THE GARDEN

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12039, 17 January 1925, Page 13

THE GARDEN

NOTES BY “RATA” IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Sow French and butter beans, carrots, parsnips, mustard and cress, radishes, lettuce, silver beet, and spi il'ich. Plant celery, leeks, and a tew broccoli. IN THE FLOWER GARDEN. ' ! Thin out the flowering shoots of phlox, delphiniums, and other herbaceous plants. Sow brompton and queen stocks. Layer carnations and picotees as they go out of bloom. Give polyanthus, • wallflowers, violas, and pansies an abundance of water. PARSNIPS AND CARROTS. Thin out these two crops, leaving the parsnip 3 about six or seven inches apart, and the carrots about four to six inches. According to the variety give a little bonedust all along the rows, and use the hoe between the tows to loosen the soil trodden down when thinning. Finally, give them a good watering. ' RUNNER beans. If the ground is at all light or pootwhere the runner beans are planted a mulching of manure should be given as soon as possible. Few vegetables respond more readily to liberal’ manuring and watering of the ground during dry weather. At this time of the year an abundance of vegetables are to be found in most gardens, and as the season advances the pests are morp numerous than ever, j Broad beans-are attacked by rust, and members of the brassica tribe are subject to mildew and Cabbage fly. Al vary effective remedy is spraying with formalin, 1 'in 100 being the proportion. ■Vegetable marrows, cucumbers, and pumpkins will be greatly improved by watering' with a weak solution of nitrate of soda, ! TOMATOES.

The most successful mode of culture is the one-stem method. Larger fruit and' easier picking are some of the advantages. It is a great mistake to remove practically all the' foliage from the plants, Which some growers do as the action Of the, sun toughens the skin. The 'fruit cannot expand to its full size, and the skin being , tough cannot be easily femoved when desired; All the laterals should be' cut away as' they develop, and a regular supply of liquid manure should be given, care being .taken that the ground is moist when it is applied. An excellent manure can be' made of two tablespoonfuls of sulphate .of ammonia and one of nitrate of soda, dissolved in a kerosene tin full of water, and given once a week. As soon as the fruit starts to colour the tops of the plants must be pinched <off. ’ ; Unfortunately tomatoes are subject to blight, but a frequent spraying with Bordeaux mixture will be found to allay the disease. All fruit should he washed before being consumed, after it has been sprayed. CULTURE OF AZALEAS •This, remarkably strong plpnt is certainly, deserving of more wide, popularity, and should be availed -of to a greater extent, by the home gardener, .than it is at present. - Given the correct position and cultivation the brilliant 1 effect produced will wholly eclipse any other garden plant of the, same'proportions, and trill repay any time and labour expended on them. , ; ■ The species embrace many beautiful varietes, all more or less adapted for ornamenting the - horde garden plot, provided favourable aspect and good soil conditions aTe available. ' For growing in the open ground the plant requires a shady, or ''partially shady position,- and prefers a noh, well dug’, loose soil. Heavy .ground is unsuitable, unless it has been well broken ddwn with sand or other suitable material. Cow manure constitutes a .welcome agent’in this direction, and forms an excellent' substance for digging in, rendering the soil both richer ana more pliable. There are many- beautiful colourings incorporated in this glorious garden gem, including magenta; purple, pink, apricot, rose,.scarlet and white. When making a choice endeavour do select shapely, well furnished specimens. These will build- up to good, evenly balanced specimens, quicker and more readily than straggling iU-shapen plants. Should they be-required for tie open ground, the soil should be broken up, well enriched, and the surface worked to .a fine tilth. Endeavour* to embody a good - selection of colour in' your collection,- and do . not. plant closer than three feet' apart. Dig a hole about two fOet deep, and make provision,’ f6r drainage by placing a quantity or rubble at the bottom or eschihole. Before filling in- mix some Well- rotted dairy manure, together. with a handful of hone dust with the soil. Now fill in, and compress .the soil firmly with your foot. Build up the earth round the . stem, stamping it firmly down as the operation proceeds. Complete the planting with a copious watering. * ■J:' : .aftercare. The after-care of azaleas is extremely simple, 'apart from plenty of water. If it is a dry autumn all the attention required is an annual dressing with old manure, forked 1 lightly around the plant during the early spring months. 'For pot-specimens, azaleas are unrivalled as they are' serviceable for verandah and house decoration, and the effect produced by a well-grown plant in full bloom,- : wholly eolijrwee a display of out flowers and last considerably longer. SUMMER FLOWERING SHRUBS. Summer flowering shrubs are now in the zenith of their' beauty, and few rival in appearance some well-grown specimens Of buddies, abelia, and abutilon. Hydrangeas are doing very well this season, and beautiful heads l of bloom are to be seen locally, some an intense blue, others verging on lilac and purple. ASTERS. Asters are one of the favourite flowers for autumn growing, and many, beautiful varieties Can bo obtained. In their early stages they need careful culture, and must noti be watered too frequently, otherwise they invariably dampen off.