IN THE GARDEN

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1930, Page 15 (Supplement)

IN THE GARDEN

WORK OF THE WEEK. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Chrysanthemums can be planted. Those . , planted earlier should be stopped when six inches high. Spray the chrysanthemums with limesulphur solution. This, will act as a preventive of rust and keep aphis in check. ,'.' >.. Plant dahlias. If old clumps are planted reduce the growth to one. Dahlias that are running up with a single stem should be topped, leaving the two lower pairs of leaves. ■ Put stakes to dahlias at planting time, plant flower seedlings to fill up empty spaces in beds and borders.', A little diluted liquid manure given now to gladioli will help the formation of flower spikes. ■ Go over the rose beds every day and cut off all spent blooms. Spray for aphis should any appear on the roses. Use a nicotine spray. Dusting the rose plants with flowers of sulphur will keep the mildew and ’ aphis in check. , . Sowings of phlox, salvia, eelosia, zinnias i and miniature sunflowers can be ' made. ’ 7 .■'''’ ■>/ ' :;■'’.'! Now is the best time to sow hardy bien- . nials and perennials. , , Delphiniuriis, hollyhocks,- sweet williams, Canterbury bells, marguerites,. carnations are amongst the plants that can ■ be sown now. ' Bulbs that have died off completely can be lifted.- • .;.'■ . . Nerinesj. iris susiana, lachenalias, also iris tingitana can be lifted. Lift tulips before the foliage has entirely died back. ' THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Tomatoes that are growing nicely should be disbudded and sprayed. Further plantings of tomatoes can be made. F '. - -,' '. Cucumbers, melons, pumpkins can be .sown. ■ ’ When early sowings were made and ■ vacancies occurred, resow to fill up the blanks. Peas should be moulded up and staked. . Further sowings cap be made. Mak© further sowings of runner and dwarf beans. -. ■ Make a sowing of haricot beans for drying for winter use. Work the soil between growing crops to keep down weeds. Make further sowings of spinach, let- ' < tuce, radish. \, Qnions should have a little manure ap- > plied. Superphosphate,, sulphate of ammonia or soot are all good for the purpose.., - ■ ' ,: ■ ■ •.'< / ‘ HOLLYHOCKS. These beautiful old-fashioned flowers take us back to the days of pur forefathers and the thatched roof cottage, with the porch covered with the old > monthly rose, so loved of. poets and artists. A good deal of the picture however, has passed, but we still have the hollyhock, and there is plenty of room in our gardens, for a lot more of these delightful flowers. At one time the hollyhock received a good deal of attention! It was an exhibition flower, and , there were expensive named varieties propagated by cuttings. These named varieties have passed away, wiped out by that dreaded hollyhock rust which promised at one time' 1 to ' wipe out the whole genus. After a few years its

virulence began to abate, and it is now possible to grow a fair sample of hollyhocks.', Although named sorts are no longer available, the best strains of seed produce i most glorious varieties, .and nothing’ finer is needed than a good batch of Seedling hollyhocks. Seedlings, too, during the first two years of their life, appear to be much more resistant to. the rust. Con sequenfly it is best to grow a fresh batch of seedlings each year. The rust attacks' the undersides of the leaves and germinates as soon as the seed, so that it is almost impossible to obtain a disease-free .plant. The tease also attacks other allied plants of the mallow order. Spraying with a fungicide during the season of growth will keep the disease under control sufficiently to allow the plants to make good headway and give a good account of themselves. Seed should be sown ■about midsummer.- Sow. in drills and shade till the seedlings- are up. When large enough to handle, the plants should b'e pricked out into some good soil, putting -them about six inches apart. Grown on until the autumn, they should then be planted out into their permanent positions. A good deep soil is essential, and it should be deeply dug and well manured. Give each plant a clear space of three feet to allow room for staking, etc. To ensure safety, each plant will need a good strong stake, about six feet high. This stake should 'be in position before the flower stem begins to push up, which, will be about midsummer! The tying to the stake must be carefully done, and careful watch kept to see that the ties do not get caught and either kink or cut the flower stem. Once the stem begins to run up, applications of liquid manure

