Practical Gardening

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 495, 2 July 1932, Page 23 (Supplement)

Practical Gardening

T. D. LENNIE, N.D.H. (N.Z.)

MAKING GARDEN PATHS. The best type of path most fitting to the garden is one of gravel. It does not have that cold harsh appearance of concrete, and if properly constructed is equally as dry and wearing. To make it properly, take out a trench the width you require. Fill the bottom of the trench with large stones, clinkers, broken bricks or any rough, hard materials. Ram these well down and cover with about two inches of coarse gravel, likewise well rammed iff, and another inch of fine gravel, making it arched in shape to throw off the rain. Edge the path with a wood, tile, brick, or 6tone edging, and it will last for years with little attention beyond weeding. Fine shingle, or scoria, and sand will make a fine path. If the edges are put in place first the loose material can be shovelled in several inches deep and left loose, an occasional rake is all that is necessary to give it a clean appear-

and has the advantage of being permanent, and can be put down without any preparation of the ground beyond a rough Icrelling. When making a concrete path put in the side edgings first and fill between. Grass paths, if well made, are very nice and peaceful. Certainly in moist weather they are wet and uncomfortable, but are more in keeping with the garden than other paths of other materials. Grass paths should bo k;pt closely cut, and well rolled, and the edges neatly cut and trimmed. SOIL CULTIVATION. Winter is the best season for the cultivation of garden soils, because Nature helps the gardener considerably, and most of the ground being vacant, an opportunity is afforded of-doing the necessary work thoroughly. Soils vary in their composition not only in different parts of the country, hut often in the same locality. The ideal garden soil is neither so light that it may almost be blown away nor yet so retentive that it cannot he brought into a friable state for seed sowing. Eight soils have the advantage of being easily worked, are comparatively dry and warm in winter, but have the disadvantage of drying out quickly in summer. To most of us, however, the opportunity of choosing the exact soil we like is not given, and it is mostly a case of making a garden on the soil close to hand. There are good gardens on all soils. The crops that are grown vary, but the result is certainly obtained in spite of any soil disadvantages that may he present. Enthusiasm and cultivation are the chief essentials to a garden, and cultivation must be continuous. Light soils can be improved by the addition of farmyard manure or, as a substitute green, manuring. This latter consists in sowing oats, turnips or similar crops, and digging them in when they arc (in the case of oats) about a foot high. This, in the caso of poor soils, should he done not once, hut continuously. The ground should always have some crop on it. Remember that the success of a soiling crop is due to the amount of loaf that is produced and it is increasing, the value and benefiting the soil if artificial manure is used for the crop. Any greep waste that will decay easily should also be dug into the soil. Of all operations in the garden that get missed none get the “go by” so often as trenching. It is hard work and slow, hut its value is.beyond any other method of cultivation. No matter what kind of soil it is, trenching will improve it. If the subsoil is Aery bad brerfk it up and leaA'e it at the bottom. Add manure and vegetable refuse and at the next trenching you will gain inches of soil. If some people want to grow long carrots or parsnips they think it is necessary to have a garden of a sandy or v.ery deep soil, and those with a heavy, hard subsoil, have to content themselves with short carrots and parsnips with forked roots. Trenching is the remedy, and if no other part is done a piece of ground should be trenched each year for the . parsnips, carrots and onions. Heavy soils, especially when first broken in, are often a problem, and a disheartening one at that. Manure, vegetable refuse, green manuring or soiling crops and cultivation will bring about an alteration, and a heavy soil brought into good heart by cultivation is far better than a light soil which must he kept good by manure. . SHARPENING STAKES. Look over the stock of stakes, resharpen, and post them into lengths and

sizes. The ends which will go into the soil should be dipped or painted with creosote. The whole of the stake can be painted. This makes them less conspicuous. WOUNDS ON FRUIT TREES. Every wound on the bark of a fruit tree is a potential source of disease, and if growers would only take the trouble to look over their trees during the winter months they would save trouble and expense later on. It is often through these scars and wounds that injurious organisms find their way to the living tissues of the plant, and it is therefore of great importance to coat them with an antiseptic, so as to heal them as quickly as possible. A coat of white lead Daint or ordinary tar over the

WASHING POTS. Years ago when every fair-sized garden had two or three boy apprentices if there was one job that required sup pressing, according to the boys’ idea, i 1 was pot-washing. Wet days, dark mornings, odd times, for ever and ever there were pots to wash. Many a good armful of sound pots have been dropped., accidentally if possible, for revenge on those that were left. Pot washing, how-

ever, is essential to good work, and no -flirty pot should be used. A bucket of hot water, a scrubbing brush and a little disinfecting fluid will keep sterilised pots clean and free of insect and fungi pests. Many of the troubles of the greenhouse would be cured if pots and benches were kept clean.

A SUPERB CHRYSANTHEMUM. This is what H.S. says about Mrs. John Woolman in the “Nurseryman and 'Seedsman”: “Rarely is a new A'ariety introduced with the merit of Mrs. John Woolman, this from an exhibition point of A r iew. Probably this autumn Avill see it in fine trim generally. The colour is rose pink of a dark hue and the size and build of the bloom are striking. It belongs to the Majestic order in habit of Growth, and this means it is amenable concentration of stems and .generous feeding. Growers seem to love a sort which Avill put up with manures in liquid form. In early stages it is Avell :o be careful, but later on in tlie season; we may ‘feed’ strong and often. A time, is near when the type named is likely; ‘.o be predominant, and for this reason 1 wo welcome an outstanding addition. There are three notable colours in Majestic. Miss Ada Ellis may almost he :ermed another. With the one above named, therefore, there are five.”

