MISCELLANEOUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2087, 22 February 1894, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

Roses are popular climbing plants with cottagers in many districts in Sussex, England. In the neighbourhood of Uckfield there is scarcely a single cottage which has not a strong plant of Gloire de Dijon rose covering the greater part of the front wall with a mass of creamy yellow blossom. This is a good variety for such a purpose as this, and seems to do well in spite of the rough and ready way in whioh it is grown. Japanese Wineberry.— From Mr George Broad we (Oamaru Mail) have received a sample of a new fruit, the Japanese wiseberry. It belongs to the raspberry family and is a strong and vigorous grower. The fruit, which is of a delicate, slightly acid flavour, and which strongly resembles the mulberry, is borne in clusters and is enclosed in a burr, which is covered with a reddish moss] like a moss rosebud. Seeds of this fruit were sent out to Mr Broad and a few others by a New York seed firm. From these seeds several plants have been raised, which are now fruiting, and which promise to lead to a valuable addition to our small fruits. Specimens in flower and fruit may be seen in our Botanic Gardens. Watering Window Boxes. — Plants and flowers in window boxes often make a good start, but as the season goes on they assume a halfstarved appearance. This is owing to inattention to watering. If all window boxes were properly watered they would be as Btrong in autumn as in early summer. Irregular watering is very objectionable. Giving them careful attention one week and none the next is ruinous. The space in window boxes being generally limited, it is necessary to water often,' and as they soon exhaust the soil, liquid manure should be given once a week or ofttner. It is also a great aid to continuous health and flowering to remove decayed blooms as Boon as they wither, and dead leaves should also be taken off.

Sparrows. — The following appears in a late issue of the Field :—": — " In a late issue • W.A.R. 1 asks for some remedy for the depredations of sparrows, and as so one has made any suggestion in your last number, perhaps I may state my experience. My garden is on the edge of a large city, and frequented by sparrows innumerable. They attacked practically everj thing, but notably crocuses, the young Bhcotß of pinks and carnations, daffodils, primroses, polyanthuses, pear blossoms, and, above all, peas, not merely when they first appeared, but even after they had got up amongtt the stakes. Acting on the advice of a writer in Gardening Illustrated, I stretched black thread over the plants needing protection. At first I made a regular network of thread, but I find this is quite unnecessary, and that the threads may be stretched quite loosely and wide apart. For instance, in protecting a row of peas or crocuses, I put two little sticks, about lft high, a few inches each side of the row, at intervals of not less, oftener more, than four paces, and carry the thread round the parallelogram formed by the four sticks and diagonally. This can be done very rapidly. I find the thread an absolute and complete protection, and that it is due to this is shown by the fact that where a few crocuses are left unprotected they are generally attacked. Reels of thread a mile long can be bought. I have noticed that sparrows never attack my auriculas under any circumstances. — Hortus."

Plants in Open Air Vases. — These are apt to suffer more than plants in the open ground. In

a drying wind or bright sunshine plants in vases soon droop unless the soil is kept constantly well saturated, and it is often necessary to water them daily. Vases that are nearly full of soil are often sprinkled with water on the surface, but it runs off, and the bottom soil is frequently allowed to become dust dry. This is most injurious to the plants, and the soil should be watered time after time to ensure the water penetrating to the bottom and moistening the whole soil. This is the only way of making sure that watering is done thoroughly, and when once this is accomplished, water so often that there will be no time for it to dry up all through again. If the soil is once thoroughly wet, it is not liable to throw the water off freely, as it penetrates moist soil much sooner than when it is so dry as to merely run off the surface.

