THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17471, 15 May 1920, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN.

THE AUTUMN SEASON. r j , i Autumn tints are "conspicuous, among deciduous, trees and | shrubs.-*; The \ gorgeous gay tints of some of the varieties present a greater/diversity and brilliance of colouring than if the plants were a profusion of blossoms. The ampelopsis family, commonly called Virginian creepers, are remarkable for their autumn • leafage, ■• attracting , special attention rambling over and covering stone walls, and brick-work, and the sides of wooden buildings. Lagerstroema indica is the first among shrubs tc turn colour, the leaves assuming the brighter crimson. Gorgeous persimmons. Persimmons are beginning to show colour ; they too are remarkable for the many tints of crimson and yellow oi their maturing leaves, contrasting with their yellow and red fruits that are still on the trees, rendering them telling objects and indispensable for planting near the edges of ornamental plantations. They are also valuable for their rich and luscious fruits, which are in season when other soft fruits are scarce. The different varieties of rhus or sumachs' are particularly interesting and beautiful during the late autumn months, the colouring of the foliage being extremely brilliant. Oak Foliage. - Scarlet and other oaks are now conspicuour for their" richer colour, notably coccinea, and rubra, the scarlet, and the red oak: the leaves of these assume a gorgeous colour for a considerable time before falling, rendering them most attractive objects. Qucrcus palustris, the pin oak, is a lovely species. - The commoner varieties with yellow foliage, also add variety. Liquidamber styraciflua, " the sweet gum, ' is another pretty tree with acer-like starshaped leaves, which change to deep yellow, and purplish crimson before they fall. This tree should be generally planted, being interesting at all seasons, and a telling object in the garden and grounds. It is of symmetrical habit and succeeds well in our climate.

Deciduous Trees and Shrubs. At this season of the year it is almost impossible to keep the gnrdeji and ground i eat and tidy, as deciduous trees and shrubs are fast shedding their leaves, an 1 every gust of wind and Bhower of rain brings down a fresh batch to add to the genera,] litter. This will continue for pome t'nie as so many of the kinds arc late in iipening-off owing to the splenl'd growing and very mijd late autumn. The fallen leaves should be collected at least twice a week and deposited in some su't able place, and not burnt, as is generally the case, but be allowed to remain and rot, forming in time what is known at leaf mould. Leal Mould. This is almost an indispensable material in connection with the garden, and one oi the most important ingredients for mixing with trie soil used in the successful cultivation of so many pot-plants, and alsc valuable for working into the soil around ericas, azaleas, rhododendrons, kalm'w, camellias, and such like plants, to encourage good root action, and supply and nourish them with material best suited _tc their natural requirements. The quality of leaf mould much depends upon the sort of leaves composing it. Oak and beech leaves being of a harder texture are bettei than those of a softer nature; but all leaves, pine needles excepted, when incorporated together and mixed with weeds, grass clippings, and other vegetable rubbish, and occasionally turned and allowed to remain long enough to become thoroughly decomposed and ready for use, mak< good leaf mould, Collecting Fallen Leaves. Care must be taken to keep leaves free from sticks, branches or pieces of wood, as these are liable to encourage fungoid growths, which would spread through the compost and render it useless. By attending to the collecting of fallen leaves grass clippings, and other suitable vego table refuse, throughout the season, and by the additioi- of a little coarse sand a regular supply of leaf mould will alwav* be available for use whenever it may be required. The Planting Season. Towards the end of this month, thf transplanting f permanent trees and shrubs may b-i commenced. For roses, the early part of Junef is the most suitable, as the p.ants -will have completed their autumn giowth and be in a dormant state. This season, with the unusuallj late autumn, growth has somewhat "e----tarded early planting operations. A few practical hints will be found useful foi those who are inexperienced in this work. Many failures and much disappointment often arise from the want of experience, and care in lifting the different subject* intended for removal. Too much attention cannot be given to this operation, for no matter what amount of care and trouble may be taken in the planting, H the roots have been mutilated by careless and unskilful lifting, the trees cannot survive and sustain the amount ol vitality to keep the tops alive until fresh roots are made. Transplanting Hints. It is of the first importance that every rare should be taken to preserve the root* from as much injury as possible. Among the many evergreen trees and shrubs, the possibility of lifting them with balls dI earth,' varies mucn with the different

