GARDEN & ORCHARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3334, 6 February 1918, Page 6

GARDEN & ORCHARD.

WORK FOE, THE WEEK. By D. Tannock. - THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. Tho most forward of the seedlings of Primula sinensis and its variety, stellate, will now be ready to shift into sin pots, in which they will flower. Make up a nice light mixture of, loam two parts, leaf-mould one part, sand h(ilf a part, a little dry. cow manure rubbed through a sieve, and a dusting of bono meal. Do not pot too firmly; stand on a bed of ashes in the greenhouse or out in a frame which can bo shaded during bright sunshine. The later batches of cinerarias can be potted up into 3in pots, and greenhouse calceolarias can be placed beside tho primulas, shaded from bright sunshine and very carefully watered. ■ Gloxinias are making a fine display in the warm greenhouse at present. They are very useful plants for greenhouse decoration, but are so brittle that they are little use for house decoration or cutting. Where a little artificial heat is available they can be grown quite satisfactorily along with other greenhouse plants but they thrive best in a low, moist, warm pit, where they do not get too much air. They can be raised from seed quite as easily as tuberous begonias can. The seed should be sown early in spring, and, as it is very fine, little or no covering is neoessary. When the seedlings are large enough to handle they are pricked out into well-drained shallow boxes, a light soil mixture being used; water carefully, shade when necessary; and keep them in the warmest part of the heated greenhouse. Though the growth of the seedlings is very slow _ at first, by tho autumn they develop into good plants, and many will flower, but it i 3 not advisable to pot any of them up the first year. They are better left to grow in the boxes and form nice tubers for the following season's display. If you have any good varieties, a few flowers should be pollenatcd; they set seed readily, and fresh seed is far more satisfactory than old stuff. Climbers of nil kinds are growing rapidly. They have to bo thinned and regulated, otherwise they shade the plants beneath too much and become dirty and unsightly. Achimonas are closely related to gloxinias, and require similar treatment, except that they are better grown in baskets. These should now be coming into bloom, and, if properly watered and fed. they will continue to flower for a considerable time. They aro rather hardier than gloxinias, and can bo flowered in a greenhouse which is only heated on cold nights They, too, can be raised from seeds, treated the same as gloxinias. They have very email _ tubers, which aro placed all round tho inside of a moss-lined basket, a light, rich soil being used. • Tho old corms of cyclamen have now had sufficient rest under 'the s reenhouse stage. They aro commencing to grow, and will have to bo cleaned, placed on tho greenhouse stago, arid given a good watering. They will not requiro much water after the firsfe soakng, but they should be sprayed lightly night and morning. When growth has commenced properly, and roots begin to form, they are shaken out of the old soil and repotted. TOE FLOWER GARDEN. Tho second crop of roses is coming on

