THE GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 20527, 2 July 1928, Page 5

THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK (By J. A. McPherson.) THE GREENHOUSE. During dull cold weather every care must be taken of seedlings; keep them a little on the dry side and it will save a good deal of damping off. Make a sowing of Schizanthus seed for main display. Sow thinly and when large enough to handle, prick out into trays or pot them straight into three inch pots. These plants are easily grown and give a vealth of blossom during the early summer. Clarkia is a good half hardy annual for growing under glass. Sow a few seeds in three inch pots and thin them out to leave four good seedlings to each pot. When the pots become full of roots, pot on into seven or nine inch pots. By keeping them near the glass and giving them plenty of light they will soon come away and provide a display before begonias are in bloom. Sow Pansy and Carnation seeds in light sandy soil. Cuttings of Petunias and Verbenas will now be sufficiently rooted to permit their being placed out into frames and so make room for other plants. Feed Cinerarias and Cyclamen with weak liquid manure and pot on any late Primulas. Continue to box or pot rooted* cuttings of Geraniums. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Work has now been held back during the last few days on account of bad weather. While the ground is wet and sodden it is better to leave it severely alone and hold over the planting of roses and other plants until the weather takes up. If new roses and plants arrive from your nurseryman, open out a small trench, lay the plants in and cover up the roots well with soil. They will be quite all right for several weeks at least. So long as it is dry overhead, pruning of flowering trees and shrubs can be carried out. All rambling roses should be pruned by now and tied securely with flax or binder twine to their supports. HERBACEOUS PYRETHRUMS. One of the most popular cut flowers of our gardens is the herbaceous Pyrethrums. The original parent is P. roseum from the Caucasian meadows, and it has readily yielded us some valuable varieties both double and single. The plants are very easily grown and are little affected by sun or rain. The flowers appear in large numbers in January and a second crop can be obtained in March if the plants are cut back after the first flowering. Propagation is easily carried out by division of the rootstock and new varieties are readily raised from seed. The crimson scarlet variety is very much in favour just now and all gardens should possess it as part of the herbaceous collection. Its name is James Kelway and most nurserymen stock it. Well manured soil suits the best, and on sandy soil it is advisable to mulch them with manure during hot dry weather. HARDY PRIMULAS. Ever increasing in popularity a number of species are the Lardy Primulas. During the last few years, plant collectors have introduced hundreds of new species, some of which are perfectly hardy and a welcome addition to our spring and summer blooming plants, while the more tender members have found a home in greenhouses. P. japonica is now becoming well known as a beautiful and easy plant to cultivate. It produces luxurious foliage and the flower spikes attain a height of two feet; every few inches along the spikes appear whorls of variously coloured flowers ranging in colour from rich red to pale pink and white. P. pulverulenta is somewhat similar to the above but its flower stems are four feet in height and covered, along with the flowers, with a white mealy powder. Both this and the preceeding species like a rich moist and partly shaded position. P. helodoxa is one of the finest primulas I have seen. Its growth is similar to pulverulenta but the flowers are a rich yellow. P. capitata is a charming plant for the rock garden. The flower stem about nine inches long bears a dense globose head of violet blue flowers in a white mealy powder. Primula denticulata and its variety cashmeriana, represent a very early flowering group of primulas. I have often seen them I coming into bloom before the winter is properly over. They, like plenty of moisture and sunshine and are ideal bog plants. The flowers are borne on stout stems one foot long and the colour varies from light to rich lilac. P. farinosa is a native of England and is found on the moist hillsides early in spring sending up tiny heads of lilac flowers well above the leaves. . The leaves are small, shiny on the upper surface but covered with I a thick white meal on the under surface. It makes a charming rock plant. P. Beesiana is another Chinese specie with growth similar to P. japonica. The flowers however are distinct, being rich velvety purple in colour and possessing a clear yellow eye. P. Bulleyana is a magnificent plant with long stout stems producing orange-coloured flowers in December. Its root system is very vigorous and requires plenty of room and moisture. P. Cockburiana is a little terra-cqta coloured blooming primula which I always admire. It is perfectly hardy and when once established in a moist corner of the garden 1 will never fail to bloom and set seed freely. P. sikkimensis is a very distinct plant. The flowers are pale lemon in colour and droop in umbels from slender stems. It is one of the daintiest primulas I have seen. There are many other species, many with magnificent coloured flowers; but the above few species illustrate the possibilities of the genus Primula as a standard garden plant. THE FRUIT GARDEN. Continue to prune al fruit trees as previiously advised and burn all prunings if any disease has affected the trees. In places where small garden stakes are very scarce, some gardeners collect the longest and straightest prunings for this purpose, provided of course that no disease is about. The weather nas made the ground too sticky to permit planting young trees. It is better to leave the trees healed in and wait for better conditions. VEGETABLES. As soon as conditions become favourable, stir lightly between lettuce plants and remove any large weeds. Small weeds do not perish with hoeing at this time of the year; but a constant stirring of the ground not only retards their growth but is

