THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17662, 24 December 1920, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN.

CHRISTMAS GARDENS. Christmas "with U3 happens at a season i whan all nature is at her best. Never in : the recollection of the oldest colonist has the endless variety of vegetable products that, clothe and adorn the face of. this fair land, from the noble and massive tree, ■with its huge trunk and spreading branches, down to the most diminutive oi herbs, assumed such gay attire. Flowers, indigenous and exotic, of every shado and hue of colour are in glorious profusion— not only in our cultivated gardens and public parks —but also throughout the pastures and uncultivated wilds, enlivening the prospect and adding a charm to the landscape, contrasting with the many tints of foliage and the soft verdure of the grass. Fruit-bearing trees and plants from sub-tropical climes, notably the fig, olive, orange, and other varieties of citrus, grape vines and others are seen growing sido by side with the apple, pear, plum, and those others belonging to the temperate regions of the earth, laden with i full crops of fruits in their various stages | of development. The Fruits of the Earth. Luscious strawberries are yielding j bountiful crops. Gooseberries, iogan- | berries and other small fruits are in plenI tiful supply. AH these natural products,, together with the bright sunny day* that invariably prevail, cannot help but gladden the hearts of the mo3t casual observers of nature's bountiful gifts, and be a source of pleasure and delight to rich and poor alike. The present may rightly ba designated a green Christmas, as frequent rains at regular intervals have kept everything beautiful, fresh and green. .Lawns and all other grass plots have retained their verdure from early spring, and show no signs of drying off. The various departments of the garden, namely the orchard, flower and vegetable gardens, are replete with the various subjects pertaining to each. Growth and bloom is everywhere abundant. All present a clean, healthy and most refreshing appearance. There are but few insects to damage and disfigure the leaves. Lawns and other grass plots are clothed in emerald green. A Delightful Holiday Season. The holiday season happily comes wheu both the flower and kitchen gardens are fully stocked with the various subjects belonging t}o each, Uonsequentlv the operator may enjoy a week or fortnight's leisure, knowing that everything is going on satisfactorily without his immediate attention. And were it not for the conservatory or greenhouse, vinery, or other glass structure in which plants and fruits are cultivated, and that must necessarily receive daily attention to watering, airing and shading, tha garden might be loft to its own resources. With the city man whose daily occupation confines him indoors for the most part of the week, tending the garden is a pleasure and. relaxation. Horticulturists generally are to be congratulated upon tha present healthy and flourishing appearance of their gardens and grounds. Let us ail put aside care for the time being and assuma our holiday attire, and vie with the beautiful flowers in putting on our brightest and best smiles at this the Christmas reason. Oar pleasures greatly consist in this joyment of open-air resorts ajiti other outdoor amusements.

GEKE2A& WORK. Up to tie present tie essson Ttaa bsan favourable for ell. indoor vines. So far, the borders have not Buffered for th© want of moisture. This, however, may not continue, and as the roots of fruiting vines must be kept supplied with the n&ceesajry food provision must be to bare the border kept smrolied with mobfcure, either by thoroughly mulching or by occasional watering. Bat even when mulched it may be necessary should dry weather set in, to thoroughly water the border, ss- it is almost impossible to produce well developed good-coloured fruit, unless the roots are well supplied with moisture, and when carrying full crop an oocasional watering with liquid manure win be beneficial. ? Stopping Laterals. . The stopping of lateral growth must in no case bo neglected, v for if allowed to fall into arrears there is always a, risk of too much loss of sap, that mast natuiv ally escape, when a number of shoots have to be removed from the vines at one time. Stopping can easily be kept under control by occasionally going over the vines and removing a little from each as soon ! as they start to grow. The object of stopping and removing sublaterals is to concentrate the energies of the vines in the development of healthy foliage and highclass fruit, but too close stopping will have the opposite effect, as it would check the flow of cap, and eipose the fruits too much to the sun t Fruit and Foliage. It must always be borne in mind that grapes, particularly black varieties, produce finer and more highly-coloured fruit when protected by a good covering of healthy, well-developed foliage. In fact, if growers would give more attention to the production and maintenance of clean, healthy foliage, there would bo littlo difficulty in securing well-coloured, highlyfinished fruit. Providing Ventilation. As the temperature increases, free ventilation must be given. In all favourable weather the ventilation should b» opened early in th- morning to allow the vitiated air to escape before the temperature rises too high. Bv this means the risk of soorcuing trie foliage or berries is avoided. In warm, calm weather, however, it is safer and better to leave a little top air on during the night. This induces strong sturdy growth, and preventa an excess of moisture accumulating.The branches of the more adduced grapes should be carefully looked over, and any shewing signs of binding should nave some