fast, and if tho present weather conditions continue it promises to be very good. Many of tho varieties show better colour and shape in tho autumn than in tho summer, though tho flowers are never so largo. Thin out the buds tho same as earlier in tho season to one on each stem, spray regularly for mildew and also for green fly should it appear. Continue to cut away the old flowers of ramblers " and, where they arc trained on pillars, handrails, or low fences, the whole of the flowering stems can be cut away and the desirable number of young stems tied in for next year's display. Notes should now be made of the roses you mean to discard during the winter to make room for newer, more vigorous, and more desirable varieties. It is well to mark them in some way with a manilla label, or a piece of ribbon or strip of cloth tied oh to tho main stem. To dig out the plants right away will leavo gaps in tho beds and borders and spoil the effect of tho autumn display. Continue to cut away the flower stems of plants which have passed out of flower in the mixed or herbaceous border; thin and stako dahlias, chrysanthemums, etc. ; keep the surface soil scuffled and all weeds in chedk. In addition to the carnations, sweet williams, and . the beautiful alpine pinks, so suitable for tho rock garden, there is another member of tho diantlms family well worthy of extensive cultivation both for house and garden decoration. The Japanese pink Dianthus Heddewigi is almost a perennial, but is better treated as a half-hardy annual, tho seed being sown in early spring in a little heat, the seedlings transplanted into boxes, hardened off and planted out in early November. It is quite hardy; it commences to flower now and continues to bloom right on into winter, and its colours vary from deepest crimson,-through various shades of pink to purest white, with both smooth and laciniated petals. The varietymost admired is Salmon Queen, its flowers show all the delightful variations so much admired in pink sweet williams, and they can bo depended on to come true from seed. Unlike carnations, the most desirable varieties are single. There are double kinds, but they axe stiff and heavy. Hyacinthus candioans is a very desirable plant when planted in bold groups in the mixed border. Its "spikes of white flowers grow to a height of iouv or more feet. Though it will continue to grow"and flower for several years in the same place it is better when lifted every second year, while at rest during the winter, and replanted in a well-manured, well-drained position, one bulbs being placed at from nine inches to a foot apart. Two useful summer flowering closely related to the broom are Spartium junceum (the Spanish broom), and Genista (the Mount Etna broom). They are both almost leafless, the green stems having to perform tho functions of leaves. The spartium has upright branches with fairly large yellow pea flowers, and the genista has slender drooping branches weighed) down by its small bright yellow pea flowers. Both will thrive in a very dry, poor, hot position, and are useful for planting where very little else will grow. Another beautiful shrub coming into bloom at the present time is Clethra arborea, one of the Lily of the Valley shrubs. It is not too hardy and should be planted in a position sheltered from the S.W. winds, in a good, deep, moist soil with plenty of leafmould, well decayed manure, or peat added. The conditions provided for rhododendrons will suit the clethra, and it would add interest to the rhododendron bed in autumn. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Continue- to . dig early potatoes, lime and cultivate the ground, and make sowings of early varieties of root vegetables, and plant out winter greens. Crops of French and runner beans will now be the better of a watering with manure water about once a week. Clear away all old spent crops and cabbage roots, as they will onlv shelter insect blights and breed disease. Water celery and leeks regularly, and keep all crops weeded and cultivated.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Broad Beans." —Your broad beans are attacked by a rust fungus, fortunately not very common. Dampness at the roots may cause this, and an application of lime to the soil whore beans are to be grown would be an advantage. Spray with a fungicide such as Bordeaux mixture or bisulphide of potassium. The Bordeaux would bo the best. "Novice Gardener." —The shrubs I mention from time to time in tho Gardening Notes are certainly not common in many gardens, and possibly few local nurserymen may have them, but they could obtain them for you. Messrs R. Nairn and Sons, Lincoln road, Christchurch, make a specialty of hardy shrubs, and both Messrs Duncan and Davies, of New Plymouth, and Messrs D. Hay and Son, Montpellier Nursery, Auckland, have good collections. Solanum jasminoides will be quite suitable for a pergola. k " Gardener No. 2."—Tho dog rose is certainly a good stock for all kinds of roses. You can bud several varieties on one stock, but it is not advisable to do so. The best rose for forming a weeping- standard is Excelsa. but Dorothy Perkins and Hiawatha are also suitable. " J. M. A."—The end of April or the beginning of May is a suitable time to put in cuttings of trees and shrubs, but I shall deal with this operation in the proper season. , . " Taffy" (Hedgehope).—lt is not advisable to try to transplant largo Pinus insignis trees, 9 or 10 years old. If tho holes are well prepared young two-year-old pines take root readily and grow very rapidly. You can plant in the autumn. "Amateur" (Balclutha). —(1) Club root is caused by a fungus usually found in sour or wet ground or where crops of brassicas have been grown for several seasons. The remedy is lime, drainage, and not too much fresh manure. (2) Your onions should bo dry enough to store away : they can either bo plaited up into ropes, hung up in net bags, or spread out on shelves in a dry shed. (3) Your nectarine leaves appear to be attacked by a fungus known as leaf curl. Spray now with sulphide of potar-sium or self-boiled lime and sulphur, and follow this, as soon as tho leaves drop, with Bordeaux mixture, winter formula. Another spraying with Bordeaux before tho buds open in August will bo an advantage.

A Maimwatu bee-ltccper this year had a return of 30 tons of honey. Thi3 ho has sold at £IOO a ton, a total of £3OOO for the year's work. His expenses were between £2OO and £3OO.