Amateur Gardener.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 115, 20 June 1914, Page 5

Amateur Gardener.

(By "AOTEA.")

Gardening requires for its successful consummation a considerable amount of judgment on the part of the gardener. Even the most carefully compiled notes can do no more than suggest and point out the most practical mode and seasonable time for garden work. Climate, soil, and weather conditions vary considerably in even contiguous localities. In one garden it may be possible to do similar work days or even weeks in advance of what may be done in arotlier that is perhaps situated only a short distance away. Even in the same garden conditions for the favourable cultivation of early vegetables or flowers may be found much superior in one portion to that which prevails generally in the main portion of the garden. On some soils, such as heavy loams or clays, it is folly to even tread on them after rains until a sufficient interval has elapsed to allow of the draining away of the surplus moisture, while your neighbour, who has a less retentive soil of a porous or sandy nature, is benefited and assisted in his work by the ; extra moisture in the soil. A point that should not be forgotten it is much better to work with Nature than to attempt to fight against it. We have been generally very fortunate in the favourable weather experienced during the now past autumn, but we cannot expect, neither is it desirable from a gardening standpoint, that we are going to experience such fine weather throughout the winter season. We are fairly certain to have the average made up before its close, so it behoves us, where work is backward, to push it forward whenever favourable opportunities occur. Pruning, spraying, destroying weeds, and keeping the garden free from exhausted crops, burning fallen leaves, prunings, and rubbish, hoeing and forking amongst growing crops and similar work should not be neglected. The moist, mild autumn has been very favourable to slugs, which are very partial to young sweet pea tops. As soon &g these are well through the ground it is well to lightly fork along the rows

or about the clumps, while light dusting with soot will make them unpalatable to slugs. When the plants aro throe inches high they should have some light twiggy sticks placed to them, as they get on much more robustly if they can get something to cling to in the early stages. RHUBARB. Now is a good time to prepare the ground for new plantations of rhubarb. Rhubarb occupies rather an anomalous position. By some it is called u fruit, while others maintain that it is a vegetable. Perhaps the more correct designation would be pie-vegetabie. It is only of comparatively late years that it has been used for "pie" purposes. It is said to have been found growing on the banks of the Volga River, and was introduced into England somewhere about 1570. It was cultivated as a pot herb and considered superior to spinach, the use of the tender leaf stalks as a substitute for fruit in pies and tarts was not in vogue before the early years of 1800. The pleasant refreshing acidity of rhubarb is caused by the presence in quantity of oxalic, nitric, and malic acids, which makes it rather unsuitable to persons with weak digestion. It is said that the large globular pouch of unopened flowers when treated in a similar way to the stalks, is of a more delicate and mild flavour, and forms a dish of great delicacy, but I cannot speak from personal experience. It grows freely in any good, rich, deep soil that is not too light. ; Trench the ground, which should be in a dryish rather than a wet position, three feet deep, incorporating some well-rotted manure with the soil as the work proceeds, but avoid any excess. Leave the bed to settle for a month or so. If there is an old bed of rhubarb in the garden of good quality, single crowns may be taken off to plant the new bed. Do not plant in the ''rough and ready'' way by chopping off a lump of the root and several crowns with a spade, but cut out the crown, choosing good plump ones, with a knife, just leaving a very small base of solid root, plant these from two feet to three feet j apart, covering the crown with about j two inches of soil. It will be found that these single crowns make much finer plants and last much longer without going to seed and becoming exhausted than by planting large divisions of the roots. Should the plants have to be

obtained Prom a nursery examine the roots tuni fill, out carefully all portions thai aro bruised, or that show any signs of hollowness or decay. There are many varieties of rhubarb and some gardeners soem to liavo no time for any that is not of giant size, which does not often moan giant quality. One of the host —if not tho best —early variety is 'Myatt's Linmr-us, while for the main crop Virtoria. and Johnston's St. Martin are excellent. There is another sort of rhubarb of distinct habit and growth called Winter Rhubarb. The first variety introduced here was called Topp's Winter Rhubarb. Tho peculiarity of the variety is that it is of perpetual growth, and can with a little protection or in a warm sheltered position be had fit for use all the winter. It is also available during summer, but as the stalks are rather thin, it is not much called upon when the ordinary rhubarb is fit for use. A later introduction, Wilson's Winter Rhubarb, has stalks nearly twice as thick, and is a great improvement on the preceding variety. After planting, a light dressing of long stable manure should be placed over the bed, and plenty of water should be given should dry weather occur. No leaves should be pulled the first season, but every inducement towards good growth should be given, as the larger and sturdier the leaves the better the crowns will be. If there is an old bed it should not be destroyed until the new one has made a year's growth.

GROWING ASPARAGUS IN SAND. I have been asked to recommend a system of cultivation for asparagus when the soil is sand, or nearly all sand, as occurs, I am told, in many instances at New Brighton, and doubtless at several other places round our coast. As pointed out in last week's notes asparagus is naturally a habitant of sandy seashores, and in general near the sea's margin, where it would receive an annual dressing of weeds washed up by the winter storms, the fertilising value of which has been estimated at 10/- per ton fresh, and at from 40/- to 65/- per ton when dry. Sea water contains many fertilising salts in solution which, after saturating the sand, must leave a considerable quantity of valuable elements behind when the tide recedes. The principal of these are sodium chloride (common salt) and potassium chloride, the sulphate and carbonate of calcium (lime), and no doubt others that are useful for the plant's growth.

Where the medium in which to grow asparagus is chiefly sand, I should not advise the addition of heavy loam or clav, as it would be inclined to bind the bed together too compactly, so that the surrounding sand being then much more porous, rain or water would not penetrate it readily in comparison with the sand, which would drain the moisture away. In making a bed in a position of this character it would be well to add a fair quantity of well rotted stable manure, or any well decayed vegetable rubbish, and some ground limestone, or thoroughly spent quick lime. The decaving organic matter will furnish liti'muH, which will act as a storehouse and prevent the soluble nitrates, phosphates and potash from being washed out after application. As in the course of a few years this humus will have practically disappeared, it will be necessary' to build up a supply on the surface.' This should be done by forking in lightly during winter well-rotted manure, or vegetable refuse, spreading three or four inches of partially rotted manure over tho surface of the bed, covering this in spring before growth commences with a light layer of straw to keep the heads clean. As fresh roots are emitted from the base of the crowns each season, they will soon take hold of this sandy humus and thrive amazingly. In July apply 4oz Kainit and 3oz superphosphate to the square yard, and after cutting is over, in the first week of December, apply l£oz of equal parts of nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammonia to the square yard, repeating the application after a month's interval. The growth will also benefit if a good mulching of rotted manure is given after the first application of the nitrates. Watering should be done with discretion. When the plants are making good growth, and the roots are 'active, they are in a condition when they will absorb the soluble salts readily, and watering during dry weather may be done freely then, but while growth is being continually checked by cutting, watering is generally harmful. I should like to make good an omission made in my previous notes re distance to place the plants in the rows. They should not be closer together than 15 inches, but 18 inches is the better distance. Sometimes the plants are so tangled together that two plants look like one. Care should be taken that they are not planted like this, but carefully disentangled and planted separately, or the crowns will become I crowded and the heads small.