of the berries removed, also any damaged or seedless fruit. This operation, however, requires great care, as the slightest touch with the point of the scissors will destroy the grapes. FIGHTING MEALY BUG. | The season is now at hand when mealy ; bus will again become active and cause I considerable trouble to growers, unless j measures are at one© i*iken to keep it in : check. As the season advances and the j temperature increases these pests increase very rapidly and, in a short time, infest the vines and vine houses, unless kept under by fumigating or occasional spraying. Where proper appliances have been erected for fumigating with cyanide, there will be little difficulty in keeping it well ! under control, though a certain 3 ' amount of care is necessary that the foliage is j sufficiently developed and fairly hardened |to avoid scorching. For this reason, ail j secondary laterals bearing young tender j foliage should be removed" before the fumigating is done. Many growers, however whose vines are attacked with the bug nave not the convenience or sufficient experience in 'the use of materi;,-! for fumigating, and must adopt the next best '

Spraying with Black Leaf. Spraying the vines with black leaf.4o is found to be an excellent remedy for the pests, in fact, one fairly large grower informs. U3 that since using this solution he has ceased to £umi<Ta£e with cyanida as, by judicious spraying, he can control the bug, without in any way injuring the vine 3or disfiguring the fruit. One thing is certain, that black leaf is an excellent insecticide, and, in addition to controlling the bug, may in a measure assist in keeping that other dread pest f red spider, under control. The latter pest, however, though so minute, is a formidable enemy, and quickly saps the vitality from tie foliage, so that the fruits cannot develop or properly colour. Dusting with Sulphur. Sulphur should be kept freely scattered through the house; covering the ledges, or placing a few pieces of zinc or iron upon the floor, with sulphur upon it -will act as 3 preventive Should, however, the foliage show the least signs oi being attacked, it should at once be thoroughly dusted over with fine pow» dered sulphur. This is, without doubt, the best remedy so far known for this small scourge. The free us© of sulphur, too, is the best means of keeping the foliage free from mildew. ANSWERS TO CCESESPONDSNTS. " Interested. —Picea cicelsa. the No r*s& Gpruce-fir, is the recoe-msed Christmas tre« of Northern Europe. Its habit of growth ia specially adapted tcr the hanging of toys on tha branches. The holly la in ere at request in Britain for Christmas decorations; the re£ berries, contrasting with tha dsrk-gr.x-n foliage, have* & very pleasing appearance. The mistletoe is even more popular than tha holly. The orchards of Herefordshire famish huge quantities to London and other large towns for Christmas dec-orations. The origin of tha modern cast-cm connected -with tha mistletoe is somewhat obscure. The difiersai countries have their particular- customs ia connection with tha trees or plants represent ins each. L.K., Parnell.—feoplezis canAriensii? is tha name of the flowering plant pf which yea have sent a spike. It is one of the two epecies belonging to the genus. It is of easy cultivation and very disticc-t and sh<ywy. It is sometimes called Digit-ahs cansrionfiis and ia a native of the Canary Islands. Ixi&s are charming, bulbous-Sowerins plants-, sj! are natives of South Africa, Yiridiflora, tha green ixia. is always scarce: it cces not increase as freely as most of the other sorts. Kniphofia, also known as TVitona. i* tig name of the red-hot-pcier plant, which belongs to the lily family, also natives of Struth Africa and Xfsda-gascar. They are exceedingly ornamental, distrib-.if.ed hera and there in the mixed border. When once planted they become permanent: the clumps gradually increase in sise ants throw up namerona conspicuous spikes of flowers. Iris ha-rigsis, ia the specifics name of the Japanese iris. Ktsmpferi is a sytoiryta. and the one meat commonly used. Kejos. OAENATION CULTURE. The perpetual varieties have a greaS advantage over border carnations for summer bedding owing to their extended Eeason of flowering-, and it is not improbable that they will eventually supersede the latter to a very large extent. They also withstand the winter very well wKea left in the open ground, and if the steins are pruned back in October they quickly break into new growth again. They eucdeed in ordinary soil; but that of a heavy nature should be improved by the addition of some wood ashes and leaf-soil, to render it more light and open. November is tha best month in which to plan out perpetual-flowering carnations, and they can very well follow ordinary spring bedding if desired. They succeed in foil sunshine or in partial shade. The best' plants to tisa for summer flowering ia tha garden are specimens in five-inch pote, that are already set with flower buds at the time of planting. Tiieso soon become established, and create a display of bloom from the first- Cuttings rooted quite early in the autumn, and grown under glass, give very good results. Ii la preferable to pat the plants fairiy close together so thai tha spaca is wall filled. Stake thsm neatly 'with green bamboo canea, and tie with green rafns as growth advances. Water must given as required during dry weather, and dead flowers should be pinched off as they appear. Bay end running a Dutch hoe through the soil occasionally, little other attention ia required, and if the plants are growing in good ground it is not necessary to apply liquid stimulants or manure. As a general rule bods of one colour are the most anectire, but two colours can be used together if de« sired s . .

