THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18025, 25 February 1922, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN.

CARNATIONS AND PICOTEES. Carnations and picotees that were layered early last month have been favoured by splendid weather conditions ■ existing since then, and the layers should be sufficiently well rooted for taking off. Howpver, if only partially rooted, allow them to remain a fortnight longer, as it is important that each layer should have a good ball of roots, otherwise they take longer to establish after being taken off. Carnations require the soil to be dry during tho winter, otherwise the growth becomes stagnant and they are more subject to leaf disease. Consequently, prepared beds should be specially constructed for the reception of the layers by .raising the bed above' the surrounding surface by enclosing the sides with .six-inch boards and filling in with good loamy porous soil and mixing a little lime with it, as carnations are partial to lime. This occasions a considerable amount of labour, but it well worth it as results will prove. When the bed is filled up nearly level with the boards enclosing it, arrange the newly-taken-off layers in rows about six or eight inches apart, and about five inches between them, in the rows. Well form each plant. By the end of the winter they should have crown,into good bushy plants, just right for bedding out into'their permanent places in the bedß and borders. This special preparation has its advantages in that the weeding is easily done from the sides, without treading upon the soil. The plants being close together better control can be kept against slugs, and the soil kept in the best condition, as the rain water can quickly drain away. Carnations must be kept as dry as possible during our usually wet winters.

Tree or Perpetual Carnations. This section of the carnation tribe is most popular. Propagation is best affected from pipings or cuttings takan off about six weeks ago and inserted in shallow trays or in pots with a deep surface layer of aand. Those that have rooted should be carefully taken up and potted or planted in the bed, the same as the border varieties. There is still time to take off and make cuttings, choosing the side shoots which are at present numerous. Strip off some of the lower leaves and insert the cuttings in shallow boxes or in pots, or in prepared spote in the open beds and borders. Perpetual carnations are specially adapted for cut flowers as they are produced on long flower-stalks and provide an abundance of blooms for a long period. At the present time Malmaison carnations, are in full bloom.

Gaillaidias and Aenotheras. For late autumn and winter flowering these are to be depended upon to provide a supply of bright coloured blossoms when there is little else available. As cut flowers for decoration, arranged in bowls and vases, they are extremely popular and showy and effective with their large handsome flowers of various colours including bright golden yellows, edged brilliant crimson; also crimson and yellow selfs. Being perennials adds further to their value as border plants. They are easily grown and flower .profusely for several months in succession. They require the Bpent flower-heads to be cut off. Aenotheras are useful bordor perennials and also specially adapted for the rockery. They flower most profusely and make a pretty show. They are easily grown, and may be planted at any time—even now. Penstemons are another indispensable tribe of showy plante. They are best treated as hardy annuals or biennials, as they flower so profusely that they exhaust themselves, and are better to be renewed at least every two years. Penstemons are now in full flower. _ Great improvements have been made in these plante by eliminating the old objectionable purple shades and substituting scarlets, whites, pinks, rose, crimson, end other decided and delicate tints, with large gloxinia-shaped blossoms and prettily marked throats. Penstemons are_ bo easy to grow, and so that it is surprising'they are not more generally culti-1 vated. '

Scabtosa. > ■'~-, Sweet scabious.—This once despised and common flower has, owing to the great improvements that have been effected in the size and colour of the flowers, which now range from pure white, pink, crimson, purplish black, lovely mauve, become' greatly prized and most desirable, not only for garden decoration but also for the supply of cut flowers. As in the penstemon, the old objectionable common purple shades have been eliminated. Scabious will grow almost anywher*, succeeding in hard clayey soil, seedlings coming up in the hard walks and producing an abundance of largo showy blossoms during the hottest and driest weather.

Provision should be made for a bed of cyclamens, or for a few planted near the edge of the border, in every garden. About the middle of April is the best time to plant cyclamens. Have' good healthy plants established in boxes ready for planting at that time. They keep best through the summer in cool, loamy soil In light volcanic and sandy soils the bulbs or conns' often shrivel and lose their vitality and art best replaced with fresh, healthy young plants as stated above. The reason for drawing attention to the, planting at this early season is to have plants coming On for the purpose. Cyclamens succeed best in a fairly stiff, loamy soil where same well rotted cow dung and a little coatse sand is incorporated with it.

Ornamental Flowering Shrubs. Now is a good time to take notes of the different varieties of ornamental trees and flowering shrubs for permanent planting. . To assist the selector the writer will enumerate a select list of the most suitable in a future article. Permanent trees and shrubs greatly enhance the beauty, and add to the appearance of the ground.

