LIFE IN THE GARDEN

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 10, 9 March 1910, Page 39

LIFE IN THE GARDEN

Official Organ of the New Zealand Sweet Pea Society and Auckland Horticultural Society

CONDUCTED BY

“VERONICA.”

AU communications for “Veronica” should be addressed to “Graphic” Office, Auckland Secretaries of Horticultural

Societies are invited to send us short reports of their proceedings, and also any! items of interest to Horticulturists.

Photographs of Flowers, Fruits, or New Vegetables, or Garden Scenes, will be we come 1.

SHOW DATES. Stratford. — .March 10 and 11.—W. S. Cato. Hon. Sec. pro tem. Normanby Horticultural Society.—Annual show Tuesday and Wednesday, March 15th and 16th. Secretary, Mrs. R. T. Cowern. Auckland Horticultural Society, April 14-15. Choral Hall. Auckland. Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Show. W. W. Bruce, Secretary. Hamilton (Waikato) Horticultural Society’s Autumn Show. April 14. Hon. Secretaries and treasurers, Mrs. H. Valder and Mrs. J. A. Going. SEEDS TO SOW THIS MONTH. Vegetable.— Kidney Beans, Runner Beans, Early Peas, Cress, Mustard, Radish, Turnip. Potatoes. Flower. — Aquilegia, Canterbury Bells, Cinerarias, Delphiniums, Dianthus, Hol lyhocks, Pansies. Stocks (Brompton, East Lothian). Bulbs and Tubers to Plant this month.— Allium Neapolitanum, Anemones (St. Bridget and single), Freesias (white and yellow), Hyacinths (in pots, in glasses, in borders), Narcissus (early sorts), Ranunculus (Asiaticus Superbis simus), Tulips (single and double). Plant Out Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage. Lettuce, Borecole, Celery. jt e* GENERAL GARDEN WORK. In the kitchen garden, whenever the weather is favourable for planting, proceed to get in some more celery plants, the ground on which early potatoes have been grown may be utilised for a celery crop. Early planted celery should be earthed up. Plants of brocoli. borecole, and such like should be got in; transplant lettuce and continue sowings of saladings. The last sowing of kidney and runner beans should be got in this month. Crops of tomatos and cucumbeis require attention, such as pinching, tying up and thinning. Potato and tree onions, eschalots and garlic should be lifted whenever ripe and stored away after drying thoroughly. Attend to all growing crops and keep soil as free from weeds as possible. Any crops not making progress may be stimulated by giving liquid fowl manure or guano, taking care not to give the plants too strong a solution, especially if young or tender. There is plenty to do in the orchard—'summer pinching or pruning is now practised by some of our leading market growers, especially on peaches and nec tarines. Attend to any budding where grafts have failed. Gather all moth-in-fested apples and give to pigs or burn them, or they can be boiled and fed to fowls in pollard. In the flower garden, carnations and picotees may still be layered. Dahlias require attention in the way of thinning, staking, tying up and watering with weak liquid manure. Chrysanthemums

want plenty of moisture, and must be kept well staked and tied, else winds will damage. Lift gladiolus bulbs as they ripen; dry thoroughly before storing away in a cool place. Get beds or borders perpared for autumn sowing of sweet peas. Dig the ground deep and expose to the sun for a few weeks. Lawns need constant attention, as do evergreen hedges. These latter should be thinned as soon as possible, and by attending to this work during the month the plants will make fresh growth before the winter sets in, which will materially improve the appearance of the hedge all through winter. Keep down weeds by constant stirring of surface soil. Roses can he budded this month. Look over rose 'beds and pick off all decayed blooms or seed hips. Plants for House Decoration. HARDY PALMS AND HOW TO TREAT THEM. Among fine-foliage plants adapted for indoor decoration, the elegant palms undoubtedly stand first in favour and popu-

larity. and the more hardy species are well suited for almost all such purposes, their graceful leaves imparting an air of superiority to all the other plants grouped with them. Palms are generally grown from imported seeds sown in pots and placed in bottom heat, but this is chiefly done by nurserymen, who make the business a speciality, and cannot well be undertaken by those not in possession of the proper conveniences, but beautiful little plants can now be obtained at prices which bring them within the reach of all who care to have them. The species adapted for general use and culture are the kentias. the arecas, the chamaeropes, Cocos weddellina. the fan-shaped lantanias, the phoenix, or date palms, and the seaforthias. The best known types of each of these are well adapted for all kinds of decorative purposes, and provide abundant variety of form and habit. The smaller specimens sold in the markets are often brought along in great heat, and although they look bright when purchased, if placed directly upon the table they soon commence to fall away. The best place for them is the greenhouse for a few weeks before being used in the

house; it is also a good plan, if possible, to change the position now and then, and let them have a rest in the warm, moist atmosphere that agrees with them so well. When once the plant loses its leaf beauty it is very difficult to restore it. and the dry air of a room not being natural to them, they must suffer more or less by the confinement. When they are placed near a window and air is given, the window should be fully opened, and not an inch or two, or a draught will be created that is certain to affect the plants. It is better to admit air from the top of the window rather than from the bottom, unless the plants can be removed from the draught. Perfect cleanliness of the foliage is essential to the plant’s well doing, as well as careful and sufficient watering when needed. The usual season for repotting palms is in the spring, but they will thrive for some years in the same pot. Firm potting Is the rule when moving the plants, ami good loam and peat with a sprinkling of silver sand forms the best compost. J* J* SWEET PEA TALK. Nancy Perkin or Earl Spencer, which, as some of our readers are aware, ia Spencer Henry Eckford, has been withdrawn from the raiser’s catalogue, owing to a very short crop. This is disappointing, but these things can’t be helped, so we must wait and hope for a better crop next season.

