HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3005, 18 October 1911, Page 12

HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

Bt J. Gebbib

CONVOLVULUS MAURITANICUS. This convolvulus ie one of the most beautiful of the family, and remarkable for its persistent flowering and neat, elegant habit. It is a native of North Africa, but has proved hardy in this climate. It is very suitable for a dry bank and a sunny position, and looks well in groups, each plant forming a dense veil and throwing up innumerable graceful drooping shoots, studded along their entire length by lavender-blue flowers about the size of a florin. On the ledge of a rock ■garden, where its long pendant growths can hang freely down, it is seen atlts best. It. ie quite distinct,from any othef .species in cultivation, and may be effect in almost any situation in 'the garden. In the rockery borders- or 'flower beds with a sunny exposure this, beautiful plant will be found equally at home.. It commences to bloom in January "and in February is a sheet of bloom, tJlftaF continues to flower through the entire autumn. It may either be pro""> seated from seeds or cuttings. My first experience with this plant was about 40 years ago. A plant was sent down from a gentleman in Christchurch to my father, and, not being named, it was placed in the greenhouse, but there it did no good, so after a lengthy trial under glass it was planted out on a small rockery, and the season following was entirely covered with bloom, and the admiration of all who saw it. Although such an old introduction, it is seldom seen, but now that there is a craze on for- rock gardens, perhaps this fine old plant may yet become popular.

MARIGOLDS. The French and African marigolds have been in cultivation for a very long- time, and well deserve a place "in every garden. They are indispensable for summer and autumn decoration of -the flower garden. Easily raised from seed, and with cultural details, of the they have an additional value by reason of their longcontinued season of blooming, their profuseness, and- good colour. They afltard colour and beauty in the garden long after many of the bedding plants have oeased their- flowering. The African marigolds produce large, round-headed blossoms of yellow; lemon, or orange on tall-grewing plants, about 2ft high, and are very effective v in the garden when rightly 'placed. The French varieties are and:embrace . both single and double, and selfstriped or blotched flowers, and the plants vary in .height from 6i'n to 2ft, some of the dwarf varieties being well adapted for bedding and edging. Marigolds flower freely in strong ground or in hot, dry situations, but will respond to a more liberal condition of soil or treatment by a greater profusion of much more handsome flowers. ' Those that would grow these flowers for exhibition purposes should remember that they respond to liberal treatment and to a sunny position. The seed may be sown thinly in pots or boxes or in the open ground when all fear of spring frosts is gone. As soon as' the seed■U'rgs are in the rough leaf they may be transplanted to other boxes, a-ndl in these given the shelter of a garden frame or some protection until planting-out time. NBMESSIA SUTTONI. Of the numerous new annuals which have hnen introduced during the last few years

the above plant i 6 one of the best. The nemessias are natives of Southern Africa, and botanieally are related to the antirrhinums and linarias. There are not many species, but memessia suttoni is, for the size of its flowers and intensity of the best. Some of the hybrids of this variety are becoming very _ popular on account of the ease with which they can be grown, and also for their graceful habit. The plants attain a height of about 15in, and the colours of the flowers are pale yellow, rose-pink, orange, white, crimson, blue, and an almost endless variety of ether colours and shades. By sowing the seed at different times a long continuance of bloom will be assured. Any fairly gopd 6oil will grow nemessias, and no garden should be without them. Self-sown plants which have stood the winter are now flowering profusely.

HOUSE PLANTS. An extensive trade is done in palms by the various nurserymen throughout the Dominion. They may be bought in 4in or sin pots, up to large specimens in 10m or 12in pots, at prices ranging from 2s 6d upwards. When a palm is purchased at 2s 6d, and it gets into bad health through some ■ mismanagement, the loss' is |ot serious if it iha-s to be thrown away and replaced by a healthy plant, but when one gets attached to a plant they are reluctant to throw it away. 111-health is often caused by injudicious, watering, by exposure ; to cold or draughts of air, by not keeping the foliage clean and fresh from want of inig or sponging. A palm that has become browned and unhealthy may .be restored by proper treatment, but the assistance of a greenhouse or garden frame would be necessary, and also a supply of proper compost for it to feed upon. Shabby, brownedged plants . may be transformed into vigorous green ones by turning them out of their pots, washing the roots, and repotting them. The roots- of most palms are brittle, and care must be taken not to bruise them, but any decayed parts should be carefully removed with a knife. If scale or bug be present the insects must be dislodged before repotting. A close, somewhat warm atmosphere is necessary.for the re-establishment of the treated plants. For the general repotting of palms early spring is the best time, but in the case of unhealthy ■ plants or plants starved through want of root-room any season of the year may be considered suitable. In hot weather insect pests are most troublesome, and every effort should be made to keep them in check. Scale insects on a few plants only may be destroyed by rubbing them off with an old toothbrush dipped in soapy water, or in very weak kerosene emulsion. But if a number of plants are to be treated it would be better to use Gishurst compound or some other reliable insecticide, ' which all seedsmen keep. Mealy bug may be dislodged by spraying the plants with strong soapsuds and kerosene—say, 7oz of the latter to three gallons of the suds. Camellias, heaths, and azaleas should receive any pruning they require soon after the plants have bloomed, but these plants, if well shaped from the start,, seldom need the knife to be used on them. Heaths should be pruned back directly they have bloomed ; it keeps these plants from becoming leggy, and tends to promote longevity. Some of the cacti and other succulent plants will shortly be in bloom. While. the plants are in bud they will need, a fair supply of moisture and of light, but as soon as the flowers open very little water should be given, and shading from the sun will tend to preserve the blooms. There is no necessity for repotting these plants annually; if the drainage is right and the soil they are in the proper material they will thrive for years without disturbance. LONGEVITY OF THE OLIVE*TREE, The olive is a very long-lived tree, and in Syria there has recently been found some ancient olive trees whose ages have been established beyond question. A trust dead exists which relates to an orchard covering 490 trees, near Tripoli, Syria, the trust deed having been issued 499 years ago. Though the trees look aged, they still bear fruit of fine quality in abundance, and are likely to maintain their productiveness for many hundreds of years yet. An olive grove at B.eyrout is admitted to be the third largest olive farm in the world. Syrian fruit-farmers are extending olive culture with much zeal and effect. . One farmer recently planted out 300,000 trees in one block for commercial purposes. Under European systems of culture the Syrians make their olive trees bear each season, while in the old davs one crop in three years was thought to be all that the trees could produce. The methods of grinding the olives for oil and picking the fruit are peculiar. Neither grinders nor pickers receive wages, but are paid on percentage. The pickers receive 5 per cent, of the actual fruit picked, and the grinders get 10 per cent, of the fruit ground.