THE GARDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 45, 22 February 1905, Page 7

THE GARDEN.

(BY HORrCS.)

■ ii RlUtag to austvur any questions. {HortTJS lS J»nts must give their real names »ot for pubUca-tloa-J T0 CORRESPONDENTS. nv"pT— 1 One puck of lime *jj snffii" ieai ~ i t wouiil i>e waste of lime w ,£?„ it stronger. B ?, ;=_(".►'>—Your azalea leaves Willi ihrips. If J-«u fumiS T wfth tobacco strongly ou three sucfate; wW to deglroy them >>« for Pruning a Quince (S.F.).P the priucipal branches Have been Ifta"! Srieluated very little pruning ■ Summer pruaiug, however, • B no pirden trees, ;irter B h ay mLSer adopted with apple and tie Standard trees only need f e inxmlaut shoots, which start up in " SSSmSSs. cut out at an curly period *f the ° erowtli. and mi occasional reIral of i"y over-crowded or weakly . best d-iK- .v iiK- naunw. e linc J& ai:J growths ~-il3 country. IiI.NTS. '■ i-t Runner beans will yield better toS or the «a»«" by i.icklns S nroduce Wore it bevoiuea 100 large % and now ptnehine off the extreiniana "' Vl h crowing Such growths !f-re wade after this date will be too wto form pods. Few realise how greatly te-e"u"ini!i crops are increased by fe'lrlng SlKf «»t caterings. rndU-: shooid be dug up as soon as the Jt, i-Tii vellOTs , . which occurs sooner . hw-'hi aJcordauee with the time when '* huited. Dig up the eoi-BM with W'> s ""ached, and lay them In frtrvshetl until the tatter are quite brown, then cut them away au inch above the The dworler forms of OtauioU ramosus subsist well in the ground SiroUh* ut our winters, therefore need not t, s disturbed. Yarerin" Carnations.- Plants that have made a rigorous growth of '■frrass , ' may Mtr D»Te a number of the firmest shoots layered for providing a stock of young nhnts for the future. It is important that the ground round the plants should be broken up, aud some good loamy, but sandy meteris! Intermixed with it, or laid conveniently round. Prepare the growth for layering", by removing the bottom leaves, jnn with a sharp kulfe make au incision half way through the stem ou the under aide , then turn the blade upwards through «foiut thus forming a tongue, which must he kept open. Secure it to the ground v,-ith looked pegs or layering pins, surrounding Tfith tlie fine soil over as well as around. Keep the soil moist by watering in dry weather Layered early, under favourable conditions, they will root soon, and grow Into itrong plants for autumn planting.

Lawns, large and small, have iv a gene jal way suffered and become so tuown by intense sunsliine and the absence of rain, except In instances where the grass has been preserved by artificial waterings, as to have destroyed the effective beauty of Suffer gardens for the time being. This 's sot all, inucli of the jrrass comprising lawns las been materially injured, if uot killed, ja the absence of sufficient niolstuie, and alien weeds have become prominent. This is a good season, therefore for destroying the ljßU'r. by spudding them up, taking «verjr care uot to Injure the grass more than U absolutely necessary; but they can be drawn out with least injury to the s?ard immediately after a heavy rain or substantial artificial watering. Hose waterings applied to lawns, unless much time is devoted to the work, and a. flue spray or jet deliverer is employed, are rarefy satisfactory, especially (as Is so tftea practised) if the bose is fixed for certain periods in one position, because the jtter rnns to the lowest lerels and the pound i 3 not nniformly moistened; hence the lower parts grow and become green, whilst higher parts appear bn>wner. To wereome , this, a movable distributor, eaptSfe of moistening the whole slowly, riunud toe procured.

