Life in the Garden

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 18, 1 November 1911, Page 38

Life in the Garden

Official Organ of rhe Rev/Zealand Z cSv/fcet Pea Society and Auckland hi Horticultural ooYiety. //I

By

Veronica.

Ml 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 welcomed.

COMING SHOWS. Hamilton Horticultural Society.— Summer Show, Nov. Autumn Show, April, 1912. E. B. Davy, Hon. Sec. Canterbury Horticultural Society— Rose Show. December. Carnation ami Sweet Pea Show. January, 1912. Miss E. Siny<l Smith, Secretary. Auckland Horticultural SocietyRose Show, Choral Hall, November 9 and 10. Sweet Pea and Carnation Show, December 1 and 2. W. Wallace Bruce. Financial Secretary; W. Satchell, Managing Secretary. Paeroa Rose Show, Criterion Theatre, Paeroa.—November 11. 191 1. I). T. Inglis, Hon. Sec. Wellington Rose and Carnation Club.— Rose Show, Town Hall, Nov. 15, 1911. Carnation and Sweet Pea Show, Town Hall, Dec. 13, 1911. F. L. Ashbolt, Sec., 31 Hunter-street, Wellington. Hobson Horticultural and Indus’ trial Association— Annual Show, Saturday. November 18th, at Arata pu. A. Frood, Box 8, Te Kopurii, Secretary. Masterton Horticultural and Industrial Society— Rose and Sweet Pea Show, November. 11. M. Coddington, Secretary, Box 23, Masterton. Timaru Horticultural Society.— Autumn Show, Olympia Hall, February 15 arid,l6, 1912. Jas. K. Macdonald, Hon. Sec.

Answers to Correspondents. Mr I. K. 'Thompson, New Plymouth.—■ I he second lot of specimens leached me in very good ’condition, and I think I can salelv state that it is a stalk of the n< w pink ireesia. So far as I know it has only been in New Zealand for two or three seasons and is comparatively rare. I have the plant in bloom in my garden now and it is a derided novelty, and when more plentiful will he of much value lor cut Howers. VERONICA. HORTICULTURAL NOTES. Emit trees, especially plums, peaches, pears and nectarines lave made a grand show of blossom this season: and with a favourable season we should have a good crop. Don't neglect to spray frequently with Swift's arsenate of load if you wish to gel clean fruit. If any young trees have been recently planted, see that thev are securely staked to prevent swaying about by the wind. Stake culinary peas, and make another mowing. Yorkshire Heroes are a heavy cropper, and though the pods are not iong. they shell out exceedingly well and a re of good quality. Provide slakes or supports of some kind for scarlet runner and pole beans and make another sowing. Tomato plants will also require supports, and late plants should be planted out. Sweet peas are now making rapid growth, and showing Hower. Every at-

tention should be given to keep the ground fret* from weeds, and see that suHicient supports are provided. Hollyhocks and Delphiniums should be staked. These most useful plants ought not to be neglected. t arnations, especially when these are large plants, should be examined, and slugs and snails destroyed, t arnations require stakes, and where line blooms are wanted, disbud. Plant out dahlias and prepare ground for later plantings. Space for chrysanthemums should also be got ready. Seed of anemone, and ranunculus intended to be harvested should be gathered as it ripens on the plants. If good gciminal ing seed is to be secured it must be allowed to get ripe before gathering. Seed only from the very finest nlooms should be taken. Dry thoroughly before storing away. Up=to=Date Carnations. One gets so used to the successes year by year of our old friend Mr. lames liouglas. that it is not surprising to find him again such a heavy winner at this season's shows at Home. We publish two illustrations of some of his most famous winners, and are pleased io learn that we may expect io sec them in competition at the 11)12 earnation shows in Auckland and Wellington. Owing to the great heat experienced

throughout England this season very few' awards have gone to new seedlings, owing to the blooms opening prematurely. All but one of the “ Premiers” at this year’s National show went to older varieties. THE TWELVE BEST SWEET PEAS FOR EXHIBITION. Now that the sweet peas have been exhibited freely in England, one would be very glad to have the opinion of other readers on the best twelve varieties for exhibition in 1912, because no doubt now’ is a muck better time to choose ami make notes than when the spring catalogues are issued. 1 enclose the names of those which, in my opinion, are the best:- Elfrida Pearson, Thomas Stevenson, Tennant Spencer. Elsie Herbert, Mrs. Routzhan, Clara Curtis, Maud Holmes, Etta Dyke, Mrs. C. W. Breadniore, Flora Norton Spencer, Toni Bolton and R. F. Felton.— F. Owen, Beech ley, Wrexham. A FINE PERENNIAL CANDYTUFT. (IBERI-S PERFECTION.) The perennial candytufts are among the most valued of our dwarf rock and border plants, ami many are especially' valued for their heads of snow white blooms, which are so ornamental in

