THE GARDEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24421, 5 October 1940, Page 15

THE GARDEN

v Contributed by D. Tannock, A.H.R.H.S. '

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

sheltered position should be selected, and the soil should be liberally manured with farmyard manure. Put out the plants at 18in to 2ft, and when growing well, earth them up a bit, to steady the plants. Give at least two waterings with liquid manure made by dissolving a dessertspoonful of sulphate of ammonia in a gallon of water, and during dry weather water regularly. The cobs should be picked while the contents of the seeds are milky, and cooked at once. First of All and Country Gentleman are good vanties. SUGAR PEAS The sugar pea differs from the ordinary green pea in that its pods are destitute of the tough membrane, and consequently are always soft and tender, and do not open when ripe. They may be eaten entire, the tender, fleshy part of the pod becoming more fully developed, in the absence of the tough, parchment-like membrane. As it is a strong grower stakes at least sft high should be provided, and the seeds should be sown thinly. The pods are picked when the seeds are quite small, when they will be found to have an excellent flavour. KOHL RABI Kohl Rabi Is a useful substitute for turnips, and is sown in nursery rows, and when seedlings are a month to six weeks old they are transplanted into rows Win between the rows and 12in between the plants in the rows. The swollen part of the stems should be eaten before they are fully grown. FLOWERING TREES Following close on after the ornamental varieties of the almond, plum and peach, we have the various species and varieties of the Pyrus (Crab apple) family, which are every bit as ornamental and quite as desirable. They are small trees, and consequently are "most suitable for town gardens, where space is limited. They are perfectly hardy and less susceptible to the attacks of blights than the cultivated apple, they will grow in any properly prepared and well-cultivated soil, but they are the better for a little shelter from the cold south-west winds when in flower. From an ornamental point of view they have an advantage over the almonds, plums and peaches, for their fruits are also very ornamental in the autumn, and they are valuable for making jelly. They are very effective when associated with kowhais and the dark leaved plums, and as they are not robbers are suitable for an overgrowth among dwarf rhododendrons, azaleas, and other dwarf flowering shrubs, for standards on the lawn, or for associating with herbaceous plants. I should have mentioned that some of the species of Pyrus are most valuable for their autumn tints. The crab apples belong to the malus section of the Pyrus, the chief species being P. floribunda. P. Scheideckeri, P. spectabilis, P. baccata, P. prunifolia, and P. Sargentii Though these species hybridise freely with one another, they don't hybridise with the other species of the genus, and they can't be grafted on to one another. Though the crab apples will submit to the same system of pruning as the ordinary apple, such hard cutting is not necessary, though they should be pruned to a clean stem of about six feet if grown as standards, the branches should be thinned out a bit and those which cross and rub one another removed. If they are attacked by woolly aphis or scale they should be sprayed during the winter with an oil or caustic soda wash, and during the summer, after flowering, with kerosene emulsion. Pyrus purpurea, known also as P. floribunda purpurea and P. malus floribunda purpurea, is one of the most srtiking trees in flower at the present time. It has been freely planted in the Botanic Gardens and in many private gardens, but it is worthy of still more extensive planting. It was distributed by Messrs Barbier and Co., of Orleans, and is undoubtedly one of the most decorative of small trees. The leaves are larger than an ordinary crab, slightly lobed, purplish red when young. In the bud stage the flowers are a delightful ruby red, becoming paler and more purple on opening. Thev are borne in clusters along the slender branches, and the fruits, which are about the size and shape of a cherry, are dark vinous red. They make beautifully-coloured jelly. Pyrus baccata. the Siberian crab, grows to a height of 20 to 30 feet, has white flowers and bright red fruit. Pyrus floribunda is also a tree of from 20 to 30 feet with a spreading branchy head. Flowers are rosv red in bud. pale pink when open, produced in clusters of four to seven along the slender branches, each branch being a garland. Pyrus malus (crab apple) is considered to be the parent of the cultivated apples, and though the type is not a remarkably decorative tree the varieties are worth a place in the

