THE AMATEUR GARDENER

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1736, 6 September 1919, Page 3

THE AMATEUR GARDENER

GARDEN CALENDAR.

SEPTEMBER. Average rainfall, 1.7G1n. Under Gla«». Tuberous begonias and gloxinias should now be started into growth. Repot plants as necessary. Prick off begonias, gloxinias, and other seedling plants. Plant out tomatoes and pot on those for planting outside. Harden off bedding plants. Sow vegetable /narrows and pumpkins. ' Outside. Prune roses. 'Roll and cut lawns. Sow hardy annuals. Sow grass seed on newlymade lawns. Plant violets, dahlias, and gladioli. Sow main crops of vegetables. Plant early potatoes. Plant out cabbage and cauliflower plants. Sow cabbage and cauliflower seed. Sow celery seed for main crop. THAT FALL OF SNOW. The Canterbury climate can at any season be classed, with the "variables," but it is rather a bit beyond what may reasonably be looked for .to find when one goes into the garden on a September morning from three to four inches of frozen snow covering the ground and bending down sometimes to breakingpoint the branches of trees and shrubs.

There certainly is beauty in showbedecked trees, but it is not all pleasure when one sees the beauty of the pink blossom of a full flowered peach tree shining through the snow, or having to dig the daffodils Out of their snow covering. Coming as it did after a spell of fine spring-like weather, which was sufficient to tempt the keen gardener to get on with seed-sowing and vegetableplanting, it required some optimism to view it calmly. The snow seemed to have frozen as it fell, as the branches of the trees were coated with ice rather than snow. The ground was colder than usual for the time of the year, and there was very little growth notwithstanding some quite summer-like days, but the soakage of snow-water will make it colder still, so that it will be advisable to defer any further seedsowing until the soil has got warmed up again. Now that the sun is gaining in heat-giving power, every day will see a rise in the. soil temperature. The soaking or snow water into cultivated ground inclines it to run tr—>ther where it is at all "stiff. This : ild be remedied as soon as the grouiid is fit to be worked by loosening the surface with the fork or the cultivator to let in the air and sun-heat. Vegetables. September is about the busiest month in the garden, as during this month nearly all the main vegetable crops must be sown of planted, and with the exception of celery, tomatoes, vegetable marrows, pumpkins, and ridge cucumbers are sown outside. The sorts named are not sufficiently hardy to put out into the open ground before November, but should be sown under glass and grown on until the weather is more suitable. Tomatoes should be already under way as previously advised, but seed of the others should be put in now. If only a few plants are wanted it is best to put the seed singly in three-inch pots filled with a rich light soil, but where a larger quantity is required the seed may be

[By "AOTEA."]

sown in boxes, putting the seed about three inches apart. After the seeds have germinated the young plants should be kept cool, and in an airy place frte from danger of frost. Any excess of heat will make the plants weak and spindly, and they will not recover from planting out nearly so readily. v Fruit Garden. Red mite is one of the most difficult pests that the fruit-grower has to contend with. It is not very difficult to kill the insect if the spray reaches it, but.it is very much more difficult to destroy the eggs, and they apparently hatch out over a fairly long season. With a view to getting further knowledge as to the efficacy of different sprays, and the most suitable time for spraying, the Government Horticultural Department took over a large block of nursery-grown apple trees kindly placed atthe department's disposal for this purpose. The report is published in the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture for August. It is not necessary here to deal with it in full, but as the conclusions arrived at seem to point to the possibility of an effectual remedv it will' be well to give it extended publicity. It is the difficulty of keening his few fruit trees free from the manv pests which attack them, and which so many of the remedies recommended for the purpose fail to do. that, more than anvthing, causes the amateur gardener to abstain from planting frui< trees, or to cut out those which were previously planted. The sprays used were:— Date. No. I—Red oil 1-10 Aug. 13, 101* No. 2—Red oil 1-23 Oct. 4, 101" No. 3—Red oil 1-30 Oct. 4, 191? No. 4—Lime-sulphur 1-20 Oct. 4, 101 f No. s—Lime-sulphur 1-25 Oct. 4, 1018 When the trees were examined on October 29 a few mites were found on No. 1; not any on 2 and 3, and quite a lot on 4 and 5. On examination in January it was found that 2 and 3 were infected also. As these sprayings were not satisfactory it was decided to fry summer spraying. The most effective were two plots-7-plot B, sprayed on Januarv 18 and 26 and February 3, with black leaf 40. 1-800 combined with limesulphur 1-100; and plot C, which was sprayed on the same days with lime sulphur only, at 1.-100. Both these plots seemed to be as clear of the mite as it was possible to get them, the lime-sulphur spray being as effectual for the red mite control as the more exoensive combined soray. but where the trees were afFected with woolly aDhis the black leaf 40 spray is very effective for its control too. The experiment is to be carried on another stage* to see whether further spraying during October before the mites lay their summer eggs would not be the most satisfactory. Although these recommendations entail a considerable expense and labour, still, they will be found the cheapest in the end if the mite can be sot rid of. Evidently a single spraying during the dormant season is ineffective; It is highly ijtinortant to nurserymen as those who can satisfactorily guarantee their stock free from red mite should have a ffood pull over those who cannot. It is very easy to infect a clean orchard by introducing even one infected tree.