THE GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 18990, 11 July 1923, Page 7

THE GARDEN

(By

“Horticola.”)

Outdoor operations have been greatly retarded by the frequent and heavy rains we have experienced lately, and the ground has been kept in a constant sticky condition; but things are looking brighter now. Clayey soil should not be worked immediately after a wet spell as the surface soil will only bind together, and when the spring time comes round it will be found that the work of digging up the patch has to be done again. Although contrary to the general belief, it is a good plan to let the seedling weeds cover the surface, and thus prevent dashing rains from battering the ground and washing some of the soil away. The roots of the weeds penetrate and keep the soil free, and when dug in towards the end of the winter tend to keep it light and loose and also lessen the work of bringing’ it into a good state of pulverisation. Such a system would answer well for back borders, and those portions of the garden that are least conspicuous. But however beneficial to the soil, weeds should not, for the sake of appearance, be admissable at any season in the small flower beds and plots immediately round the dwelling or in th? borders skirting the paths, and they should always be kept neat and tidy. Asparagus is raised from seed, but those who want to cut within a year must buy roots, and strong ones at that. It can be raised from seed easily enough, but plants will not be ready to cut from for three years at least. Half an ounce of seed will give enough plants to fill several beds. In buying roots those three years old should be purchased and planted fifteen inches apart. In a paper read by Mr P. A. Murphy before the Royal Dublin Society, the mechanism of rolling of potato foliage, as caused by leaf-roll, and incidentally by some other diseases and injuries, was dealt with. The cause of rolling is the distension of the spongy parenchyma, following the accumulation of carbo-hydrate in the leaves. A capsid (Calocoris bipunctatus), a jassid (Typhlocyba ulmi), and an aphis (Myzus Persicae), which develops on the sprouts of unplanted tubers, were said to be active agents in carrying leaf-roll. He said that in view of this fact it may be advisable to treat seed tubers with a nicotine insecticide before they are planted, to destroy pny of these insects that may be present on them. There were exhibited at the Ghent International Exhibition, held last April, some coloured varieties of lilly-of-the-valley. They were raised by Dr Attilio Ragionieri, of Florence, and are the result of a very long series of crosses. Dr Ragionieri, in a communication to the Gardener’s Chronicle, states that although he has already selected 80 or more distinct forms, he still has many hundreds of seedlings to select from. Some of his varieties come into flower very early, while others are very late, some are very dwarf, while others have spikes more than a foot high. The size and shape of the spikes and bells also show considerable variation, and in some forms there is a circular disposition of the bells on the spike. The colour range is from the purest white to flesh-tinted pale ro£e, rosy lilac, and clear violet. Dr Ragionieri states that the soil in his garden is not at all suitable for the cultivation of the lily-of-the-valley, and he expresses the belief that if his collection could be grown in a more suitable soil and clifhate it would command a great deal of attention. DEEP TRENCHING The advantages of deep trenching are:— Firstly: The soil is made warmer by the admission of air, as the previous inert component parts are disintegrated and broken up into finer particles, thus rendering water percolation so much more easy, and reducing stagnation to a minimum Secondly: Deeply-trenched soil conserves natural moisture much more effectually than un-trenched during a spell of drought. No better proof of this can be had than in the case of a deeply-dug drain or a filledin ditch across a paddock. Over this the grass is invariably higher and a deeper green colour during a continued spell of dry weather. Thirdly: In the growth of many vegetable crops, like parsnips, carrots, beet, etc., there is no comparison in the quality, and especially in the quantity, produced in trenched soil as compared with land that has not been broken up deeper than the ordinary spade or fork will go —at the most one foot. No vegetable crop is influenced more by deep trenching than the large onions that are so common nowadays. The roots of onions have been traced two feet deep, and they could not have ; gone so far had the soil not been easy for them to work in. No one will dispute the advantage gained when roots have such a large and free run in search of food. It will have been noted by many how free late peas are from mildew when growing in deeply-trenched soil, as compared with ordinary field cultivation. Fourthly: Deep trenching produces a drier foundation for grass paths in the garden or woodland, where the soil is naturally heavy and retentive of moisture. Fifthly: In no phase of horticulture has the subject of deep trenching a greater beneficial influence than in fruit tree culture, especially for apples. The lack of trenching in heavy, cold soils, with a hard pan-like subsoil some eighteen inches below the surface, is the chief cause of canker and poor results. In the same way are forest trees affected. The trees grow freely, even luxuriantly, until the roots reach the impervious subsoil, where there is an accumulation of stagnant moisture which causes injury to the roots, resulting in excrescences and eruptions, known as canker or “disease.” In some evergreen shrubs growing under bad conditions the result is a loss of chlorophyll, and consequent deterioration. To the beginner the question of how to trench is important. There are several methods in practice, two in particular, and both have their advocates. The most effective method of trenching is that of bringing up the bottom spit of soil (three feet deep) to the surface, if certain conditions can be provided afterwards, such as the addition of a compost sufficient and suitable to sow or plant any crop in with icasonable prospect of success. The ground should be trenched the following year, not only to intermix the various layers of soil, but to bring the bottom layer to its original site. Naturally, such a proceeding requires much time and material, and can-* not be always adopted. To expect a person to sow onions or carrots in pure clayon the surface of a newly-trenched soil, with even a reasonable prospect of success is foolish. The alternative method is that of trenching quite as deeply, or even deeper, but keeping the surface soil on the surface. By this method no difficulty will be experienced in obtaining a good crop the first season afterwards. This method entails keeping two, and a part of the third, trenches open at the same time. The top spit and the shovelling of loose soil from the third trench complete the first trench. The next two spits are passed into the second trench while‘the base of the second unfinished trench, where the hard, pan-like subsoil is found, is broken another foot deep and left there.