"Bulbs," Balclutha—Soaking bulbs in Jeyes' fluid will prevent wireworms from attacking them. You should set baits of pieces of carrot, potato, or oilcake near the plants. Mark the place where buried with a stick, or put a piece of stick into the potato or carrot like a handle. Examine from time .0 time and destroy worms. I have not used Jeyes' fluid for bulb mite, but a solution of two teaspoonfuls to a gallon of water, and soaking for an hour, should be effective. You will probably find that your bulbs - are now clean and healthy in any case. "Amateur," Kari.ane.—You should lift your daffodil bulbs every three years if growing in cultivated ground. If in grass, they will continue good for 30 years. There are some in the Botanic Gardens which have been planted for that time, and they are as good as ever this year. You should put in cuttings of escallonia in the autumn or early winter. Will explain the method to be followed then. "A. J.," St. Leonards.—The piece of stem sent is covered with scale insects. You should spray your tree, also your hedge, with kerosene emulsion; soap *lb, kerosene 1 gallon, water 1 gallon. Dissolve the soft soap in a gallon of boiling water, and when still boiling add the kerosene and churn to emulsify. Dilute for use to 24 gallons and apply warm. You should cut out and'burn all dead wood. Spray once every three weks until clean. "E. S." Duncdin.—You should interplant your Sweet William bed with nemesia for immediate effect, and with antirrhinums later, to follow the Sweet William. The bed of ursinia can be planted with either scarlet salvia or antirrhinums or dwarf dahlias to follow. "A. M.," North-East Valley.—Spray your cinerarias with arserate of lead lib in 100 gallons of water, or dust with Derris powder. Chimonanthus is' a suitable shrub for your district, and the scent is very powerful. You should not apply liquid manure to your gladioli until the spike shows. You can then use the manure ycu suggest. GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY Continue to prick out seedlings of the various bedding plants and to harden off those established in their boxes. Take cuttings of dahlias and break up old tubers, put in cuttings of perpetual flowering carnations, and pot on the chrysanthemums to five-inch pots. Pot up tuberous begonias and gloxinias, which have started, and rebox fibrous-rooted begonias before they become overcrowded. Pjut the tuberous begonias for bedding-out into frames as soon as they have started. Disbud vines, leaving the strongest and best placed shoot on each spur. In unheated greenhouses foliage plants of all kinds can be repotted. THE FLOWER GARDEN Continue to plant out the hardier kinds of bedding plants, also carnations, violas and pansies. Keep the rose beds cultivated and carry out some disbudding if show blooms are desired. Keep a sharp look-out for green fly, which soon appears on the flower buds. Hyacinths which are past their best can be lifted and lined out in the vegetable garden or a bed of sand or ashes to ripen off. Continue to pollenate polyanthus primroses, and to mark the best colours among the anemones; Spring flowering trees can be pruned as soon as their flowers are over or while in flower if the blossom can be utilised. This gives them a long season to ripen their wood and form flower- buds for nex$ x season. VEGETABLES AND FRUIT .Stick peas, thin seedling crops and cultivate between the rows with the fork or hoe. Plant potatoes, sow peas, beans, beetroot, yellow turnips, maincrop carrots, parsnips, salsify, lettuce and radish. Sow in small patches or boxes leeks. Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kohlrabi. Transplant onions and plant main crop potatoes. Remove all spent crops and dig over vacant ground Sow seeds of vegetable marrows and pumpkins on prepared heaps, covering them with a sheet of glass placed on a bottomless box. Thin out the growths on gooseberry and currant bushes, spray apples for powdery mildew with lime sulphur, one in a hundred. SWEET CORN Sweet corn is a vegetable very much esteemed in the United States but not much grown here. It is a tender plant, but by raising the seedlings in boxes of rich, light soil in the greenhouse, or frame, and gradually hardening them off they will be ready to plant out in. early November. A warm,

shrubbery. P. malus var Aldenhamensis has reddish pink flowers and purplish foliage. P. m. coronarus has large pink double flowers. P. m. Gorgeous is a most desirable variety, and though its flowers are nothing special its fruits are most beautiful, being like large bright cherries.- They are very useful for making jelly. P. m. Robert Nairn has beautiful yellow fruits and P.m. Sir Heaton Rhodes has deep carmine flowers and purplish foliage. P.m. John Downie has large conical fruits which are bright orange and scarlet. If you have only room for two crab apples then plant P. floribunda purpurea for its flowers and P. m. Gorgeous for its fruit. I could not conclude this list without mentioning Pyrus Vilmorin. It is a shrub or small tree up to 20 feet in height with neat pinnate leaves which are ornamental, flowers white, fruit bright rosy red, becoming almost white. It is a native of China and was introduced by M. Maurice de Vilmorin. There are several interesting plants flowering on the rock garden at pressent, in addition to the usual display provided by the various varieties of aubrietia, yellow alyssum, white double arabis, and the blue lithospermum. Gentiana acaulis (the gentianella) is a most desirable plant for the rock garden, or for edging a rocky path. Like other members of this family it has its eccentricities and in some gardens it will grow freely but fail to flower. When suitably placed in firm well-drained ground it produces quantities of its rich blue stemless flowers in and at present it is very attractive. It can be increased by means of cuttings or raised from seed, and when doing well should not be disturbed. It is said that it can be walked on occasionally if it refuses to flower freely. Cytisus Beanii is a neat little broom which is making a great show on the rock garden at present. Its flowers, which are produced in pairs or three, are a deep golden yellow forming sprays a foot in length. It is a chance hybrid which appeared in a bed of seedlings of C. Ardoini at Kew. Its parents are no doubt C. purgens and C. Ardoini. Rhodendron impeditum is a dwarf little shrub seldom more than six inches high with a spreading habit. Its flowers, which are slightly fragrant, are pale purple, and form a neat patch on the rock garden.