THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17151, 3 May 1919, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN.

Falling Leaves.

At this season of the year it is almost impossible to keep the garden and grounds neat and tidy. Deciduous trees, and shrubs are fast shedding their leaves, and every gust of wind and shower' of rain brings down a fresh batch to add to the general litter. This will continue for some time, until the whole of the deciduous subjects have cast their foliage and assumed their winter garb. The fallen leaves should be collected at least twice every week and deposited in some suitable place, where they may remain and be mixed with weeds and grass clippings and other rubbish to rot. Forming what is known as leaf mould, which is an almost indispensable material in connection with a garden and one of the most important ingredients for the soil used in the successful cultivation of many pot plants and also valuable for working into the soil around azaleas, camellias, ericas, rhododendrons, and such like plants, to encourage good root action and supply and nourish them with material best suited to their natural requirements, the quality of leaf mould greatly depends upon the leaves composing it. Oak and those of hard texture are better than those of a softer and more watery substance. All varieties, with the exception of the pine family, when incorporated together and mixed with weeds, grass clipping, and other valuable debris, should be occasionally turned and moistened and allowed to remain long enough to become thoroughly decomposed and ready for use. In gathering the leaves, care must be taken to keep them ireo from sticks, branches, and pieces of wood, as these are liable to encourage fungoid growths, which would render the

compost useless. By attending to collecti ing fallen leaves and other garden \\tter throughout the season, a regular supply of leaf mould will always he available for use whenever it may bo required. Now that stable manure is" becoming more difficult to procure, everything must be saved that i will add fihre and humus to the soil. Fertilisation, In flower beds thai have been constantly worked for years and kept froe from weeds, and only enriched with artificial fertilisers, the soil becomes dead for want of humus, and the plants fail to give the good results they used to. This deficiency can only be remedied by the liberal use of fresh strawy stable manure or new soil rich in fibre. The planting of ifocks, wallflowers, nemesias, antirrhinums, dianthufl, dimorphotheca, "gphenogyne, cinerarias, and a few other suitable seedlings should be attended to or suitable spots, prepared for planting them in as soon as the soil has been well moistened with rain, Throughout the summer and up to the present time, exceptionally dry weather conditions have greatly interfered with transplanting operations and in keeping the garden fully stocked] and a continuous succession and supply, of flowers.

Watering. Artificial waterings are always tedious, and a poor substitute for the natural supplies, besides caking the surface soil and necessitating constant hoeings to break the crust. Sowings of sweet peas for early flowering should be done at once. Sowing now, when the soil is dry and warm, the seeds soon germinate, and the young plants get a good start before slugs become troublesome. In present sowings precautions must be taken to prevent small birds pulling up the seedlings as they appear above the surface. Coating the seeds with a little red lend or etretching a line of black cotton on either side of the rows, supported by intermediate small sticks, to keep the 'cotton or thread nbout above the surface will keep the birds off.

VEGETABLE GARDEN. Tho season up to the present lias been a most unfavourable one fur all kitchen pardon crops. Owing to tho prolonged drought vegetables of almost every description aro unusually scarce, as well as poor in quality. Unfortunately the long absence of rain and parched condition of the 6oil afforded little opportunity of sowing and planting while there was plenty of warmth in the ground, there not being sufficient moisture in the soil to ensure the germination of Beed. With the change to colder weather both germination and growth will naturally be more slow, consequently crops will require much more attention to keep the soil between the rows frequently stirred and free from weeds in order to hasten their growth as much as possible before the colder weather sets in. From present appearances all kinds of vegetables are likely to be scarce during tho coming winter unless we are favoured with mild growing weather during the next two months. For this reason every effort should be made to furnish the garden with all kinds of seasonable crops. As stated in previous notes, much better results are obtained by forming rained beds for sowing or planting during the winter season. By this means a more genial moisture and root temperature is maintained, while weeding and cleaning can be performed without tramping and puddling the soil.