beneficial to the soil. Save all light bulky soot, it is useful for tppdressing round plants such as cabbage, lettuce, carrots and radish during early spring. POTATOES.

While the weather is unsettled procure seed potatoes and stand them in trays away from frost but given plenty of light, ih order to green and sprout them. By this method one has a good batch of seed tubers to plant when required. The eyes are plump and healthy and the tubers are plump and firm Experiments have proved that seed potatoes treated in the above manner give larger crops. Four good early varieties are Epicure, Jersey Bennes, Early Puritan, and Sutton’s Queen. WATER CRESS VALUABLE FOOD PLANT. The water-cress in undoubtedly a very wholesome plant, possessing excellent antiscorbutic properties (says the Gardeners’ Chronicle, London). It is said to contain iodine, to which probably some of its virtues may be attributed, and is a highly agreeable edible plant to most people in its fresh, green state. Many who love a ramble in the fields in search of wild flowers have halted by the side of some refreshing brook to gather water-cress, but it is not from the pleasant streams and brooks in England that our markets are wholly supplied, nor in them is the best quality of water-cress grown, for like other edible plants, it is improved by cultivation. Not only are the stems and leaves larger and more succulent, but the flavour is greatly improved under cultivation, and it is an important and lucrative branch of marketgardening. Widely used as a salad in this country, particularly during the winter and spring months, the consumption of water-cress is very great, but it is even more widely used on the Continent, where it is served liberally with roast fowl and broiled joints, and sometimes also boiled and minced, like spinach.

The water-cress appears to have been known to the Greeks, both as an esculent and as a medicinal plant for disorders of the brain. In Pliny’s time it was held in great repute, and we read also that Xenophon thought very highly of the plant as a strengthener, and recommended it to the Persians to give to their children for the purpose of strengthening them and adding to their stature. It was, perhaps, on this historic authority that the housewives of a century ago gave to their children in the spring of the a “health-giving” draught which was a decoction of water-cress, brooklime, scurvy-grass and oranges. It has been introduced into North America, and some of our colonies. In New Zealand it forms a stem as thick as the wrist, and almost chokes some of the rivers.

It is said that the ancients ate watercress chiefly with lettuces, the stimulating properties of the former counteracting the coldness of the latter. It has also been stated that the water-cress, in consideration of its being found indigenous in most parts of Europe and Northern Asia, was probably one of the first green esculents employed by the early races that peopled those regions, and it is even suggested as having been, at a remote period, cultivated in some parts of northern India. The first attempts, however, to cultivate water-cress by artificial means in Europe appear to have been made about the middle of the sixteenth century, by Nicholas Meissner, in the numerous streams which abound in the vicinity of Erfurt, the capital of Upper Thuringia. The water and the soil suiting the plants, they thrived. Watercress cultivation became a great pecuniary success, and the Erfurt water-cress was renowned for its superior quality. This success resulted in many plantations being established in various parts of Germany and Holland, but the Erfurt cresses retained their reputation for superior quality, and are still sent in large quantities to the Berlin market.

