THE GARDEN

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11655, 20 October 1923, Page 12

THE GARDEN

Notes by Rata. IN THE VEGETABLE CARDEN SOW MUSTARD AND CRESS, PARSNIP, BEET, AND SPINACH. SOW CAPE GOOSEBERRY SEED. PLANT LETTUCE, HERBS, POTATOES, CHIVES, AND RHUBARB. IN THE FLOWER CARDEN SOW ASTERS, DAHLIAS, PORTULACCA, GAILLARDIA, SCABIOUS, SUNFLOWER, AND SWEET SULTANS. PLANT CANNAS, BEDDING BEGONIAS, PHLOX, SALVIAS (BONFIRE AND BLUER AND TEN WEEK STOCKS.

VEGETABUE GARDEN

SALADS. Now that the warm period of the year is due, everyone who has a plot of ground, be it ever so small, should make provision for growing some oi those vegetables which are suitable lor salads. The j>roblem of what to prepare to tempt the appetite, in the hot weather, is not nearly so difficult if one can gather fiesh mustard and cress, young onions, radishes, and lettuce, from the garden, and who is there, that does not enjoy a nicely prepared salad under such' circumstances. There is an excellent little radish, called “French breakfast/’ which ran be eaten and relished, oven by persons who cannot digest other varieties of this vegetable. It must be eaten when about irches long, which should be in from l(j to 21 days after sowing, that is, if grown as they should be. on rich fertile soil, and watered abundantly. Nitrate of soda, in liquid form, will ei sure, crisp, brittle roots. Mustard is excellent, either ivith lettuce <and cross, or alone. If it be desired to use it with cress, the latter should be some six days earlier than the mustard, which grows more rapidly. Both of these vegetables must be grown quickly for the best results, and will readily respond to the application of a little nitrate of soda. The mustard and cress must be cut when about three irches high, otherwise it is inclined io get tough and rank. • A diady, moist position should be chosen for sowing these vegetables as the summer advances, and a sowing should be made every two or three weeks to keep up gpupplies. CAPE GOOSEBERRY. A few plants of cape gooseberry can generally be relied upon to produce enough fruit for the average household. They can be grown in any odd corner, and a favourite position is in the vicinity of the compost heap. The fruit is fit either for the table or it makes a delicious jam and jelly, and tihe plants will continue to bear month after month until cut down by the frosts. flower garden MEXICAN SUNFLOWERS. To those who have grown the Mexican sunflower (or Titkonia Speciosi as [sometimes called) it seems almost ini credible tliat there is not a greater j desire on the part of gardeners to culitivate this beautiful annual. There caii be no doubting the right of the variety to greater recognition, because in addition to being quite easily grown it ha* all the requisite qualities that combine to make it an ideal garden subject, and cut flowers for house decoration. 1 The blooms, which are borne on long stiff stems that help materially in artistic arrangement in vases or bowls, .are of a beautiful deep orange shade, which i» very attractive, and goes well with almost anv colour scheme. No fault can be found with the graceful shape of the blooms, as the term sunflower might possibly suggest. liecause actually the- Titlioniu blooms resemble a rather small single dahlia, with a. long calyx similar to that of a marigold Tho seed germinates freely, and can bo sown cither in seed boxes or in fine soil in seed beds, and when large enough to handle should transplanted to their permanent positions. The height to which this plant grows varies‘according to the time the seeds aTe sown and the variety of soil. Plants sown early and grown on good soil will attain a ‘height of five or six. feet, later sowings, or where the soil is poor, may only obtain a height of three feet. BEDDING BEGONIAS. A race of plants which offers its services in many different ways is the bedding begonia. They are excellent for masking in the foreground of beds, or in conjunction with the beautifully coloured and veined foliage of iriscue, or the popular alternanthcra, and they cannot be overestimated for use amongst rock, where their waxliko flowers, of pale pink, cerise, or red, are seen to advantage, peeping out from the shiny bronze green of the foliage. . , The best -results are obtained when tho seed is sown on the surface of very fine sandy 6oil, in a large seed pan. The seeds are very small and great care must be observed in watering •or the seeds will be washed away. If sown in tho seed pan this can be immersed carefully in a bucket containing water to half the height of the pan. when enough moisture will be absorbed by it to give the contents a thorough watering. As boon as the dampness appears on the surface of the soil, tho nan should be removed from the bucket, and allowed to drain.