spring and early summer. Tin- most generally known species is Iberis sempervirens (the Evergreen Candytuft I. which is also one of the most reliable in every wav. A little later comes the fine I. corraefolia, a plant of garden origin, and it is probably to the union of these two that we owe the beautiful I. Perfection. It is of a good compact habit, and has verv large heads of shapely, good-sized Howers of a pure white. A good plant is an ornament to any rock garden or flower border. On the rockwork it lias a liner effect than on the level, the rather pendent growth making it eminently suitable for hanging over the slopes or stones of the rock garden. The perennial candytuft is easily cultivated in anv ordinary soil, and requires verv little cultural attention. It plant becomes large and rather bare in the centre, it should be cut well back to induce fresh growth, and thus rejuvenate the Iberis. I. Perfection is propagated by means of cuttings struck in A frame or under a handlight after the flowering is over. These cuttings urn either be taken ofl with a heel ot the old wood or simply ordinary cuttings of 3 inches or 4 inches long. Ihe soil toi tin cuttings ought to be light, and a surfacing ofsand will be helpful in the process. THE NATIONAL SWEET PEA SOCIETY OF N.Z. Dear Veronica,—Replying to -Mr. \V. !•’. Hewlett's letter of the 20th September. Mr. Hewlett cannot have read bis "Graphic” very carefully, otherwise he would have seen printed in detail the Society’s audited balance sheet for the year ending 31st April, 1011, which appeared some months ago. The annual report also appeared about the same 'time. Respecting the members list, this will be compiled and printed in this year’s schedule, and will be in members possession a't the end of this month.— Yours faifhfullv, E. A. OSMOND, lion. Se--. ‘ «

National Vegetable Society. The Rev. A. Turner won the first prize given by Messrs. Clay and Son. There were fifteen competitors, and the quality throughout was excellent. Mr. Turner's collection consisted of six dishes of the following varieties: Sensation, The President, The Eactor. Windsor Castle. Pro gross and Up-to-date. At the same show the best six dishes of peas, Mr. Gibson scored with willfilled pods of Duke of Albany. Centenary, Peerless, Alderman, The Gladstone and Superlative.

MESSRS. D. HAY AND SONS’ SPRING CATALOGUE. We hive received a copy of Messrs. Hay's Spring list. This is a neat descriptive catalogue of chry-.ant heniiinis. dahlias, pelagoniiinis, and other plants. I he chrysanthemum list is extensive. and we should think the list of cactus and other dahlias one of the most eoinprc heiiMvc and up-to-date in the* 1 )<»niinio:* The recent revival of public interest in pelagoniums is evidenced by a good selection in all the leading species. Ihe prices quoted by Messrs. Hay arc very leasonable. The town agents for this firm are Messrs. Arthur Yates and Co.. Ltd.. Auckland.

ROSES OF DISTINCTIVE COLOURING. \ small number of roses are so pen li ulv coloured as io deserve* a lew re marks. Of recent \« ais this his b *e-oinr moi? noticeable, ami eai'-e*- thL brief Not all of these are new. howexer. to.' a colour I fail to find in any other Hower, much less in roses. Grand indeed is this ohhst of runs, in its bright and glowing copper, shaded with clear terra cotta. If it were only perpetual, and not so Heeling for the short time it is with us. it would be of immense value*. I.eaeling from this class of Austrian and Per Man briars we* find Soh*il el’Or. in 19(10, e>btaine*el from crossing Persian briar