The Erfurt cress plantations became so profitable that they were let at rentals which sounded almost fabulous, yet there was never any difficulty in getting these high- prices. Water-cress plantations established in the neighbourhood of Paris also became extremely valuable as the demand in the French capital was very great, and at one time the value of the cress sent to Paris markets exceeded a million francs annually at pre-war values. I We read of water-cress once growing in large quantities in the waters of Fothill Fields, Westminster, and even on the neighbouring banks of the Thames itself, but we do not hear of its cultivation in a systematic manner until the year 1808, when plantations were laid down at Springhead, near Gravesend, and large quantities of cress of good quality were produced. When the success of these plantations became known, other plantations were soon started in many parts of the country where suit- ' able springs existed. In the neighbourhood of London especially, many of these plantations were formed, and although some have been done away with, others have taken their places further afield. Some idea of the importance of the industry may be gained from the fact that something like 8,000 or 10,000 bunches are brought into the London markets daily. The plant, Nasturtium officinale, is a hardy perennial belonging to the Natural Order Cruciferae, which gives us so many varieties of vegetables. It varies greatly in the luxuriance of its growth; according to the situation in which it.is found, and I grows best in springs or clear running water, I where the bottom is either sandy or gravelly. In such a situation it will sometimes grow a foot above the surface of the water, although its more usual height is six inches. When the plants are surrounded by other vegetation, or when they grow in running streams, the leaves become longer and of a much brighter green, but those of a brownish tinge are, however, preferred for the table. SINGLE ROSES THEIR CLAIMS TO GREATER POPULARITY. “Rosa Simplex,” in Amateur Gardening. Some readers may be disposed to question the assertion that single-flowered roses lack anything in deserved popularity; they may offer as substantiation of a contrary opinion the evidence of friends who plant singleflowered varities in preference to the highlydeveloped Pernetianas and hybrid teas; but the stubborn fact remains that practically every trade grower of roses finds that, whereas he may propagate Ophelia, Betty Uprichard, Caroline Testout, and a score of other large double-flowered varities by their thousands, and run out of stock before the planting season is nearly through, half a hundred of any one single-flowered variety is sufficient to meet all demands, and of many varieties a couple of dozen would be enough and to spare. It would be folly to suggest that there is any valid reason why garden owners should plant single in preference to doubleflowered roses, but we may quite reasonably urge that wherever roses are to be planted, whether in large or small numbers, some proportion of them should be singles. It is not difficult to advance very good reasons to justify such exhortation. Some of the single-flowered roses provide colours distinct from any hybrid tea or Pernetiana of the double-flowered classes. Many of them will flourish and make a brave show on poorer soil than is required to produce good double flowers. The large pale yellow blossoms of Mermaid will open in profusion even in a shaded position, and its handsome glossy foliage is very evergreen. The crimson of Rosa Moyesi is more intense and striking than any other crimson rose, and its summer display of

flowers is followed by an autumn shower of pear-shaped hips as brilliant as scarlet sealing wax. Requiring much less pruning than their double-flowered sisters, the single roses grow into fine spreading shrubs, and for really artistic arrangement in the cut state single roses are just perfection. That their blossoms are fragile and short-lived must be admitted, but many half-opened buds will open in water and their freedom of flowering makes ample amends for the brevity of their sojourn. SUPERPHOSPHATE AND POTATOES To thousands of allotment holders in London and other thickly populated* areas the question of artificial manures is of vital importance. Organic manures are scarce, and difficult to obtain; consequently allotment holders are dependent to a great extent on artifical manures to maintain soil fertility. I have under my direction two groups of allotments; the soil of one set is of a heavy, clayey nature; in the other it is light and sandy. Potatoes are extensively grown on both, and artificial manure mixtures, consisting of superphosphate, sulphate of ammonia, and sulphate of potash, are used at planting time. The potatoes are planted on the trench system; the mixture is scattered along the bottom of the trench, and the potato sets placed thereon; the sets are sprouted before planting. This method has been in practice for the past seven years, and during that period there has not been a single complaint of damage to the sets;, indeed, craeful observations prove that the application of artificial manures stimulates the haulm, promoting a stout, healthy top, thus fortifying the plant against disease and encouraging the production of heavier crops. Mr. Cuthbertson, in his Mansion House lecture on potato growing said: “Along the bottom of this (meaning the trench) sprinkle a little good artificial manure, two ounces to the running yard will be enough.” In my opinion that advice is sound, and I presume that Mr. Cuthbertson meant superphosphate to be one of the ingredients of the mixture referred to.—W. Stewart, in the ‘Gardener’s Chronicle.’