THE VINERY. . This department will still require very careful management, for although the tropical heat has had the effect of flattening _ the colouring of most of tha late varieties of grapes, care will be necessary to prevent the foliage from scorching. The fruit, too, is liable to scald, unless special care is given to ventilation. This usually results from the house being closed, and ventilation neglected until the sun is well up and a high' temperature is attained. This should in no case bo allowed to occur, for if the house is closed at night, it is.important that ventilation should bo admitted early in the morning to allow the vitiated air to escape before the sun has power to scorch, or, what is far better, leave a little top air on during the night. In seasons such as the present the advantage of having the vines trained well away from the glass is important. The trellis in which the vines . are trained should in no case be less than 2ft. from the glass, as it then allows ample space between the glass and foliage for the free circulation of air, thus lessening the chances of scorching.

Insect Fests. Every'means must he used to keep injurious insect pests from injuring the vines or fruit. It is during the hot weather, and afta? the spraying of the vines have been discontinued, that mealy bug increase rapiuly, unless stringent measures are taken by frequent fumigations to keep them under control. Before fumigating ail tender eublaterals shov |i bo removed. These, in fact, ought not to be allowed to accumulate, but should be removed from time to time as tiiey grow. Every effort should be made to keep the foliage in . a clean, healthy condition, not only while the vines are carrying tfieir fruit, but until they fall naturally through the return of the sap. Too frequently littie attention is given to vines after the fruit is cut, often insects and diseases bsing allowed to injure the foliage, causing the leaves to fall from the vines prematurely. This, however, cannot'fail to weaken root action, as it is upon the return of the Bap that-the vines store their strength for the next season's M 'P ■:' -j

TEE GEEENHOUSE.

PJants in this department will still, require very careful attention, especially in shading ventilating, and watering. Fori some tims past, owing to the eiecptioi!* ally calm, hot weather, it has been nw easy matter, even when ail tlio availabio; ventilation has been given, to keep tha» temperature under control.' Such conditions 'have naturally resulted in more care having to be paid to watering, on accounb of the rapid evaporation. It is, however, when plants are making vigorous growth that the greatest care is needed in keeping their wanie supplied. It is, in fact, at this time that the plants are benefited by an occasional application of some stimulating plant focd. Fresh horso droppings, with a little soot added, makes an excellent manure water, if placed in a bag and allowed to soak in a tub of water. Plants, when growing rapidly, soon exhaust all the food from the soil, so that increased pot 6paco and fresh soil is necessary, or else the food must be returned to the soil in some other form. This can be done by the judicious uso of. manure water. Clay's Fertiliser, too, is an excellent fertiliser, and can be applied to most plants with advantage. This is sold in tins or in bags, and being a powder, can be applied either in tho dry state or made into liquid manure. Bui whatever material is used caro must bo taken not to apply at too great a strength as it is always more safe to apply at weaker strength than to risk injuring the plants. About once a week is generally sufficient to maintain healthy growth.

Flowering Plants. In flowering plants the leading feature at the present are the tuberous begonias and gloxinias, and although there are many othar useful plants that assist to keep up a display, there arc none thai flower so profusely or that make a more beautiful display during; tho summer months than the varieties mentioned. A better illustration of tho value of tuberous begonia for decorating the greenhouse or conservatory during the summer months, could scarcely bo seen, than tho splendid display of flowers on exhibition in the Domain winter gardens. In this collection there is almost every variety represented, varying iu shape, size, colouring, and habits of growth. Varieties in hanging baskets, with graceful,' drooping fuchsialike habits of growth, profusely covered with flowers in various shades, make a most pleasing display. Tho more dwarf and large flowering varieties, however, are probably the most striking feature, for apart from the wide range of colour display, the perfection of many of the flowers, both of the double and singlo varieties, make them an interesting study for flower lovers. The beauty of the display is, of course, somewhat enhanced by their being interspersed with foliage and other plants, which assists to show their colours to better advantage. But apart from their usefulness for indoor decoration, a visit to the Ellerslie Racecourse any time during the suinmer or wtnmn, would convince the most sceptical of theie value for making a splendid display in tho outdoor beds and borders.

Varying Needs ol Plants. In greenhouses where a. number, of varieties of plants are grown, their needs naturally vary, the more rapid-growing kinds may need more often potting, clanging from one size pot to the next. Plants, however, only need potting into larger pots when they are" well established with roots, and hive practically absorbed all the food the soil contained, no greater mistake can be marie than to give the plants too great a shift, for if a large body of fresh soil is packed around the roots," it is apt to become sodden, and rot the roots, unless very special care is taken in •watering. In potling tte best safeguard against ovcrwatering is to provide tho pot with plenty of drainage. Most growers will have noticed that tho roots of nearly all plante make for tie bottom of the pots, particularly if it is well drained, chiefly attracted by the air derived through the hole in. the pots.

