GARDEN & ORCHARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3495, 8 March 1921, Page 7

GARDEN & ORCHARD.

By

D. Tannock.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. Continue to pot and topdress the foliage plants in the greenhouse and to take chrysanthemum buds as they appear, removing the side buds and shoots, to concentrate all the energy of the plants into the production of good fat buds. Gloxinias and aechimenes will now be past their best, and they, with hippeastrums, can be gradually ripened off and stored in a warm, dry place during the winter. It is usual to leave the hippeastrums plunged in the bed of leafmould or tan in which they were put to make their growth. Make a sowing of schizanthus seed, to provide plants for next spring and early summer, and continue to pot on the cinerarias and early primulas into their flowering pots. Stellate cinerarias will require Bin and 9in pots, ordinary cinerarias six and sevens, and primulas fives. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Continue to keep the seed pods cut and picked from the plants in the mixed border, and keep everything as tidy as possible until the frost comes to put an end to the summer flowers. Plant out bulbs from time to time, and if labour is available this is a Sood time to trench new rose beds and orders and to get them ready for autumn planting. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Continue to harvest onions, to spray plants which are attacked by the aphis, and give plentiful supplies of water and liquid manure to all growing crops, Dig main crop potatoes, and select Seed as the digging proceeds. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. ‘‘Fruit Trees,” Milton.- —The safest artificial manure to use on apple and pear trees is basic slag. In the autumn or winter months this manure can be sprinkled round about the base of the trees, about a foot from the trunk and lightly scratched into the surface soil. Wood ashes or good soot from bituminous coal contain a good percentage of potash, and are safe manures to use. Kainit is a potash manure and can be applied in the spring, but should not be used on heavy or clayey soils. I hesitate to recommend such manures as nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia, as these are strong, quick-acting stem and leaf-producing manures, and must be used cautiously or more harm than good will be done. Plums and all stone fruits require plenty of lime in the soil, but object to superphosphates. Basic slag can be applied as recommended above. Gooseberries and currants require a more liberal treatment, and can be mulched with any well-decayed garden refuse. Bonemeal is a good artificial manure, and can be lightly forked in underneath the bushes in the early sprifig. AUTUMN HORTICULTURAL SHOW. Considering the knocking about that the flowers reoeived from the high winds and the retarding effect of the cold snap, last week’s show, under the auspices of the Dunedin Horticultural Society, was a conspicuous success. Even without taking these untoward influences into account the show was equal in point of quality to any of it 3 predecessors, and superior to most of them. This was particularly the case with regard to sweet peas and dahlias, which are the chief flowers in evidence at this time of the year. The feature of the show' was the success of Mr G. J. Enington, of Ravensbourne, with sweet pea seedlings of his own raising. In the champion competition with 12 vases he carried off first honours from five other competitors, with a magnificent collection which included the premier vase and the runner-up. The former was of Orange Queen, which is not yet in commerce. The runner-up was Antonia Dolores, a bright cerise, which is to be sent to England for trial in the National Sweet Pea Society’s trial grounds. Other novelties were Daisy Bud (a beautiful frilled pink), Maroon King, and King’s Lavendar (conspicuous for beautiful colouring). Messrs M. and E. Hamel, of Maori Hill, were second with a very fine and well-balanced collection, representative cf what is best in sweet peas. Amongst the more striking varieties were Hawlmark Pink and Pink Pearl, two novelties that are certain to become popular with growers. A vase of Charity (a rich crimson) was also a most meritorious one. Mr J. Fleming, of Mornington, was third, with a very nice collection, noticeable for clean colouring. Amongst the more striking vases in his collection were those of Jack Cornwell (a deep violet blue) and Jutland (mauve). Mr Errington carried off first ana second honours for six varieties, several novelties (including Hebe, a rose pink, and Brocade, a fine mauve) being included. Mr Errington was likewise placed first and second for three novelties not previously exhibited, his blooms being of his own raising. Mr Errington also won other prizes with his own seedlings, and had a special table of these for exhibition only, including several that have not yet been named. Messrs M. and E. Hamel won first prize for salmon or orange sweet pea, with a very fine vase. Mr James Reid, of Kaitangata, secured the amateur championship with an even collection, and also several other prizes in the same class. Messrs M. and E. Hamel had also for exhibition a very fine collection of sweet peas, comprising 37 vases, which were well set up and formed a most striking display, conspicuous alike for colour and quality. The clay of the show dahlia is over; it is too stiff and precise to suit present tastes. For a long time the cactus dahlia reigned supreme, but of late years the collarette variety has come into vogue. Despite its beauty, it may be doubted whether it will permanently oust the cactus variety from favour. In both varieties Mr James Miller, of Broad Bay (an amateur) gained premiership honours, a bloom of Horner (a dark crimson), picked just at the psychic moment, carrying off the prize in the cactus section, and Negro (a very dark crimson, with a white collarette) in the other. Mr H. S. Hungerford was the only other prize-taker in cactus dahlias, hie blooms being of good colour and well formed. Amongst the other flowers there was a small collection of asters, but the blooms were of much more than average quality. Some admirable spikes of gladiolus (including a very fine scarlet one not for competition put in by Miss Henderson) were on view, and a freak rose, shown by Mr A. Miller, of Belleknowes. Mr A. C. Broad, of Coey Dell, had on exhibition a very fine collection of pansies, remarkable alike for form, colour, and size. Mr John Whyte secured first prize for a tasty collection of pot plants, .mostly tuberous begonias, and Mr E. I. Halsted showed an excellent collec-