QASEEK S2B&YZSO. Tbe published diraci-oirs for making the various standard sprayings mixtures are chiefly intended for the largenKala cperatoias of crchardisis, People do not know the proportions for very small quart-" tities. They Trill find iha following tahlo useful:—Bordeaux mixtera; Quicklime, 1£ tablespoon; bluestone, I' tablespoon, water, 4 quarts. Kjerosens emulsion.: K-erosone, Jjr pint; water, pint; hard scap, 1 cub. inch. (Dilute with 15 pints of rain crater before using). Arsenate of lead : Lead arsenate paste, 1 tablespoon; water or Bordeaux mixture, 1 gallon; Paris green, 1 teaspoon; wa-ter or Bordeaux mixture, 3 gallons. XjBBiE CijCS. 3?o garden o? any pretensions ehouM ba ■without a few representatives of the wonderful family of linnm-i. These ask for a sheltered position in fairly sandy soO which has been enriched with decayed cow manure. The planting should ba 3one about four inches deep, and cars must be taken that none of the roots adhering to the bulb is injured in tbe process. The bulb 3 can bs left, undisturbed for years—indeed this is preferable—and flowers may ba expected at various trm*? during the warmer months. Among the hardiest and most easily cultivated varieties are L. Harrisi (the so called Easter Lily of England, and known here as the Christmas Lily), L. candidum (Madonna, lily), L. specicsum album (white), L. 8. rubruin (red), L. Anratum (the beautiful golden, rayed lily of Japan, L. tigrinum (tiger lily), L. 'iigrinum (double), L. Brownii, L. Fulgens (dark red variety from Japan), and L. Henrvi (of remarkably imposing growth). Worthy of inclusion in the liirom bed are L. thunges. gianum, and its subvarieties, kikak, biligatam, Prince van Orange, and van Houttei. These form only Km ail plants, but flower freely. The genus of nerines includes many Earpassingly Sorely and eminently desirable bulbous plants, of which the" celebrated Guernsey lily (X. Saruiensis) 13 the type. Tney are most at home in a well drained soil in a warm situation, and the bulbs can be set out at any time dunr?g tiic three months. It is alwav3 advisable, however, to plant early rather than late! because the flowers begin to show before the foliage which grows throughout the winter. In this climate the bulbs ough« to be toucned, with a view to subdivision, for years. There ate fewer blooms more striking than those of the Tigridias, especially of T. pavonia, often called the peacock tiger iris. Unfortunately, however, thev are characterised; by one serious drawback. Each individual flower lasts for onlv s, single and tha fact that frequently a Stalk will produce four of them m succession does not, in the opinion of many folk, altogether by any means counterbalanca the short-life disadvantage. When thistles appear in arabla land » very thorough winter cultivation will-go 3 long way towards destroying them. They are susceptible to frost, and generaiiv prefer the hard ground of headlands cr pasture to tilled land. A good smothering crop, _ like potatoas.or roots, will $fis lEsds; is wini<Qß*