kinds.V; Some lift with good*balls, whereas, with others, it "■ is'; almost 1 impossible to retain/any; foil round the roots. ■£ This arises from the mode of growth the roots assumod; ■ some have a mass of fibrous roots, others hare little or no fibre, and have to be grown in pots to insure their safe removal. ■" ANSWERS TO. CORRESPONDENTS. V'* Subscriber," Hawera.— gathering and treating African box thorn seeds for sellinggather the berries when quite ripe, keep them (or a lew days prior to pulping them up- turn the pulp containing the seeds into a tub of dear water, well stirring and separate the seed from the skins, etc. Next, wash through a sieve with a suitable mesh, to allow the seeds to pass through and retain the residue of skin in the sieve; place the seed*' in tfhe sun to become thoroughly dry. and re-sieve them to brine them out perfectly clean, ready for immediate sale. T.C., Waimauku.—Re best means of ridding the soil of convolvulus or bind weed. The only remedy is to fork the ground up and pick every root out. This is best done in the hot, dry summer weather, the white fleshy' soots soon die when exposed on the surface. In heavy land turn the ground up .in rowrh lumps, exposure to the weather will kill portion of the roots. After a good rain tbo lumps may easily be broken down, and any roots extracted. A dense crop of oats sown in early spring will greatly assist in choking out convolvulus. J.W., Otorohanga.—Names of specimens are:—No. 1. Bidcns' tripartita (bur marigold); No. 2, Modiola multifida, a troublesome weed upon lawns that creeps along the surface emitting roots at every joint; No. 3. Btachy's arvenaie (field betany). an annual weedw No. <, Chicorium intybus, succory, or wild endive, a hardy nerennM native of Britain; No. 5, setaria species, a grass; No. 6 one of the epilobiums or willow herbs. " Curious".— fungicide is a remedy employed to prevent the attack of a fungus. Fungi, so much in evidence of lato years, are vegetable parasites that establish themselves upon living plants /and feed upon their tissues. The fungi that grow externally on the surface or leaves of plants may be treated by external applications but where the fungus grows and spreads in the internal tissues; of a plant there is little chance of destroying it. Prevention is the only remedy. Mildews and moulds are species of funirus. Sulphur is the oldest and most popular remedy, either dissolved a/ a liquid or dusted on the foliage in a dry state. The accidental discovery of the now famous Bordeaux mixture by French viticuilurists Has proved of inestimable value in combating fungoid diseases. It mav he applied in various formulas. Insecticides may also be added to the mixture, making it serve a double purpose, namely, a fungicide .and insecticide.

L.M.L.. R • mMora.—rem manuring is the I best remedy |. r brngmg your worn out soil mo a productive state. First, desply 1 dig or bastard trench, the who.e area (hat ' is started *' on * <I!ti and mirk out a width of IBin or Ml w de. and leniove the first spading to 'ho other enu. where you intend to Qnifh and Gil m the last trench. Next. fork or dig over tne bottom of the tTenrh i without removing the soil. Next mark out ano her Jlfin the same width as the first. | and turn the fir« spading on to first trench, and so until tne completion of the plot, ins trenching loosens the sub-soil and , breaks the hard crust that forms where soils have been dug over for years. After trenching wo.l l:m© the surface and sow with winter vetches (tares), oats, or white-ecged lupins. The last-named baa proved to be one of the beat for grow.ng to dig in and enrich the soil, as the roots axe rich in nitrogen nodules. It is of rapid growth, smothers the weeds, and keeps the soil free and prevents the surface from beiov battered by winter rains. Do not sow tho lupin seeds too thmckly. Six inches apart is close enough. ' are' < L ,^Bbb^ <, t^ ay,LcaVl,B , of POhlltukawa , are badly infested with mealy bug. a wellknown insect that is nearly allied to scale insect* and the aphides. The female of tie mealy bug covers up 1" «*<*» with the wmte cottony substance that is so apparent and easily denotes the presence of the bug' ■ Numerous insecticides will destroy mealy bug. Th. best-known are Gishurst's compound, r» 1 and other oils. Apply with a I spray pump. vv ' " u " H.S.-Propagation of Berberis vulgaris, , I the common barberry that is grown for hedt:e purposes from cuttings, is a alow and uncertain process. Raising plants firm • seeds sown in drills in September or early ' October is the simplest and best method , If from cuttings they ehould be put in during thta month. M.V.C.. Cabbage Bay.—There is no reason why rosemary plant, 4? uld die p»mat"JSf" excepting from drought or some grub or ungua attacking the roots. They are lone i lived bushes and will succeed in almost any so 1 or situation without any apecial ewe or attention after first planting. r J.C.. Wailakere.-In coating cabbace cauhflower. and several other seeds with wd" ' lead to prevent birds .™m pulling them up H. rfrl !? f""»»»».»« dust the seed wi h the dry powder, mixing them up to insure an even coating. Then .lightly moisten with a?*?' ™i «»•■ *» ."uae? the lead to stick to the seeds and is distasteful to birds, which 80on i J ktto \ t ?, laTe them alone. HimatTte would probably answer the same purpose ,J. 0.. Matamata.—The so-called «id muchdreaded California thistle ie really tie common. field thwlJe (Cnicus aronaisr«f Z British Islands. The common mint (men ha yindis), the pennyroyal M. puleaium) "and the .peppermint (M. piperita) ** 'tfiS specie, of mint, and are natives It Brit 8 marshes. The scarlet pimpernel is one of the Manilla' tribe, some of the cultivated 528? of which we latge-flowejed and very pretty The lily of the valley (convullaril majalis) is a native of the firi M nKSf and is one of the most. prized of flowers, largely grown for forcing purposes. Kepos. .. A ".ry. heavy crop of grapes, which to the uninitiated indicates nothing but the bounty of nature, may to the experienced eye tell of the greed of the grower, or at least of his determination to sacrifice the future for big present yields. In a Cali fornian exchange we read the following •— "The last two* or three years wine grape men hale been pruning for the biggest crops of grapes they could get, and who | can blame them, with high prices obtain- , ing and oblivion imminent? Some tablei grape growers in all sections have been I doing the same thing— not only leaving several extra spurs or another cane or two but leaving also two or three extra buds. It is posblo sometimes to bring back an orchard that has been permitted to overbear for some yews, but it is pretty I difficult to "buck up" a vineyard that has once been exhausted by this treatment. Perhaps the idea is that when these vineyards begn to fhow decline they will be sold on their past records! Is'.it good i policy!"