Harriaoni with Antoine Ducher. Here we have a colour varying from deep orange-yellow to reddish-gold, shaded with nasturtium red, ami quite distinct from any other rose. A couple of years later we had Gottfried Keller, another remarkably shaded rose, varying from clear apricot to orange and yellow, with veins of deep rosy-orange at the base of its petals. The crosses from seedlings of Soleil d’Or are giving us some of the most unique colour of all. Lyon Bose being now well known, with its coral or shrimp pink, suffused with deep orangeyellow. Arthur K. Goodwin varies from coppery-red to salmon pink. But one of the most unique shaded of all is Rayon d’Or, a rose there is considerable discussion about just now, because of its very indifferent behaviour up to the present. This is as yellow as the marsh marigold, with a streak of orange and red in the bud stage. In Irish Elegance we have a single rose that is almost indescribable in its shadings of bronzy-orange and apricot. Jacques Vincent is another difficult to describe. Its main shades are coral-red and yellow, with a rosy-salmon centre; a very hardy ami beautiful variety this. Juliet is a cross between Soleil d’Or and Captain Hayward, ami a charming combination of the glorious shades of these gram! roses has resulted. Hugo Roller must not be omitted; rich rosy-crimson on the outer petals, with a lemon-yellow centre. The aptly-named Beaute Inconst ante has coppery-red. carmine, and yellow flowers, with seldom two shaded alike. Many peculiarities are found in the striped roses, such as York and Lancaster. Metric England. Pride of Reigate. and Rainbow. In Grand Due A. de Luxemburg and Mrs. E. G. Hill we have deep coral rosy-reds on the reverse of the petals that give the flowers a pern liar appearance. A.P. THE MOSQUITO PLANT. Eight years since Major H. D. Larvmore, who was engaged in Northern Nigeria. described in a letter to th’ “Times,” the basil plant (Ocymum vir ide) and its peculiar properties in keep ing away mosquitoes. His opinion was corroborated by Sir George Birdwood, who stated “when the Victoria Gardens and Albert ‘Museum were established in Bombay, the men employed on these works were at first so pestered by mosquitoes, and suffered so much from malarious fever, that on the recommendation of the Hindu manager the whole boundary of the gardens was planted

with holy basil, and any other basil at hand, on which the plague of mosquitoes was at once abated, "and fever altogether disap[>eared from among the resident gardeners.” The contention that basil possessed such protective value was discredited by several authorities. In a letter, published a few days since, Major Larymore states that during the pastten years he has continued to sow the seeds of the basil wherever he has been stationed, and that "the immunity from fiver which both my wife and I have experienced for the past ten years in West Africa, speaks for itself.” He also directs attention to the fact that the results of a preliminary investigation at the Laboratory of the Imperial Institute by Dr Goulding, D.Se., and Mr Pelly have been published in the Proceedings of the Chemical Society, and show that leaves of this plant imported from West Africa contain a volatile oil which possesses the same aromatic, thyme-like odour of the leaves in a highly concen tinted degree. An analysis of this oi> showed that it contained 32 per ■cent of thymol, together with other aromatic substances. Now thymol is a recognised antiseptic and most powerful germicide, and in "The Extra Pharmacopoeia” it is stated that “ ten grains dissolved in an ounce of soft paraffin applied to th? skin keeps off gnats and mosquitoes.” It is easier now, observes Major 'Larymore. to understand the real reason why the plant repels mosquitoes—containing a« it does in its oil so very large a pro portion (one-third) of such a powerful antiseptic as thymol appears to be. and the further analysis which Dr Goulding purposes to conduct will be looked forward to with interest. LORD KITCHENER’S NEW GARDEN. \\ hile in India Lord Kitchener acquired the reputation of being a skilful and enthusiastic gardener, and now the opportunity to display his talents in connection with the "gentle art” appears to have arrived, for we understand that his lordship has purchased Broome Hall, near Canterbury. Broome Hail stands at a considerable elevation, and is surrounded by a splendidly timbered park. PARSLEY. Parsley constitutes one of the most important of our kitchen garden crops, and good parsley is needed daily in many establishments. Both summer and

winter this demand is almost equally large, as this herb is alike useful for garnishing and flavouring. To those who are exhibitors, a good bed of parsley from which to draw a supply is a great boon when staging a collection of vegetables, and when this is of a good

variety, perfect in colour and form, it adds that finishing touch unequalled by any other subject. Every effort, therefore, should be made to have a good supply of parsley for particular dates, when it is known to be specially in request; in addition to this endeavour to maintain a good supply at all seasons. As for all other crops, it is essential that the ground be well worked, or the best results cannot be expected. Trenching or digging should be undertaken during the winter months, and if the ground is poor a liberal dressing of welldecayed manure must be worked in, but an excess -of this must be guarded against, or an unduly gross growth will be formed, ugly in appearance, and useless. Parsley prefers a good heavy sod. that is retentive, and a position where it can receive plenty of sun, and, generail v' speaking, under these circumstancei will make a luxurious growth. On light soils, and especially those that are shallow and well drained, rather choose a position that ds shaded. DAHLIAS. The types of dahlias now in cultivation are more numerous than is sometimes realised, yet, if we except the cactus dahlias, they have all been derived from the single-flowered varieties which were introduced to Europe about the beginning of the 19th century. It is sometimes assumed that all show and fancy dahlias, the latter being colour variations of the show dahlia, are suitable merely for the show bench, but this is scarcely correct, for some of them form effective bushes when allowed to grow naturally in the flower garden. At the same time, the flowers are of the most formal character, and they do not appeal to those who choose their flowers mainly for their decorative qualities. Pompon or bouquet varieties are miniature show and fancy dahlias, and German horticulturists who first grew them named them Lilliputians. The flowers of tin' best Pompon varieties are of the most perfect form, and many of them exhibit dainty shades, whilst others are of more decided colours. The plants grow naturally into perfect bushes, varying from two to four feet in height, and they produce a wealth of flowers possessed of good decorative qualities. Small size and neat form are the points which distinguish exhibition specimens, which ought always to be fully developed with the centres fairly high.