During such eis.essirely hot dry periods is baTe been experienced there is no gainsaying the fa;.'t that cultivated flowers, TSjetables, and Iniit suffer far more gieat|r?San do Whored subjects grown In fresher country air—surrounded by fields and woods. The explanation is that smooth-snrfaeed )>ou.&e walls, fences, and roads, attract a/d bold, also refract on to surroundings far greater an amount of 4rr heat, sivlng fte latter forth subsequently, at night time, with the result atmospheric eomliOns are stifling. This makes it all the more necessary to place mukhicgs, or layers, of fine material, such as old decayed or sJjort stable maziure, or the lhV over the roots of all plants. mere practicable. It is difficult to draw a line vrliere this may begin or eu<l. tjiir fe-partfciiJarJy applicable to roses, dahlias, Mllyliocks, pentttemons, rhododeudious, TOdow boxes, beds of asters, stocks, and otler subjects. , J Bj applying such mulcJilogs waterings are less frequently needed, we root base being maintained, more unliormiy damp and cool, and the salubrity of fie atmosphere a-t night time lealrv improved. In opposition to such modifiers « heat and drought, th*re Is nothing, es«W keeping the surface of the ground |«to crops loose by periodical hoelngs, nt Incessant heavy artificial waterings. wnereby to maintain tbe sembian.ee of .itmosplieric conditions essential to promote Progressive growth. Such frequent heavy PeSoMcal waterings are, however, injnnws In their way, in that tlie 7 wash dowiiWMii beyond reach of the roots the most Tunable constituents the surface soil con«™s. Therefore, it la absolutely neceswy to give, if but occasionally, manurial werrtgs, however weak. WLat amateurs to guard against Is applying too 2?T«™ stimuljurtg, whereby the roots and more liens than good is b?£ bu i b potting for forcln &' 01 ' bloom " t« «w ßWhat earl r- cannot be attended to af ™Jl ne? l mont h. Whilst thi3 is so tteSaf J* h y aeinth 8- tulips, etc., of qnLtl in typ6S J oreed - It Is particularly reiTerJ r *? ard t0 n arcissi, the trumpeta? tafrV 1 ! 6 pot flowerin S Plants. All 2 Whet £* ° Te they be & ,n row - »tai hnfl \u l 2* root base or a * their ? e better the ? root and the til * d Wlth the roots th * finer will <°mpX" fl VfL com P ost to pot them In ud oM rtn S £ fib rous loam three-fourths a littlef,Mv yed c , ow Aun ° one fourth ' iiJl Jsnot at I SaD(l added - Wnere cow dun S 'table mon mand use the best old rotten *«fesSw $ 1-QCnrabl c- Upon a moWaft °i c f ock s neatly arranged to WWefe et tl f ln the least space alftea fillip th° com P° st . rough and unWs'fniL, t pots witn th e same threeF ™as'hn^>, mnst be made <3 ui te firm. Mod, fill )„" ° ther eon oyer a little silver eomniKf Ul ' o V 1 " 1 the bnlbs firmly with 'Pices amtA T over them - so that tb - esr } «tta DotHn r Seen BboVe "• The ob " TTJUch thrult? firu}iy is t0 det er the roots ° m rushill g clown to the base Wan un,f 7B them a firm noitl and pref !'- should i t c h amou , nt of water ,od^ln^ wm h ul(l he fairly aam P no »on as nntf S n , ecessi »ry at this time. I eocoendt'Sh™ P U ," se the P° ts ln ashes teches rt ov f. r ? f° that it Is three or four ? fe ffiain uutn ll runs - where tn ey are •J"* andl the"' rhe 'u ots are filled with Jf No. £. tlw ( f have- grown an inch fe.ttWps or ~n o r - th f ee hyacinths, four or t* ot Ku'uXT 1 ' a,ld the like . ™n Moreover R Weil ln five or slx - lf;h I* o Thol Tulin- t man Hyacinths, Due M they Ln c r ea , n be bloome d as PfwWed rh be P lanf ed in shallow W B the «bes P Sl C fl b ™ t " roote(i b Y the weisht Jfeeaas ,„ hey are co ™red with. %?*»" enlture l abl f , for even S f V Vails? Sw-'S^SS *S»] I-- sr: as Cyclamens tJ ? three inches h igh.