GARDEN NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16712, 30 January 1926, Page 19 (Supplement)

GARDEN NOTES.

SEASONABLE WORK. (By "Nikau.") Vegetables and Fruit. —While the ground is so dry, much hoeing and weeding, but little sowing and planting, may be done. Dig in spent crops to make green manure. Water each section of the garden thoroughly once a week. Pinch out side-growths - of tomatoes. . Dig ripe potatoes. Plant leek and celery. Spray apple trees with arsenate of lead to check grubs of codlin moth. Bud fruit trees. Flowers. —Remove seed pods from sweet peas, and heads from roses, scabious, carnations. Stir surface of rose bed. Mulch rhododendrons and other shrubs with lawn mowings, etc. Bud roses and other shrubs. SPECIAL NOTES. Second Growth In Potatoes. —If a few heavy showers fall soon, potatoes will start into second growth. As a result, their texture and their flavour will soon spoil. To prevent this, we should dig our potatoes as soon as the tops wither or the flowers fall. The tubers must be kept in a dark place, to prevent greening and sunburn. The sunburnt tubers should not be thrown away, as they will make good "seed" for planting in spring. Naturally, only those of a good shape and a fair size are suitable for this purpose.

Club Root In Cabbages.—Since writing a note on this subject some weeks ago, the writer has seen a good many more diseased plants. Generally it will be found that, if a few cabbage plants are showing a pale, wilted foliage while others of the same planting are green, the wilted ones are suffering from club root. Those plants that have swollen, deformed roots should be promptly burnt, and the soil should be well limed. For two or three years no member of the cabbage or turnip families should be grown in the infected soil, lest the disease be given a chance to continue.

Tomatoes. —Though these plants aro now well on, they still require attention in the matter of staking and training. The side-shoots must still be removed, so that the one-stem system can be adhered to. Early plants are now showing four or five clusters of fruit above one another; when-the number has reached six or seven, the top should be pinched out. A few of the leaves may be removed, but this must be done carefully, otherwise the plant will receive a severe check. If a few of the large leaves arc cut off with only one pair of leaflets left to eacli leaf, the plants will get quite enough light and air to bo healthy.

Spraying Tomatoes. —In a dry summer like this, disease does not appear so frequently among tomatoes; there is therefore less need for the Bordeaux or lime-sulphur sprays. The dry weather, however, is extremely favourable to all kinds of moths and their caterpillars or grubs, so that we must pay attention to the arsenate sprav for tomatoes. To be on the safe "side, combine it with a fungicide such as Bordeaux or lime-sulphur. We have little hesitation in recommending the poisonous sprays, as almost everyone wipes tomatoes before eating them; another thing to note is that the ordinary round tomatoes have no lurking places for spray, so that every particle can easily be removed by wiping. If there are little children about, however, we must consider the possibility of their taking and eating the fruit without wiping it. Watering.—While the weather is hot we are all tempted to water our gardens and help the plants as much as possible. Let it be remembered that the best watering is a thorough one, so that the water may penetrate the top inch or two and find its way to where it is really wanted —that is, at the roots., If the soil is covered with a mulch of lawn mowings or compost, the moisture will stay in much'longer. As to the time of the day, it may be said that all times will do* but the most economical is the evening; by watering then we allow the plants nearly twelve hours before the sun and the wind combine to draw out the moisture again.

Native Plants. —A glance at one's ferns and other native plants will discover these favourites to be in need of attention. It may be necessary to shade them more, by means of scrim, old sacking, branches of evergreen, anct other materials. An overhead sprinkling every evening will complete the good work. With partial shade, long-established ferns and other plants will manage quite well with one good soaking each week in place of the daily sprinkling.