tion of, foliage plants (not for competition). The entriep in the decorative section were more numerous than usual, and quite up to the average in quality. The tables, however, would have been improved if fewer blooms had been used. The carnations, though not very numerous, were of excellent quality— Mrs Melville's collection, for exhibition only, being specially admired—and the rosea had those rich tints for which autumn roses are famed. In this connection a fine collection shown by Cousins Broe, of Mosgiel, was a conspicuous exhibit. Other articles for exhibition only were Mary M'Arthur, snowdrop, and F. Perry, vase of pentstemons. The fruit exhibits, though comparatively few in number, were quite up to the standlard in quality, Mr D. Martin, of Beaumont, being to the fore with a good collection. The show of vegetables was a very fine one, a collection of potatoes shown by Mr J. Nelson attracting attention. Included in this was a plate of lOJlb weight, dug from one set. Mrs M. M'Arthur also had a fine display of potatoes. The judges were:—Pot plants and other cut flowers except sweet peas, Mr A. P. Dunedin; sweet peas, Mr J. G. Dunoan, Gore; dahlias, Mr T. Scott; decorative and floral, Miss Turner; fruit and vegetables, Mr F. H. Hollingworth. The stewards were: Pot plants, etc., Mr R-oy, with Mr Hart; sweet peas, Mr Sidey, with Mr J. Duncan, Gore; dahlias, Mr Johnson, with Mr Scott; decorative and floral, Mr Darna-ch, with Miss "Turner; fruit and vegetables, Mr Fleming, with Mr Hollingworth. Staging stewards — Messrs. Roy, Hollingworth, Vickers, Macassey, Sidey, and J. Nelson. Press steward, Mr A. K. Wilson. The attendance, both in the afternoon andi evening, was. much above the average, so that the takings were very satisfactory. PALMERSTON FLOWER SHOW. The Palmerston and Waihemo Horticultural Society held another successful show in the Palmerston Town Hall a few days ago, when there were 590 entries. As horticulturists in the district are recognising the .value of these shows they have been cultivating exhibits, and for this reason this, year’s show was the most successful exhibition yet effected by the society. Of especial interest was the cooking section, which compared very favourably with similar shows. Mr Cousins, dahlias and a new variety of pink daisy; Mr Fountain, dahlias (seedlings) ; and Mrs Galloway, a \ery well-arranged collection of vegetables entered specimens, which were for exhibition only.