are desirable. THINNING GRAPES. The thinning of the berries in bunches of grapes is necessary, especially in the case of those grown indoors. Commence the work as soon as the berries are the size of small beads. Thinning consists of clipping out with grape scissors all surplus berries, mostly inside berries, leaving those that stand well out, as these have the greater amount - of space to expand. The proper way is to commence at the lower extremity of the bunch and work upwards until the shoulders are reached, then with a pointed stick in the left hand hold out the shoulder and thin as advised until the shoulder or side bunch is finished. If the bunches or shoulders are large, tie them out with thin strips of raffia, so as tq allow room to expand and produce fine bunches. The distance between each berry is just sufficient room to enable the point of the finger to be placed between each berry. Some persons have the erroneous idea that this reduces the weight of the crop. Not so. For a welldeveloped bunch of-fruit —that is, where the berries have room to expand —not only will they weigh more, but will fetch at market nearly double as much as small, undeveloped berries and bunches. USE FOR RETIRED TOOLS. 1. An old spade with the handle sawn off, stuck in the ground handle end downwards, will make a good boot scraper. 2. An old broom, treated in the same way, and put by the side of the spade, is just the thing to remove the soil from the sides of the boots. 3. The handle of the spade, if pointed, will make a good dibbler. 4. Those who possess an oil-engine or a motor should save the dirty oil from the lubricators. This is excellent for oiling tools. Tie a piece of waste or rag , tightly round a stick, and dip it in the

oil. After the soil has been removed from the tool rub it over. This will prevent the tool rusting. It is also very good to rub over the boots that are worn in the garden. It keeps them soft and waterproof. A GREAT PLANT COLLECTOR. The news of the death of Dr. E. H. Wilson, V.M.H., keeper of the Arnold Arboretum, America, will be received with the deepest regret. It appears from the brief reports to hand that the doctor, while motoring with his wife, met with an accident in which both sustained fatal injuries. Dr. Wilson will be best known to future generations as the famous plant collector who introduced many valuable plants to domestic horticulture. He was

born at Campden, in Gloucestershire,, in 1876, and was educated at the Royal College of Science. By way of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Edgbaston, he eventually came to Kew, which was then under the able: and efficient control of Sir W. T. Thistleton Dyer. When he was 23 years of age he obtained the pbst of plant collector for the famous firm of J. Veitch and -Sons, and his journeys took him all over central and western China and the Tibetan frontier. “His first mission was a brilliant success (says “Country Life”) and resulted in the successful introduction .to dur gardens of such plants as the handsome Davidia invplucrata, Buddleia. variabilis Veitchiana, Astilbe Davidii, and numerous species of roses, spiraeas, vines, maples and magnolias. Mr. Wilson returned a year later t'o continue his labours, and among his finds Were several lilies (including Lilium regale), that magnificent yellow poppy, Meconopsis integrifolia and Berberis Wilsonae. Hfi continued to collect in later years for the. Arnold Arboretum under the direction of Professor Sargent, whom three years ago he succeeded as keeper, and the extensive' tree and shrub collection in ‘America’s greatest garden’ is not only testimony to his work asza collector, but proof of-his abilities as an able administrator., With all his duties in the field, he found time: for writing, and horticultural' literature is richer to-day by many admirable volumes from his pen.”—-“Nurseryman and Seedsman.” SOWING HARDY PERENNIALS.; ■The proper time to sow hardy perennials is in early summer. Delphiniums, aquilegias, geums, gaillardias, etc., if sown about this time, will make nice plants for planting in their permanent positions in autumn and flower well the following season. Make up a bed of fine soil and raised a few inches above the surrounding level. It does, not need to be rich or too well manured, as ordinary soil. is quite good enough for; seed. The size of the bed will vary according to the amount of seed, but only make the bed wide enough so that the opposite side can be reached .without having to step on the bed; a width of three feet is quite wide; enough. Smooth over the surface and make shallow drills by pressing in the edge of a piece of board; let the board be long enough to gb the full width of the bed. If a small quantity of seed of several varieties is to be sown make the drills, say, about six inches apart. Where large quantities are sown the drills can be farther ..-apart to facilitate the use of a hoe, but with small sowing keep the drills closer , and rely on handweeding. Sow thinly, is the right advice, but the difficulty is to know what' is meant. It is easy enough to sow coconuts one at a time but who. ever ' managed to sow. begonia seed or fern spores thinly? , . The best advice, is, do not sow too thickly; but on the other hand sow evenly. Most seeds germinate better when more or lesp close together; seed sown so thinly that each seed is practically isolated always appears to be slower, and certainly the percentage of misses is more obvious. -On the i other hand, seed sown so that there is just room for- the seedling plant to stand appear to help each other; perhaps there is a warmth generated which is conserved -when the germinating, seeds are. close enough to each other. Anyway, seeds sown reasonably thick always seem to germinate . better than ( when sown very thinly. Once , the seedlings are up and the little plants have begun ;tb grow, transplanting is necessary, and this

should be done into prepared beds of well manured soil. Once the seeds are sown in: the shallow drills, it'/is a gdod plan to cover them with , sand.' If, however, the soil is fine it can quite safely be used; the only thing about the sand is that it clearly defines the row of seed, as a rule is comparatively free of weed seeds, and should watering be necessary does not cake. The smallest seeds will only need a light covering; the larger ones will need quite half an inch. ,A shading of scrim or macrocarpa branches on a framework, so as to keep it quite six inches off the bed, will assist germination and keep the bed moist without a great deal of watering. RADISHES.

