THE GARDEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22066, 23 September 1933, Page 17

THE GARDEN.

WORK. FOR THE WEEp|»

mMmmiA notes by P^pfe«4i/^D <TA NNOCK, A.H.R.H.S.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS T/ B;, iiivercargill.—The holly blight" is possibly an attack' of holly-leaf fly, the leaves being disfigured by pale blotches on the upper surface, which arc spaces mined in tile',green cellu- • lar tissue by the larvte. Three or four larvae are to be found in each . leaf. The pupae remain under the . . epidermis, and it is therefore extremely difficult to eradicate them. If the tree is not too badly attacked , the infected leaves should be taken off and burnt. THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY Brick, out seedlings of streptocarpus, gloxiniaa/ and tuberous begonias into shallow boxes of good, rich soil. Place them in the warmest part of the greenhouse, and keep moist, but' water with great care. Pot up the cypripedium and other, winter-flowering orchids if they are pot-bound, or if the, soil; is exhausted or sour. Prick out seedlings of Borowal- , lias, Torenias, and other greenhouse annuals* - Harden off Bedding plants and put in the ; 'young shoots of perennial phlox and delphiniums as cuttings to increase the .stock of. good; varieties. These are put into a - bed of sandy soil in a handlight or placed in small pots of sandy soil, and put in a cold frame where they are kept shaded and moist until they root. Ventilate the greenhouse and frames freely during -warm, sunny days, blit close them up early in the afternoon to; shut in the sun heat. ’ THE FLOWER GARDEN .plant out antirrhinums, stocks, venidiums, af ctbtis, calendula, nemesia, violas, and ,pansies, and continue to sow hardy : annuals. Pollinate selected primrose polyanthus with a view to seed saving, and mark the best blooms of anemones and ranunculus also with, a-view to seed saving, Plant gladioli, stake sweet peas with twiggy branches, or confine to one or two -stems arid train up bamboos. Dust round them with lime to keep off slugs.- Keep .the rock garden neat and ■ tidy, arid; cut away all old flower steins. i THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT GARDEN 'Sow;- peas,. broad beans, lettuce,- car?, rots,. white / and golden ball turnips, globe'beet, parsnips, and parsley.; Plant cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and-: early celery. . Transplant autumnsppm . onipns and also . those raised in hoxci .Under glass.■Preparejmpunds' and ,ridges for encumbers,' vegetable marrows, arid pumpkins. Thin the shoots ■, on fruit i trees and by shes ■ arid / hoc and. cultivate among them. ; " - ■■■ ; ' ; THE LAWNS v - .. .The spring is a good time* to- improve : old lawns;which may have become moss grown? during the winter owing to damp; patchy ,owing to grass grubs, arid : weedy. Though flat-leaved weeds can be ' killed with, ; lawn sand during the summer, it is 1- , really better to dig them out in the spring, - This can bC done by levering out the biggest ones with a dUisy : . fork> ;or - by cutting the: .roots about, two below the surface with an old table knife. The smaller ones -can be left to- the lawn sand,, which; Will be applied later. Should the lawn nave been neglected. and/ not' mown, in tha. autumn,*, it will be necessary first to mow it with the scythe, or, if small, 'to clip it; with the hedge "shears. ;To remove spreading weeds -and moss, rake thoroughly with a strong toothed steel rake, “ leaving the surface rough and : suitable for 'sowing arid topdressing. First give.' a- ; good: dressing- of Jiiffe, then fi 11 up any holes which are • evident with fine soil,’ and sow some grass seed, using, a similar mixture to that, recommended fornew. lawns at the rate of from half, ah ounce to an buried to the; square yard according to the condition of the lawn.. Rake in the seed, arid give a. good dressing of about’, an eighth of an inch in/thickness , of sea sand ,arid* work this 'in with a stiff broom or the rake* Sea sand- is*, very useful for the lawn, and also for the vegetable and flower -garden, and - should be more extensively - used where it can .be obtained easily and cheaply. /' The lawn can then be left until the young seed germinates, when it can be rolled with a riot too heavy roller. Mowing can then be commenced, but at first the machine should he set high and gradually lowered from tirne to time until the desired close cut lias been obtained. Where sea sand vis not available,; sand of any kind or even a sandy loam can be used for topdressing, provided there are no small stones. which would damage .the mower in it. .• .

case in many districts. In others it can bo bad by sowing the seed in a glasshouse or frame ami bringing on the plants like half-hardy annuals. It should be used while the contents of the seeds arc still milky and before they commence to ripc.n and harden. Sow the seeds m a box about an inch apart each way, aiid when the seedlings arc about an inch high, they can be pricked out into other boxes or potted up. Boxes are quite satisfactory and these should be crocked with about two inches of_ wellrotted manure, over which three inches of good, light, rich soil should be spread and firmed. Plant the seedlings three inches apart so that they will lift with a good ball of soil when transplanting, and when established gradually harden off in the cold frame. In the beginning of December they can be planted out in rows two feet apart, allowing 10 inches between the plants in the rows and when they grow earth up from time to time. , Country Gentleman is a good variety.

