DUNEDIN GARDENING CLUB

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18625, 5 August 1922, Page 17

DUNEDIN GARDENING CLUB

There were two speakers at the fortnightly meeting of the Dunedin Gardening Club on Tuesday evening, and the large attendance of members was treated to a couple of most informative addresses. Mr F. H. Hoi ling worth occupied the chair. Mr D; Tatmoak gave a practical demonstration of rose-pruning, supplementing the demonstration with many valuable hints on the culture of ' roses. His remarks were listened to with close attention by all present. The popular subject of sweet peas was in the hands of Mr George Errington, who dealt mostly with the work of spring sowing and the immediate needs to enquire success. After giving helpful, advice to those who had plants in advanced stages as the result of autumn sowing, the lecturer dealt with the sowing of the seed in spring. If it was intended to sow the seed straight into the ground it was advisable to wait awhile until the ground became warmer, but if in pots or boxes in a greenhouse or frame a start could be made right away. Whether the seed was sown in pots or boxes or in the open gcroiind the principle should bo followed of solving the round bardcoated seeds a little deeper than the whitecoated and wrinkled varieties. By the aid of a blackboard a demonstration wae given of how the ground should be prepared, and the advisability of adding organic manure at the base of the trench was stressed. The top foot of soil should be well cultivated and enriched by artificial fertilisers. The pruning of the leading growth and also the main tap root was illustrated on some seedlings, and the evidence of the sturdy seedlings showed most plainly the root action resulting from the removal of the point of the tap root. The early cultivation after planting out, and the supports for the young seedlings was also dealt with, and several questions were satisfactorily answered. Much pleasure was expressed 'by the large number present at the interesting and instructive lectures and domonetratdom given by both Messrs Tannock and Errington, and tlie hope was expressed that they would oblige again in the near future. On the motion of Mr Passmore they were both accorded a very hearty vote of thank's. The chairman of the Dunedin Gardening Club (Mr F. H. Holiingworth) will be the lecturer next Tuesday evening. His subject will be “Vegetables,” and he will deal with the preparation of the soil, sowing the seed, and the rotation of varieties.