Exhibition Gardens. —Though remembering that "comparisons arc odious," the writer feels constrained to say that the gardening effects obtained by the present Exhibition are inferior to those of the Cliristchurch Exhibition of 190 G and 1907. This is due, in the case of the outdoor work, to the fact that the soil has been very unfavourable: just imagine making a garden a few months ago. out of a patch of soil which was then a rubbish heap, and which was a tidal basin last year! This explanation does not.hold, however, in the case of the fernery; though containing many good ones, the place showed much crudity. For example, the willow logs used to imitate fallen bush trees were allowed to send up sprouts; a sculptured crocodile lay basking on the bank of a little pool; begonias instead of-native plants hung from the ceiling; ferns still in boxes lay in various places to remind us (as if'we needed it!) -that this was not the real bush. Little or no attempt seemed to have been made to secure the characteristic ferns of the North Island, or even the rarer ones of the South Island; for example, there were few, if any, Kidney ferns, King ferns, Prince of Wales' Feathers, and native maidenhairs.

The mixed borders'along the fronts and sides of the various buildings were a credit to the gardeners. Just inside the gates were wonderful beds of Sweet William, equalled only by those in the Botanic Gardens; all the new shades were there, especially the rioli pinks and deep reds. Along the front of the British Pavilion were beds of standard fuchsias, resembling roses in habit of growth. Some of the stems seemed 30in. high and 2in. in diameter. In the other borders were geraniums of various kinds, chiefly the popular scarlet bedding and the variegated, varieties. Good antirrhinums, pentstemons, aqullcgias, - gaillardias, delphiniums, coreopsis, brown calceolaria, Marguerite daisies, Canterbury bells, stocks, deep blue lobelia, nemesia, and French marigolds were all noticeable. There were several clumps of-the beautiful new yellow geum, Lady Strathedcn, latelyi recommended in this column. Outside the fernery were rockeries covered with mountain daisies and buttercups (celmisias and Ranunculus lyalli) ; the daisies were flowering quite well, but the buttercups had not Jlowered at ail.- . ... J,.... '.. "

To farmers and gardeners the- Experimental Seotion outside was very interesting. Here was illustrated in a practical 'manner the various' doctrines and hypotheses brought forward from time to time by Dr. Cockayne and other authorities. Space will not allow us to give more than a general outline of the display:—(l) Nursery work, showing various trees at the seedling, one-year, and two-year stages. Various cucalypts and pines were shown in this way. /(2) Various plant associations, particularly in the hill country of Otago. The successive stages from bare rock to full pasture were shown almost in a "state of nature." (3) Payability of grasses at various stages of growth; we suspect a pair of shears is used to trim off the kinds favoured by the sheep. (4) Manurial experiments. (5) Varieties of weeds, all given their popular names of spurry, cleaves, storkbill, stonecrop, stinkweed, etc. (6) Varieties of food plants, including buckwheat. (7) Vegetables. (8) Plants suitable for providing nectar for bees. (9) Germination matters, such as percentage and speed of germination. The Horticultural Section indoors was also very interesting. Seed-test-ing was illustrated by samples of seeds, by photographs of mixtures, and by a germinating cabinet. In this were many varieties of seeds sprouting from Ifeyers of wet blottingpaper spread on glass shelves. Thermometers indicated the temperature. The cabinet used was designed and made by the officers of the Department. As is usual at the Winter Show, dozens of bottles contained specimens of branches, leaves or fruit attacked by the various diseases —a grisly array, yet instructive. The fruit exhibit was a small one, and rather paltry. The showiest specimens were some giant cherries from Central Otago. They were considerably larger than ordinary Christmas plums, and as shining and as black as the best of the common varieties of cherrv. The officer in charge of the section said their name was Bigarreau de Napoleon, and- that trees could be obteincd from nurserymen in Canterbury, where the Otago growers also obtained their trees. . Later notes will deal with the Botanic and other gardens of the South.

The best quality seeds give the heaviest crop. The best-quality seeds are selected and tested for germination and purity. A. M. Bisley and Co., Ward St., sell only tested seeds. Best crops arc assured by proouring your supplies from them.*