run a liberal' quantity of water along the trenches the day before the planting. As r. rule pumpkins arrive at maturity toward the end of the summer months, when the foliage becomes dilapidated and dry looking. Pumpkins, however—indeed, the whole of the members of the marrow tribe— can be used so soon as they aro fairly well grown. Many persons, in fact, prefer to cut and cook them when thev are not more than half their full size. They are then much more tasty, and there is nothing at all coarse about them. Often when the main runners have attained a length of 10 or 12, or even less, they are "stopped" (pinched off at the ends) to induce the vigorous growth of laterals, and these again are "stopped'.' at the third joint or leaf past the fruit when this has set, to hasten its development. Flowers to be pressed and dried should be placed between layers of cotton-wool more than three layers should not be used, otherwise insufficient heat and air reach the flowers, and the drying being delated a bad result is obtained. • The whole press', consisting of cotton-wool containing the flowers, is suspended in front of a hot fire, or when the weather is fine out of doors' in the air, in.the hottest possible sun. The success of the method is due to the process of drying being so rapid that the *«'~. ment is fixed instead of being slowly decomposed. By the old blottinp-paper and boards method, it took some four to six weckfi before the dried specimen was obtained, and involved the laborious work of changing and drying the blotting-naper, and naturally the pigment had slowly'decayed: meanwhile.