The modern cactus dahlias have originated from Dahlia Juarezii, -which was introduced into Europe from Mexico in 1872. Juarezii was first shown in England 'by Mr. Cannell in 1880, and subsequent to this date begin the records of the earliest cactus varieties raised in

England. It has been stated bv an eminent authority on the dahlia* that the modern cactus dahlias might quite well have developed had Juarezii never been introduced. This, though improbable, is not, perhaps, impossible, because there is ample evidence that for many decades before the introduction of Juarezii, seedlings which showed a tendency to produce long and recurved florets, instead of the shell-shaped florets required for the show dahlia, were destroyed. In this way it may have been that many seedlings which might have become the progenitors of cactus dahlias were sacrificed owing to lack of imagination on the part of the raisers. \\ hen Juarezii appeared, the florists saw in it possibilities that have since been more than fulfilled. They soon commenced to raise seedlings, and the popularity of the type spread in the most remarkable way, but the fact that it became a show flower proved not altogether advantageous. The raisers selected their varieties solely for their qualities as exhibition dahlias, and. in consequence of this practice, varieties were raised which were so unsuitable for garden decoration that cultivators who were not exhibitors soon tired of them, and it is to be feared that many gave up dahlia cultivation alto gether. It is satisfactory, however, that dahlia breeders are now awakening to a sense of the circumstances which have caused dahlia cultivation to -wane in popularity; they are seeking to Obtain free-flowering varieties that produce their blooms on erect stems well above the foliage: qualities which are essen tial in garden dahlias. The miniature cactus dahlias stand in practically the same relation to the cactus dahlia as the true pompons do to tlu> show dahlia. Most of the varietie make bushy plants from two to foil feet in height, and they flower ver freely. The dwarf cactus varieties are wel worth the attention of those interested in bedding effects, since they are pc euliarlv adapted for furnishing displayin public parks and gardens. The grow about IS inches in height, and produce a wonderful profusion of small well-formed, double flowers. Of these dwarfs, only some eight or ten distine varieties are at The decorative dahlias were remarkable for their flat florets and smooth flowers, which were scarcely less formal than the show dahlias. It may be sail that, whilst some demand for their re-

rival appear* to exkt thi» country, their iH.pularity in America has never The paeonv-flowered dahlias afford an example of a t>'l* " hich was produced in England for a very long time, only to be thrown Some of the older florists liave stated that they frequently found varieties .possessing the semidouble characteristics, of the paeony dahlia amopgsil their S£fd|ingsb but theflowers failed to obtain appreciation in this country until selected varieties -wore introduced from Holland a few years .i<r o Paeony-flowered varieties are now fairly popular; they are strong growing, free blooming plants, and produce gorgeous effects when grown in clumps. The colour combinations in some of the varieties are very striking, and they invariably attract attention at the exhiMfions. It is to be hoped that raisers ■will oliserve the same rules in the development of this strain as are now bei;i" applied to the cactus type, and that n H varieties offered for distribution will j,„ such as produce their flowers on erect etems. Single dahlias have a charm that is not to be found in any other type. They flower more freely and longer than any others if the faded blooms are removed before they have time to set seeds. There are now several classes of single dahlias, but the true single flowers are still the most popular, namely, those ■with round, flat, or slightly reflexed flowers. Single dahlias required for decorative purposes should be cut when they are only three-fourths open, and put immediately into water. If they are cut at that stage, they will generally lemain fresh for several days. The foliage to associate, with, the flowers should be cut from plants grown in pots, it being a fact that the foliage of pot plants is harder and lasts longer than that produced by plants with an unrestricted rooting-medium. Single dahlias arc frequently cultivated from seed sown in a warm house or frame, but the best results are obtained from the choice named varieties offered by the nurserymen. A strain known as Star Dahlias con-s’-’ts of single dahlias that produce starshai.cd flowers, many of them with ■white florets having distinct stripes or ct x=< of scarlet, crimson-maroon or purple. Collarette Dahlias are mostly introch * ' uis from the Continent, and many of them are very attractive. The row <-f s.-mi-devcloped florets round the c rlro disc is always of a colour distinct from that of the outer florets, and some decorators think that they last as cut flowers rather better than flowers of the simple type ~ "Gardeners* Chronicle."