The Auckland Horticultural Society ievidently determined to be in time this year with their schedule for the sweet pea and carnation show. A preliminary schedule has, we understand, been an thorised, and is to be printed and dis tributed forthwith. This is as it should be, enabling growers to proviue for the classes scheduled. We congratu late the Society on this forward move. We have received quite a number of sweet pea lists from England, ami from the number of varieties marked "Sold Out” or "Crop Failed,” we gather that many of the novelties have been very disappointing m point of seeding. “Edwin Beauty” was expected to be sent out by Dobbie and Co., but the crop was not sufficient. We hear this variety is similar to Helen Lewis, and it is some consolation to know that there are tine stocks of that famous sort to be obtained. The King, sent out by Dobbie and Co. last year, was, and is probably still, the largest flower, and one of the finest exhibition blooms in the crimson section. Unfortunately, it scalds with the hot sun. We believe that Sydenham offers a sunproof crimson variety, which is said to be immune from scorch. Should this turn out correct under our Dominion skies, it will be much sought

after, and lx? <»f immense advantage to exhibitors and market growers. Early flowering or Christmas flowering sweet peas do not appear to be very popular in the Auckland province. We ladieve they are more suitable for Au* tralia than here, an I there they arc in demand. Tin- flowers are not so large as the ••Spencer.” but where ent blooms are largely used they come in very useful. Mr. Brett, of Takapnn.i. grows thes. early flowering sorts well, and usually has a beautiful stand of them at the Daffodil Show in September. Cupids and bush varieties are almost completely neglected. The former have a bad habit of dropping blit Is** and -Inlatter are of poor texture, and we lind that then’ arc very few places where they are grown. UTILISATION OF VEGETABLES BY MAN. A general survey of the history of the utilisation of vegetables by man and the part that plants in general plav in human life has l>een issued under the joint authorship of M. I). Boi* and M. (J. Gadeceau. The chapters are

written from a historical, as well as a scientific point of view, and are most comprehensive in their scope. The work contain- 370 pages divided into 10 chapters. Starting with the origin of life on the globe, and the relations of the -everal kingdoms, the authors proceed to di-cii" such subjects as the tir-t utili-ation of plants by primitive man. the influence of man op vegetation, plants for food, economic plants, forage plants, industrial plants, medical and poisonous plants, and. finally, or-

namental plants, hi each of these divisions the authors have sub-headings, in which the various questions are exhaustively treated, and following each chapter are explanatory notes or references to authors quoted. The historical matter recorded help- us to follow the gradual progress made by the various races of mankind in cultivating and u-ing vegetables.

Jt Workers Among the Flowers. PETER RUDOLPH BARR. line of the younger generation of horticulturists is Veter Rudolph Barr, eldest son of the late Peter Barr, whose death we recorded with unfeigned regret a few wc k- ago. For many year- Mr. B.trr his. with his~ two brothers, controlled the bu-ine-s of an interesting firm, and with : iit enthusias.n one delights to see in everything connected with the pursuit of bortienitnre. whether for pleasure or for business. To the late Peter Barr

much of the present popularity of the Daffodil is due. and the great work of the father has been continued by the sons, as one is well aware from the manv beautiful hybrid* th.it have lioen raised in their Surbiton nur-eries during recent war-. the "Peter Barr” form in particular.

The subject of the present note is greatly interested in cross-fertilisation, and doubtless many flower gems are in process of development at Surbiton which will enrich the gardens of the future. As Mr. Barr onee said to the writer, ”1 feel there i* so much still to be done in the direction of cross-fertilising.” He is right, and if the calls of business were not so urgent this would be the hobby indulged in. The writer is reminded of a note some time ago in the Journal of the Roval Horticultural Society in this

connection. It referred to the possibilities that exist, through cross-fertilisa-tion. of producing beautiful faces of flowers. "There is a wonderful opening nowadays for any one who really loves plants. Let them only take up one or. at most, two genera, and work, aye! work at. them: tufn them and twist them this way and that" way: hybridise, cross, select in all directions, backwards and forwards, and cease not till some tiling good, something well worth having, rewards their labour. And for choice take hardy plants in hand, because the number of people you ean benefit with them is so much greater than with glasshouse plants. What shall you take? Well, really, everyone must choose for himself; but that you may not say we ean think of nothing, we suggest —Why not. seek to raise up a whole race of brilliantly-coloured and perfectly hardy Anemones by crossing the common wood Anemone with Anemone coronaria, in all its glorious colours, and also with Anemone stellata? True, A. eoronaria and A. stellata are both of them hardy in a sense and in some places, but nothing like A. nemorosa. the common Windflower of our woods in spring. Think how generations yet unborn would bless you if you could present them with a strain of nemorosa with all the colours of coronaria arid stellata. still preserving the lovely form and free-flowering habit of nemorosa. And this is but one example. There is an abundance of others as easy — or it may be as difficult, for, till it is tried, no one can tell whether such a cross would lie easy or difficult; but such difficulties should not discourage us — only inspire us to overcome them.” These words will, we are sure, be re-ehoed by Mr. Barr. A visit to the famous nurseries at Surbiton at almost any season of the year is of the greatest interest to the horticulturist and those who seek for new things, especially in the time of the Daffodil and Tulip. The species and varieties of Tulip and Daffodil are represented in a way tnat presents itself in few other nurseries of the world: but. more than this, hardv plants generally are grown in rich variety and with a skill born of long experience. Mr, Barr shows his interest in horticulture in general by taking an active part in such noble institutions as those of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent and the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. We hop? this earnest horticulturist has many year* of useful work before him. and thr; he .will continue to inspire in others, as he has done in the past, a great - and enduring love for flowers.