THE GARDEN

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11411, 6 January 1923, Page 12

THE GARDEN

Notes by Rata.

IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Remove the laterals from tomatoes. Prepare the beds for the sowing of turnips, carrots, and endive for winter use. Take up shallots and dry them thoroughly. IN THE FLOWER CARDEN. Layer border carnations. Sow seed of winter flowering stocks, sweet wJIHam, and Iceland poppy. Stake chrysanthemums before Die stems become misshapen. Spray rose trees to kill green fly.

GENERAL HINTS

LIME FOR THE GARDEN. Lime in some form is a necessity in most gardens, and should be applied periodically in order to sweeten up the soil. It is especially valuable in breaking-up ground with a large percentage of clay in it. The ground should: be roughly dug up, and given a good dressing of lime. This will speedily pulverise and break up the heavy clay, and in a few months the soil will be quite friable. If the beds have been occupied by perennial plants for some years they should be removed and the whole plot given a heavy application of lime, and then allowed to remain vacant for a while. The beneficial effect of this will soon be apparent in the speedy growth' of the subsequent occupants of this bed, as tbe lime removes noxious matters from tbe soil and promotes the decomposition of all organic matter. It prevents disease and' assists in the ripening of the crops and also destroys grubs, slugs, and other insect peste. TOMATOES. All laterals must be removed from the tomatoes as the plant develops, and as soon as the fruit has set the top shoot should be pinched off. This operation greatly assists in the speedy development of the fruit, especially if a liquid manure, composed of two tablespoonfuls of sulphate of ammonia and one of nitrate of soda added to four gallons of waiter, is applied weekly. The ground should be well watered before the manure is applied.

IN THE FLOWER GARDEN

LAYER BORDER CARNATIONS. If the amateur gardener, who considers that border carnations give but little return in the way of blooms, will layer the shoots now and watch the results he will have no hesitation in declaring them indispensable. The rooted layers should be planted: out about April in some well-dug soil, .liberally enriched with decayed manure and a Jit-tls sand added, to which ingredient they are very partial. When once planted into the borders they . should be left undisturbed for two or three Seasons. Amouget the finest Of border carnations arc; “Centurion,” crimson on a yellow g.-ouiid; “Salmonea,” Balmon pink; “Lord Kitchener,” white ground with crimson markings; “Valiiant,” purplish wine; “Fujiyama,” bright red; “Amy Robsart,” white; “Melton Prior,” scarlet on yellow ground; ‘ ‘Bookham Clove,’* crimson; and “Daisy Walker,” crimson on white ground. Of the foregoing, “Daisy Walker,” “Lord Kitchener,” and “Centurion” are the hest examples of the wire stem varieties, while “Centurion” combines the excellent quality of also being a “non-burster.” Perhaps the most successful of all is “Lady Shackle ton,” which combines a wire stem with a practically non-bursting calyx. HINTS ON BULB GROWING. By this time most of the spring flowering bulbs have died back, and lost their foliage, and care must be exercised, so that the bulbe will be preserved, and kept in good condition for next season. Some bulbß should be lifted as soon as they have died back, whilst others are better left in the ground until tho latter end of the summer. Anemones are not easy bulbs to handle, as they are very apt to got

dry rot, if left in the hot sail during the summer. They should be lifted and dried carefully in a coal spot, and then stared in boxes filled with dry sand. Tho sand must be absolutely Ary or the bulbs will swell and rot, and they must be kept in a cool situation until the end of March, when they should be replanted The same method should he applied to tulips, as if they are left in tho ground during the summer they invariably die out. Ranunculus are hardly bulbs, and need _ not be lifted if they are in a position where they do not get much water during the summer, but if they are in beds amongst summer flowering plants, that, have to he kept watered, then they should be lifted and stored in the same way as anemones. Freesias, sparaxi and ixias w ill stand almost under any. conditions in the ground, being very hardy, and it is only necessary to £ft every other season, so that the bulbs can be divided. This is best done in March, when the bulbs can be planted again as once. Daffodils are some of our best bulbs and many of them are fairly dear and only increase slowly, therefore they require careful attention in order to preserve them, and increase the stock. It is a great mistake to lift these bulbs every season. Every two years is quite often enough, but* the surface should be mulched with grass clippings or some similar material to keep the surface cool. Stable manure should not be used as the ammonia in it affects the bulbs, but excellent results will be obtained if old, well rotted cow manure can be used. If it is necessary to lift the bulbs it should he done next month or-early in March, and they should bo replanted as soon as possible.