Aphides and. Thrius. At this season insects' are always a great source of annoyance, for in addition to green aphis and fchrips, caterpillars play havoo with with foliage of many soft-wooded plants. The ,two former can easily be destroyed, either by fumigating the house with tobacco or by spraying the plants with Black Leaf 40, or other, effective . insectisidc. The caterpillar, 'however, is more difficult to get rid of, as any insectiside strong enough to destroy them would be liable to injure the plants. The most effective method is to keep a closo watch on any plants liable to be attacked, and upon the least sign of the foliage being eaten to look over every leaf and destroy any insects upos them. This, however, requires careful scrutiny, as the grubs assume the same colour as thu foliage from which they are feeding, and are easily overlooked. Pewi plants suffer more quickly from caterpillar than coleus, The foliage of these are often riddhil before the grubs j»M noticed, and as they never cease feedingfrom the time they are hatched until they turn into the chrysalis, they are not long in destroying or at least disfiguring every; leaf.

Raising Seedlings. ' During the hot summer months much difficulty is often experienced in the raiding of seedlings and.in the strikng of cuttings on. account of what is generally termed damping off. Under this term are 1 included .most stages of growth. The trouble mostly arises from a microscopki fungi, though seedings are_ also subjecft to a whole lisfc of parasitic enemies. Cuttings, too, like seedlings, are snbjecti to the attacks of the various fungoida that affect established plants of the same varieties. The work against all injurious fungi must be more of a preventive than curative character. Spraying _ with Bordeaux mixture will do much in destroying mildew and other fungoidr, thatj attack seedlings, cuttings, and. ploats itf the various stages of growth.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. P. 0., "Waitara,—The borer in lemon »»d other trees cannot bo treated by spraying. The best method is to locato the hole from which the borinsrs exudo and in3crt phtwphorus. When the old lucifer matches *'« 3 in use an excellent remedy wan by lnsertiuc a match fliead in the holes: the sulphur fumeß would kill the grubs. ■ Inserting ft tnia wire and piercing the prrub is often done. E.F.L.. Wainku.—Namo of crass is Panjcum crns-galli (cockscomb (trass), an annual, a native of Great Britain. This becomes a bad weed in a garden, as its sc*is so ireotv and comes ui> the follwoine. spring, lta general value as a fodder erase » negligible, aa there are so many others that yiel,d a. ffreater abundance of fodder. In poor soils it nins to need prematurelj and attains no heisrht

Jf.'R.. Mangsmuka—Specimen No. I .13 Oopsoema robusta, the karymu cf the Maoris* 'Into specie? makes a good ornamental evergreen hedge. It-will succeed on poor sou. is very hardy, and easily.trimmed, fto. 2 w Wnimannia raceniosa, which ie ciosely amed to 'WeimannJa siluicola: in fact, it is difficult to distinguish the difference between tha two species. Weimanmas are natives of, New Zealand, and widely dsfcibuted. Hikj are to be seen in perfection *t Rotorua, ana aro unsuitable for a, general hedge plwit. D.R., Pukekohe.— Delphiniums are. affected with root fungus, * common species thai attacks and destroys the roots and kills to* plants. Fork the soil 'well up for exposure to the sun and well dress with lime and eulphur. Allow the land where the fungus exist* to remain idle for a time and occaaionallr fork it over. This species, of fung-us is becoming troublesome, especially in old soils, whero roots are allowed to rot. and also m land where fern has been growing for jeare. "Passion Fruit," Haweia,-A9 a rule, ttie leaves of passion-fruit vine 3 should never he interfered with; but in your case, where the growth and foliage are so uense, it mm* be beneficial to admit more light, by cutting back some of the shoots, otherwise little o? no pruning is reeommendod. W. 0., Martinborough.-Cape gooseberriesaro propagated from seeds sown in shallow boxeo or trays. Sow the seeds toward the end of July, and when the seedling* are large enough prick them off into shallow trays the same as other seedlings. "Laburnum," Te Mata—Name of shrub sent to identify is Cassia floribundj, a freeflowering shrub, producing a profusion of yellow bloseoms end pretty flossy creen foliage, a native of North America, It seeds freely, and is props sated "firom flsods. " Perplexed," City.—Recently miraerou* changes have been m&do in the names of plant diseases. Biologists must have good reasons for the changes and .to correct the confusion that has existed In mycologies! literature and to determine the %rreci speciSo name to adopt in each case, xianj diseases appear to bo toon, % r fS 9 to the fungi have during recent ro«« JSfflf. prominent, moat destructive. *< S M to combat,. • Brown ret, w M Sclerotica oin«»,.w taMgl to peaches, nectarines, aprwofs. «£ 3. plume, has caused great and fr'aiterora. a sreoie of ftWEUJ thai &•**«? *>