roclpugli, Talisman, Mda Butterly, W. E. Chaplin, Emma Wright, Flamingo, and Lady Inehiqu'm. There were several of the polyanthus, both single and double, but Paul Grampel seemed to be the most outstanding and popular variety. One tent was devoted to exhibits prepared by and grown by blind boys and girls, and the quality and variety of fruits, flowers, and vegetables was surprising, but not so surprising as the model gardens in miniature formed on trays and boxes. How blind boys could work out a design and with little bits of moss and flowers work out a colour scheme, is more than I could credit. One had a fountain fed from a suspended tank with a miniature stream, rock garden, and suitable foliage to illustrate waterside plants such as iris, spiraea, and trollius. An exhibit of flowers and vegetables from the old pensioners gardens at the Chelsea Hospital was also very, interesting,

Chickory, Salsafy and Schorzoneria arc not much grown, but they are all worth cultivating to provide an additional variety. They are sown in drills' in an open, sunny position allowing from 18 inches to two feet between them. Sow thinly gnd when the seedlings are .large enough to be handled thin out to 12 or 15 inches apart and keep weeded and cultivated through the summer and autumn. The salsafy, which is called vegetable oyster, is grown for its roots, and so also is the chickory, but-their shape does not matter fordt is the, young, tender',leaves which arc obtained by forcing it in the dark during the winter which arc esteemed; The young flowiw buds of salsafy are also cooked like asparagus in the spring and are considered to be very palatable. NATIONAL ROSE SHOW There appeared to be millioris of rose blooms ori exhibition at the National Rose Society’s show in the, Chelsea Hos-, pital grounds, and though their freshness had gone before I saw them they were .wonderful for their size, colour and the Way they, were -set up. The display by nurserymen, in the large tent was set up in two long rows about 100 yards in length down the middle of the tent, so that 'there was plenty of room for the public. The method of display in groups, pillars and baskets was most effective and impressive and when one got behind the scenes was found to be quite simple. Each variety was kept together and the colours were so arranged that they showed one another off to’ perfection:. The ordinary method of setting the lll up in earthenware vases on a flat”table is quite obsolete, and never seen even at the provincial shows, and as nurseryuien have plenty of blooms during The summer when their young plants flower, there is nothing to hinder them from setting up large and impressive exhibits at the local shows in New Zealand. . The exhibits in boxes were not at all attractive, anil a much better method was to place six or more vases in a, basket, cover them with moss, and then to arrange 12'or 24 blooms in each (with long' stalks); The tent devoted to the decorative Avork* —bowls, baskets and dinner tables—-was. very popular and much fine work was to be seen. Here again, as in'the sweet pea show, the tables were/all done in one colour_ or shade, and in most cases with one kind of rose, with the foliage of wild rose species, 'arid rib other. There was some variation in -the baskets and bowls but in most cases-only one variety was used arid it was' evident that the quality of the flowers was a deciding factor. Single roses seemed to be the most popular for table decoration, and there were no fewerßban nine tables done with Dainty Bess, which is a pleasing, shade of pink with prominent stamens: The novelty tent' was also very popular though there were only a few outstanding kinds on show. These have to be shown on stands and a plant has also to be exhibited to secure an award. Madge Wildfire, a vigorous hybrid tea variety, of a pleasing pink rose and yellow combination, exhibited by Dobbie and Co.,‘ gained a first class certificate, arid Kirstan Poulson, a hybrid polyanthus,'with single . orange-scarlet blossom in large clusters, suitable for a low hedge and very effective, obtained a gold medal. Varieties exhibited by nurserymen, and also in competitive classes, “were JriliaPotin, Dame Edith Helen, Lady Forteviot, Portadown Glory, Fred Walker, Etoilie de Holland, Mrs H. Bowles, Mable Moore, Mrs A. Bar-

To maintain a growth of grass, manuring, is necessary, especially where the mowings are removed in the grass box. A dressing of- superphosphate can be applied in the spring'along with the lime, but when lime is applied regularly this is not so necessary dor grass, though it is essential for clover. It is advisable to give small dressings of sulphate of ammonia mixed with sand (lawn sand) at intervals of a fortnight, to four weeks during the spring and summer; This is :made by- mixing 101 b of sulphate of ammonia with an equal quantity of sea or fihe'eand and half a pound of sulphate of iron. The sulphate of ammonia and iron are pounded to break rip all lumps and are then mixed wjth the sand, Apply at the rate of, 2oz to the square, yard to kill weeds, in two dressings, at an interval of a fortnight, but if to be applied throughout the season reduce the application,to, half an ounce to the square yard. When the' .sulphate of ammonia, lies, on broad-leaved plants it extracts.the,juices from them,’ with the Object of becoming liquid, and the tissue collapses as if frosted or burned. It does not lie on the. upright thin leaves of the grasses and consequently does not do them any harm, but. it fertilises them. The sulphate of iron improves the colour of plants, making them a darker grfeen, and the sand assistsin even distribution by increasing the bulk. This dressing is better applied during dry weather, otherwise the sulphate of ammonia becomes dissolved by rain and. is not so effective. The margins of lawns should also be rolled’and trimmed with the edging iron in the spring and: any patching with turf can also be carried out. MORE TENDER VEGETABLES Sweet corn is a vegetable much esteemed in the United States and one which , should be more /.popular in New .Zealand, where it can be grown with