To g]"ow really tender, crisp radishes, a light, rich * soil is necessary. .Heavy, damp soils, and those of. a hungry nature, must have the addition of manure and cultivation to make them suitable. Quick growth is essential, and as the season advances the position should not be too sunny. A good position is .between rows of peas or other tall vegetables which will give shade during the hottest part of the day. To promote rapid growth and ensure tender, succulent roots, give liquid manure once a week. The following mixture used at the rate of an ounce to the gallon of water will prove beneficial: Sulphate of ammonia 1 part, superphosphate 3 parts. Sow every week and use when small. Large radishes are not required and are of no value. PLANTING CLEMATIS. In planting a clematis it is of great importance to bury the point where the graft joins the stock. The best way is to make a short trench and lay in part of the ' stem of the cleniatic. Clematis like their heads in the sun, but need a cool and partially shaded root run. Every year the roots should have a mulching of leaf mould. SCENTED MUSK. While horticulturists in all parts of the world have been experimenting and trying to restore scent to the musk, a Bentley, Hampshire, woman has grown a fully-scented specimen from a 2d packet of seed. Just before the war reports from different countries stated that quite suddenly all perfume had passed from the musk flower. Ever since the phenomenon has puzzled chemists and botanists. To-day Mrs. C. Joy, of Marylands, Bentley, "showed me the musk she had grown. /• ° ‘‘l hay;e had it for one year now,” she

stated, “and it was grown quite casually from a '2d packet of seed. It has' a strong scent, even stronger when in full flower and showns no sign of losing it.” The musk is kept in a greenhouse apd seedlings from it are' being cultivated—The Daily Mail. , . . BAMBOOS, The bamboo does not enter, largely into the selection of plants used /in gardens, and yet it lias a .value which in a measure is not realised. Apart from the decorative value the use pf a clump of bamboo producing good useful canes or flower sticks will be ovious to all gardeners. As a dividing fence or a shelter- the bamboo m also useful as loner as one of the aggressive varieties which produce long sucking roots are avoided. They like a naturally moist soil, and one as good as can be procured, at the same time, although in poorer soils the growth’ may not be so fast, the plants will do quite well and one 'could almost say that the bamboo willdo in any soil; The bamboo is propagated by taking off suckers which grow out from the main stool. If the soil is dug away, and a growing point with a few roots can be obtained, it ifi the right piece for making a new plant. The present is a good time for this work. The plants are growing, the roots are active, and the soil is moist and .warm. If pieces with ,a few roots are. tiken off now almost every one should) form a plant. POTTING CHRYSANTHEMUMS. ;

. No time should be - lost in completing the transference of plants to their flowering •pots.’ It ' is important that, a good'soil compost be used, the staple of which should be good fibrous loam. To every three parts of loam, qdd one part of leaf soil; a little spot, wood ashes, and a fair, amount Of sand. Add about 11b of bonedust to every bushel of corppost. Place a sufficient quantity of crocks in the bottom of the pots to secure ample drainage; then a layer of brqken turf, then a. layer of the.. compost, which ought not to be reduced to too fine a condition. Remove the crocks from the 1 ttom of the old plant, place this in position, adding the compost, and make it firm. Leave two inches space at top for top dressing later on. r AUBRIETIAS. The plants of aubrietias that have finished flowering may be pulled to pieces and the pieces planted up in a' nursery; bed, where they will ,rpot and. make good plants for next spring. Make the -.soil firm about, them, and if the weather is very hot and dry shade till they show signs of having started to make roots.. A good watering •in dry weather will also be beneficial. '> . ~ ' THE HARDY FERNERY. The hardy fernery should have attention before the new . fronds . get too large. The dead and brown fronds.' beneath the old, ones are not. considered as an adornment, and yet it must be considered that they have an important part to play in the life of a .fern. They hold ’ a plentiful supply of moisture, keep the roots cool and in a fairly even temperature, and eventually decay and become soil. If the old fronds are removed then the plants should be given a mulching of coarse leafmould. Ferneries can be materially brightened by planting primroses, polyanthus and cyclamen among the ferns, Even some of the liliums do very well, provided the soil is sufficiently deep; One of the creates t drawbacks to the fernery is the slugs and snails. Hand-picking and an occasional dusting with nitrate of potash or nitrate of . soda will -act as shigicides. Alum is' also usefuL as a mild slugicide. However, by hand-pick-ing, etc., and so never allowing the slugs or snails time to get in to strong a force, they can quite easily be kept down to a comparatively harmless couditipjt, ’ •