POTATO GROWING

There is no vegetable that give# M good a Teturn for labour in the kitchen garden as the potato. One gets a quick crop in a good year and can be fairly certain of digging up something for his pains. Factor is the best tuber to buy for an early crop. Unfortunately, it is hard to find. Try for a 6Uiall supply. For the next best, have Up-to-aate or Early Rose. Either will do. The main thing at anv time is to plant the sets in well-tilled and fairly rich country. ' Only an open spot will do for potatoes. Avoid all shady places, and arrange the rows so that you can hill up the earth round the stems as they lengthen. Anyone who cannot do this never will grow much of a potato crop. It is a case of quick growth in rich soil or no growth at all. There is no medium course. Three feet apart will do for the drills, which should be at least six inches deep. In the bottom of the drill and about 18 inches apart, you place the potato sets, which need not be much more than an inch square. Provided there are two eyes on each piece, the sets will do nicely. Many a roan who knows his business has done very well with single-eye sets. KEEP THE EYES UP. Place the flections eye upwards, and cover lightly with soil. Don’t tread down the. moist soil. Let it settle gradually round the potato set. Should the land be dry enough, it will not do any harm to walk along the drill after you do the placing. You will have manured with bonedust or the special fertiliser made up for potatoes. Don’t attempt to raise potatoes on the wind. There is nothing in it. When the plant requires nourishment, some good plant food must be available. You see to that. Later on, after the plants are six inches high, spray at least once a week with Bordeaux mixture to help keep down the mildew troubles. If that is not done one of other of the blights will catch you napping. Tho hilling up is done to give the young tubers plenty of warmth and air. They fill out best when the sunlight gets plenty of play. Don’t be afraid to expose plenty of aide to the sun. Potatoes that get a lot of attention usually come through all right. TRY THE EARLY BEANS. Then there are the beans to provide for. Seed i 6 sown in drills not more than 30 inches apart. A special manure suitable for legumes i 6 prepared for this useful vegetable. Lay in a stock at the time you buy seed. Never try to produce beans on raw, poor country. Only the best spot in the garden should be handed over to the snap bean. Go to a little trouble to get th« beans quickly. Use rather more special fertiliser than you did last year. The bit extra will make such a difference. Buy Canadian Wonder and one of the yellow-podded section for the first crop. Brittle Wax or Startler are great croppers and early workers. They pay for their keep. Marrows and cucumbers are grown in sunny places where the land is free and rich. It is not possible to give these stocks too much comfort. Make the land as rich a« possible with old litter and special fertiliser. You can buy a well-prepared plant food at the seed stores that is put up for marrows and cucumbers. But to this boost material must he added much old litter to help hold the moisture in the soil. Hard food is not everything. There must bo plenty of moisture available. Plants take all their su**tonance in liquid form. They have no# chance of assimilating anything solid. Holes four or six loot apart will do for seed-sowing places. Fill these with special stuff to please the young plants. Thou sow the seed under a light cover, and keep the show moist. When the weather warms up. the seed will germiiiate, and your young plants will come j along quickly. Any of the early marrows or squash will do. The custard varieties and the long white and yellow varieties are the best for early work. TOMATO PLANTING. Once the air begins to feci a shnde warmer it is as well to work cut a few of the seedling tomatoes. Protect the plants for a few week*, leaving tho youngsters well open to the sun. Just that little protection makes Mich a lot ol difference. Use bonedust for this vegetable, and do not overlook lime. Tomatoes take plentv of the mineral if it can he supplied' in powder form. Dust the rows freelv before the planting is done. Biiv any of the early varieties, and plant 30iu apart.