Sweet Peas. — Of all plants in blossom at present none present a more charming appearance than mixed rows and masses of sweet peas. Tbeir colours and hues are now most varied, all are extremely beautiful, and the exceedingly pleasing fragrance they possess and emit is unequalled by any hothouse flower. They have the highest recommendations of colour and scent, and they are, further, the surest of all plants to grow and bloom. I never knew them to fail in either respect, and they should certainly be grown in every garden, large or small. If they are properly treated the same row will continue to bloom from midsummer till late in autumn. Should the weather prove dry at any time, they must be liberally watered, and after they have been in bloom for some time they should be watered with liquid manure. The flowers may be gathered off them as fast as they open, and no seed pods should ever be allowed to Bwell. This is one of the foremost things that would cause them to cease flowering, and mußt be strictly guarded against. Runners on Strawberry Plants.— What are commonly termed runners are the many stringlike growths that are produced round the old plants at this season. They run out a little way and then terminate in a plant. Where new plants are wanted, these should ba allowed to remain until they are well rooted into the soil ; then they may be lifted and planted ; but in many cases new plants will not be wanted, or, it they are, it will not be necessary to allow all to remain to produce them, and the sooner the whole of the growths that have • been formed round the old plants are removed the better. This will allow the crowns of the plants intended to fruit next season to develop to their fullest, and they will be much stronger than if they were attached to a multitude of little plants, and they will also be more exposed to the sun and air, which all assist greatly in preparing the plants to bear the winter and bear heavily. The crowd of weeds often seen in strawberry beds are a mistake in every way, and should be rooted out. Nothing whatever should be allowed to hinder the development of the main crowns.

Waste of Ground in Fruit Trees. — There is no denying the fact that very much valuable garden space is wasted, owing to being occupied by a worthless class of fruit trees. In some instances the trees are of. little value owing to being long past their, prime, premature old age, it may be, being hastened by extreme poverty at the roots. In others either the kinds or varieties of fruit are not adapted to the soil or climate, and in not a few other cases the kinds and varieties are right enough, but the sites selected for them are not right. The owners of Some of these unprofitable) trees may be fully alive to the fact that they are not nearly so successful with them as they ought to be if no mistakes had been made, but hesitate to make a change. Money spent on youDg trees and labour expended on ithe renovation of some already on the place ought never to bebegrudged. There is no wisdom in attempting itoo much at one time, the work or" restoring the garden to a more profitable state being better distributed over a series of .three, or four years. Apricots cannot be grown in many gardens and districts owing to the soil not being of a suitable nature. What they like is a thoroughly well-drained, moderately strong-; loamy soil of a' calcareous description. If there be no lime in the soil, this should be remedied by a free addition of either old mortar and lime' riibbish or chalk, very heavy soils being lightened somewhat by the addition- of one of these, burnt soil, and such like, and light soils rendered more holding by the addition of 'strong marl or clay. The site they must have is a wall facing south or south-east. Nothing is more distressing than to see a'number of half-dead- trees, and the only way out of the difficulty is to keep up a supply of young trees,' nob - waiting till there are great blanks before planting one or two young ones, but rather anticipating these failures. Supposing a good length: oi south . wall is furnished with a glazed coping, this ought to be kept closely furnished with bearing trees, blanks being filled up with fairly large specimens shifted from some other sunny wall.— Field.

Treatment . o£< Climbing- Rose 3. — Marechal Niele, Gloire de Dljons, and other climbing roses bloom very freely for a time, then the flowers die off. They leave a great many seed pods behind them, and many people do not take the trouble to remove these. They should all be taken off as soon as they wither, as they give the plant a very untidy appearance, and hinder the new growth from developing to a considerable extent. Any small twigs of old wood may also be removed, but all strong, healthy young shoots should be encouraged to grow, and when they become a foot or so in length they should be nailed or tied into the wall or trellis, as they are apt to get injured if lelt to dangle about. One dressing and tying-in daring the summer is rarely sufficient, and they should have this attention as often as it is required. Shoots that are allowed to project do not harden or ripen like those tied into the wall and made to face; the sun, and tbejtraining-in of them is .an important part of their summer culture. Another, neglect wall and climbing roses often suffer from is a deficiency of water at the root. As a rule, they are planted in the shelter, aud rain does not often reach them fully, but this deficiency must be Keen to, and ample supplies given them, especially in dry, hot weather. They will be benefited by copious supplies of liquid manure every alternate watering, and they should be thoroughly soaked each time they are watered. If there are any insects on the foliage or dirt of any kind, the plants should be syringed freely, especially in the evening. _ Rosea which receive attention of this description at present will not fail to cover a large space, and they will bloom and prove highly attractive next year. — Leeds Mercury,

The Government have issued warrants to the returning officers for the licensing elections. Wednesday, March 21, is suggested in the circular as the most suitable day for polling.