SEED BAGS rROM ENVELOPES Useful-sized bags to bold seeds can hi made by cutting envelopes of commercial 6ize in half (dotted line in Fig. 1

shows where to cut, and Fig. 2 shows half an envelope ready for folding), then folding, as shown by the dotted lines, in

the order indicated by 1,2 and 3. The •ast fold (3) should be gummed down. «LORD HARTINGTON AS NURSERYMAN.” Under the heading of “Lord Hartington as Nurseryman,’* “The Derbyshire Advertiser” says that Lord Hartington is acting as nurseryman for the Governor of the Bank of England. Apparently he is keeping at his house in London a plant on behalf of the bank. The plant is a shrub—Ginko Biloba—the original stork of Avhich is extinct in this country, but which may be found in China, particularly in graveyards, where on account of the prodigious ago it attains, the people grow it in honour of their ancestors. N’o one seems to know the order to which it belongs, but numerous traces of it are to be seen in the clay of the London Basin, and it is thought to be a forbear of the conifer tribe. Lord Hartington intends to keep it for a year —in the most unfavourable position in the area. If it Avill live there, lie says, it will flourish anywhere.— “Horticulture Advertiser.”

e CLUB ROOT. The disease known as club root, which appears to be becoming more general, is caused by a minute living organism which occurs in infected soil, and gains entrance to the seedling plants through delicate hairs cm their roots. If protection is given to the seedlings and to the young transplanted plants, the attack of the disease may be warded off. To gi\’e this protection it is essential that seedlings should be grown in soil which is known to be free from club root; and iu those cases where the soil is known or suspected to be infected the seed must be sterilised. This can be done by heating the soil Avith steam, or if t’ is is impracticable by applying lime or some other sterilising agent. Heavy dressings of quicklime is said to be effective, but more effective is treating the

soil with naphthalene. This should be applied a day or so before the plants are put out. Mark out the rows Avhere the plants are to go and scatter powdered naphthalene along the line at the rate of about one ounce per two yards run of row; fork this in lightly. The naphthalene should be applied a day or so before planting. When the plants are ready to plant, just before planting dip the roots in a solution of restar I—loo.1 —100. and leaA'e them for about fifteen minutes. It must be stated that the only fortn of lime of any use against the disease is quicklime; carbonate, ground limestone and slaked lime are of little if any value. The dipping of the roots in restar solution apj>ears to be the most effective measure, but the application of tjio naphthalene is effective in infected 50i1.,, Try and avoid growing two allied crops such as cabbage, turnips, kale, cauliflower, broccoli on tlie same plot two seasons in succession.

NEW ROSES FOR 1932. There is much keen, pleasurable anticipation regarding the new roses for 1032. Mr. James Allan, president Of tlie National Rose Society of Victoria, who has recently returned from abroad, gives pride of place to Portadown Fragrance, a pernetiana type, salmon-pink with yellow base, possessing a rich fragrance. From early indications there appears to be a good future before this rose. The rose New Dawn is assured of immediate fame, because it is the first rose, and the first plant, to receive a patent in U.S.A. under tlie new law there. New Dawn is an ever-blooming sport from Dr. W. Van Fleet. Here it has been in bloom so far during spring, summer and autumn. In addition to Messrs. McGredy’s Portadown Fragrance, there are two others from the same firm which are attracting attention, namely, Portadown Sally, carmine Avith yellow base, and Sir Basil McFarland, salmon-pink, A'ery freeflowering. Aroma may be described ns a bright red Etoile de Hollande. Max Krause comes from the German raiser of that name. With us the colour is bright yellow. New climbers include Clg. C. V. Haworth, dark red; Clg. Souv. do Mme. Boullet, deep yellow Avith long buds. New Australian-raised climbers include Clg. Lord Cliarlemont, bright red, vigorous. and recognised in the trade as a variety of outstanding merit. The raiser is Mr. E. Hu ream be, rose specialist, of Prospect, Adelaide, South Australia. Two new climbing roses, of New South Wales origin, are Clg. Hugo Roller and Clg. Penelope. Before finishing with the standards and bush roses, I should have included another Australian-raised A'ariety. This comes from the garden of one of our Victorian enthusiasts, a painter of no mean ability, Mr. Blamire Young. He noticed a salmon-pink sport of Una Wallace in his garden, and Avas success::ul in fixing it. The variety is named Mrs. Blamire Young. Experts have acclaimed this A’ariety as ideal for garden and exhibition purposes.—“ Horticultural Advertiser.”) STICKS AND LABELS. There is an unlimited call for flower sticks and labels in the garden, and during the Avinter a supply should be procured or made, so that Avhen they are required in spring there is no Aval ting. When pruning the apple and pear trees select the straightest of the primings Sharpen one end and tie into bundles tc

handy for such things- as carnations etc. Labels are best made of Avliite pine or almost any soft box timber. Split with the grain, the labels are easily faced Avith a knife. The best way ol writing on them is to put on a little white lead paint Avith a cloth and write while it is wet with an ordinary blacl. lead pencil. CUTTINGS. Over 10,000 rose blooms were used to decorate Frascati’s restaurant (London) on April 23, in honour of St. George’s Day. Reuter reports that an immense orchid 45ft high and bearing hundreds of blooms on spikes, some of them Gft in length, has been discovered in an almost inaccessible gorge in Southern Queensland. An expedition is to be sent out in September with a view to obtaining a detained description of this huge plant. France exported 539 tons of cut flowers in February, 1932, compared with S3l tons in February, 1931. Of the former quantity, the United Kingdom took 472 tons, arid of the latter 695 tons. By an official decree dated April 20 France has prohibited the importation of potatoes, tomatoes, onions and othei fresh vegetables, as well as living plants and bulbs, from the United Kingdom, Germany and Holland.