GARDEN NOTES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVI, Issue 16233, 31 March 1917, Page 3

GARDEN NOTES.

InOTES AND 7 QTJERIES. [The . object' of these contributions is to assist amateur gardeners in South Canterbury, and it is hoped /to. do so most; ■usefully by ahswer- \- iug questions. " .Questions should hj& 4 as brief and as lucid as possible, and be sent addressed, to "HortiTimaru Herald," by noonj of "Wednesday : each week.] . x . . »•, ' Amateur.—The most common cause of tomato bloom dropping prematurely is starvation, i:e'.,seedlings raised under glass 'and hardened .off.•hurriedly instead of graclually. : This appears •• to i have been your experience. In this country,' where tomatoes dp so well' out of doors in season, the surest and bestpaying method is to grow your plants" in 'pots o : r'-kerosene tins,' so long as you. make the' drainage right, and by this means, you can get your fruit early, which is necessary :if inside grooving is to \be profitable. If possible, groiv them by themselves, though good crops can-begojtein a vinery. When planted into kerqsene tin's, only fill three-parrs full of soil, leaving room . for liauid feeding and. mulcliing''' as'the plant grows and becomes root-hound. You will find it necessary to keep as even temperature - as possible' without artificial heat. Do this by ventilation during the day. High temperatures and too moist an atmosphere are often the cause, of failure. . You- pet.-the -best crops when grown in a 'dry,' buoyant atmosphere. .'Watering .will be most necessary as 1 the plant grows. /When tlie fruit is approaching niatui-ity, ; rip*ening will not be ha stened by; itlie conrolete removal of the. leaves about the plant. Reduce the • covers the_friat. of leaves is inadvisable. ;EeeT> : .ftll lateral shoots pinched out regularly: ar>d stop leaders beyond say the fourth cluster, of fraiV Nitrate of soda sprinkled on -the surface of the soil from time to time is good. ;;St. Andrews'.—Canker in apple trees. Some varieties are' more disposed xo this' disease than others.: , In some soils, all varieties are more or less subject to £b.. Predisposing causes.; to attacks of canker are sudden checks ; to the vegetation.of the tree, especially in spring, extremes of .heat and cold, too wet, too dry, and unskilful pruning. . - ...

■ Green. Vegetables.- You. speak of summer spinach running to seed prematurely in dry weather. '. Extremely drv conditiqns cause this. Whv not grow a bed of New Zealand spinach as a stand-by. It is perennial, and stands dry weather. . Tou can .cut it when green vegetables are scarce. Steep the. seed for a day' before sowing. When large enough thin out to two feet apart in rows, and about 3ft to 4ft between the rows. - Give a northerly aspect.' Aotea.—Evidently peach scale. Wash the shoots" after pruning in winter with a brush, using "kerosene emulsion" or fir tree oil to dip in. Be careful not to touch buds with the mixture. Make the emulsion as follows:—! gal. kerosene, igal: milk (stir till like butter). One .pint of this to ligal. water; mix thoroughly. Selwyn.—The nasturtium-like climber'you speak of is known as the Scotch_" flame plant. The botanical name is Tropacolum specibsum. It is a native of Chili, and' likes a.cold aspect./ • ■ *';~y ??;;■»■'- ""; .;;' ; '.'■;'•':■, ; ■■*■'-;-.' Clematis.—Tiie' reason for your clematis bloom deteriorating is wrong treatment. Jackmannii varieties like judicious pruning, as do: many of the English varieties.