THE VINERY. Vines in most instances will now have been stripped of their fruit, and should be thrown open and exposed to the weather as much ae possible. In this, however, some judgment is necessary, for, while carrying their foliage, care must be taken ..that the leaves are pot injured or in anj

way made to fall prematurely from the vines. Up to the present the weather has teen all that could he wished for late varieties that are still carrying bunches. As soon as the weather breaks, however, and damp, cold weather eets in, moodiness of the berries is almost sure to take place unless artificial heat can be applied to exclude the moisture from the house. In keeping grapes late in the season much de. Sends upon the condition of the fruit. If he berries are thorougly coloured and ripened there is not the same risk of decay as with badly-coloured, immature fruit. The bunches, in any case, should be frequently looked over and any berries showing the least signs of decay should be removed. As soon as the vines are stripped of their fruit steps should be at once taken to wage war upon all insect life. Unfortunately, few vineries escape the attacks of some of the many pests that now attack vines in some form or other, but during the autumn, when the foliage and wood is fairly well matured, stronger measures can be used to rid the vines from pests than could be applied earlier in the season without risk of injur?. By strong fumigation at this time numbers of pests will be destroyed before they crawl away to their winter quarters. Every leaf, as they fall, should be gathered up and burned before the insects have time to secrete themselves in the soil or other parts of the house; but, although every means should be taken at this time, stronger measures may still be taken when the vines are stripped of their foliage and are in a dormant condition. At this time not only can the canes be thoroughly dressed with insecticide, but the house throughout can be thoroughly sprayed and cleaned. The floor, too, if composed of soil, should have the surface removed, as it is almost certain to contain 6ome bug that falls with the leaves. Asphalt or concrete floors are much preferable to soil, not only on account of its being more easily kept clean and frw from pests, but that a much 6weeter and more genial atmosphere can be maintained during the growing and fruiting season of the vines. The temperature can be better regulated than

when the floor is composed of soil which may ho sodden with moisture at a, time when a drier atmosphere is most needed.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Rosa," Penmen: Preparation of the soil for the rose bed or border should be attended to at once. Your land, having a good 6pit of black loamy soil, witih moderately stiff friable clay beneath, should, when properly treated, be ideal for rose-growing. If not already drained dig out drains from 2iin to 3ft 'in depth, and insert 2iSn or 3in field tiles, with some rough scoria on top of the pfyes. Place the drains at suitable distances apart. Next trench over the area 2ft deep and bring a little of the subsoil to the top, and at the same timo apply a liberal dressing of stable manure along each trench about Ift from the surface. After the trench has been completed, give a good dressing of ground lime, evenly spread over the surface, and, after a few days, light fork or hoe the lime in. The bed should be in excellent condition for the reception of the rose plants during the first week in June,

G.M., Epsom: Tender bedding plants, including alternantheras, iresines, and Mesembryanthemum cordifolium variegata are soon affected by frosts, consequently sufficient plants should be taken up at once and transplanted intc boxes to provide cuttings for next season's requirements. Cuttings of iresines, taken off now, soon strike, and the old plants may bo clone away with, but, with the alternantheras it is necessary to take the plants up to divide later or strike cuttings from. The ordinary ice plants-or mesembryanthemums strike readily from cuttings. 'Mo off the young tips and insert them close together in pots, pans, or smaV boxes in a mixture consisting of two parts coarse sand and one of loam, Echevcrias may bo grown from seeds, but the usual and simplest system is to progagate from the offsets. " Kepos.

HINTS TO GARDENERS. IMtygelius capensis is a South African shrub very nearly allied to pe'.steinon, and its long, crimson spikes much resemble the flowers of the latter. It blooms all through the autumn, and it makes a desirable dwarf hedge plant; it Is quite hardy but, like its relative, it needs plenty of moisture.

Freesias are pretty little Cape bulbs, having very fragrant flowers. For cut flowers they are valuable. They are mostly white with yellow markings, but there are Sfveral new hybrids having mauve, yellow, blue, pink, and carmine-coloured flowers. They are well adapted for growing in pots and shallow seed-pans. They aro hardy about Melbourne, but in cooler localities a warm, sheltered spot should be selected for them. '1 ' •■»• delighlt in a lich, sandy soil, or a cu.upost of loam, peat, leaf-mould, and some coarse sand, with good drainage, suits them well.

The Muscaris are very lovely spring bulbs. M. botryoides is called the "giape hyacinth" • it has small racemes of a bky-blue colour, and there is also a white variety, and a dark-blue one. M. j.lumosus is the "feathered hyacinth"; it produces its amethyst-blue flowers in sin--lar frizzled clusters. M. racemosus is the "starch hyacinth" its rich dark-blue towers are profusely produced. M. moschatus is the "muck hyacinth," so named from its powerfully-scented, greyish-yel-low flowers. The "Greek grapo hyacinth" i ■ Muscari HeldTeichi; it has sky-blue flowers, with a white mouth. All members of the Muscaris like a rich, sandy soil. They do well in pots, and are admirably adapted for planting in masses in the mixed border.,