THE GARDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 260, 7 November 1906, Page 9

THE GARDEN.

■ ' ■ (BY HOKTUS.)-. Hbrtus is willing to answer any queries: Correspondents must give their real names ana addresses, though not for publication. TO CORRESPONDENTS. Pr fn- e TO V i?£ Vegetables—A- correspondent: 1tt.L.8.) a S k s for - information how to preserve, or can green peas, broad oeans, I rench and runner beans? Perhaos one 01 our. readers can supply the information. I Quinces.— Another correspondent (,T.IR.M.) f-cnas mc the following communication:— uear Sir,—ln the correspondence columns of the "Star" of the 17lh inst.. I noticed an inquiry from a correspondent asKing W by .his quince trees do not bear fruit; and the reason, I think, is because lie has not got any male trees with them, l nave a friend who had several quince trees, and the frnlt on tliem never matur- ; etl until lie put a male tree among them. Hie male tree blooms but does not bear fruit.'' ... HINTS. ' " Window plants keep scrupulously free from, accumulations of dust and smut. This is easily done in the case of dracaenas, palms, and such like large-leaved subjects iby means of a moist sponge. With more delicate things, however.- greater care is j required. A small sponge in each hand is the safest means of removing dire frn'm ] such, but advantage should be taken of pissing genial showers to give foliage or "nonj lowering plants a natural hath by placing tucni- outdoors for the time being. 1 Net strawberry beds, n vcrv necessary j practice generally, but more' .especially j should dry weather prevail, at which time | birds are so insistent and destructive. lix jI he nets sufficiently hlgli above, the fruit toprejeut: birds reaching if. Nets may lie propped up, with small props made from brushwood or worn-out besoms: also by fixing Uie nets over long rods similarly elevated upon small props. Coleus cuttings should'now be inserted inserted into very sandy compost, five to eight .into live or six.inch pots; and placed . to -root quickly iv ;l close frame, stood, it -practioahle,. wltbiu a plant structure. It is best to choose tolerably matured, not over long, side shoots for this batch. ;iecuuse they can be wintered in the cutting pots, maintained ou warm, dry shelves. Under these conditions they withstand adverse winter weather better than do old plants, and the latter, when the cuttings are successfully rooted, can he dispensed with to make room for other subjects. Summer and early autumn poi-grown plants for the decoration of structures, j whether flowering. or foliage, must have j plenty of pot room for (he roots, good rich j compost, a moist atmosphere, and amp:e | individually in which to develop. | Abundance of fresh air is necessary even , ,on warm nights, with early morning and i lute afternoon syrtngings. Too fiv-quentlv : such syrlngings are not given sufficiently j early in the morning, with the result the ■inn shines too powerfully upon the moist | foliage, besides which evaporation is too speedy. Late grapes should be thinned immediately the berries are large enough. Clip out the central berries freely, leave only one berry at the bo:torn of each buncn, and I thin out somewhat, severely those immediately above it: but do not cut away too many from the shoulders, or upper parts, of the bunches. Once thinning is flnlsiie.l advance the temperature by five or eight degrees,* and if possible. Increase the atmis- . pheric moisture by damping the floors and ! side borders, walls, etc., hut cease syrlng- : ing lhe foliage. Outdoor vine*; must be disbudded deGai--1 tely as soon as the trusses of blooms show ; sufficiently to enable growers to determine j which laterals carry the largest and best. Select these, and pinch off their points - just above the first leaf beyond such trusses, and any tendrils which are forming. One lateral must be retained at each ; joint, existing on a cane, whether it carries | flowers or not: these also can be pinched ; back beyond about the fifth leaf. Meantime. I as, the work progresses snap off aii minor I laterals beyond above at their basis. Grape Vines. —Vines started unde;- the ; influence "of artificial hent are advancing j rapidly in growth. Avoid excessive hear; lon dull, cold days, a warmth of 38 to C:i, in i conjunction with sufficient fresh air lo keep the atmosphere buoyant aud sweet, will be • better than an excess. On fine sunny days. j with Increased warmth without, art advance on above (along with increased fresh am. Op to 70 or 7"». is admissible* accompanied ■by an increase of artificial moisture, produced by damping lhe floor, etc. j Protection Against Drought.—-From a i blooming point of view it is scarcely pos--1 sible to have too much sun >in these latitudes: and lhe same applies tv vegetables when Ihey arc given prop-r protection. The best protection against drought is ,-i good mulch of manure. This affords the ii"cdtui -hading of the roots and keeps the sun and light for its proper development, is left fully exposed. Besides conserving the j moisture, the manure Is at the same time stimulating-, through the ammonia and I other soluble constituents being washed down by the ruin to feed the roofs. Crass cuttings will be found a good substitute ror the manure, but must be- renewed, as tho grass becomes dry. Growing Climbing RosCs.—Oue great secret of success iv growing most climbing roses is to train them horizontally as mueli as possible. When this is done the snp remains evenly distributed, and they throw out shoots and flowers from the whole, length of their main branches. When roses are planted on a pergola the pergola should have horizontal lines, and the shoots should be trained at lirst along lhe lower horizontal lines and then along the higher iiutlj the sides of the pergola are thickly aud evenly' Covered. If this is done the upper part of the pergola will look bare for a year or f wo. but in the end it will be covered all ] over, and the roses will bloom far more freely than if they are allowed to -'hoot up to the top at once. Watering versus mulching is a subject which concerns all who wish to get good succession a 1 crops. A deficient rainfall (Hiring the month of November curtails the yield of peas, etc., and is only lo be neutralised by artificial waterings, sufficiently copious and freqnenl to maintain the ground in such a moist stale as will conduce to regular root action. This, however, is oniy a palliative, in view of which and the great labour artificial waterings entail, too much cannot be said in favour of mulching . the surface between the rows of crops with sonic form of manure. liy so doing the ground will be kept cooler near the surface, waterings made more effective, even though applied less frequently. Cucumbers .and melons, especially thosrr grown in frames, wil require greater iitten-' tiou as the season advances. Aim for the future, as regards cucumbers, in maintaining a succession of young shoots and cci.se cropping heavily. Thin out the plants more than previously by removal of ajjeu leaves and old shoots (if any) which are neither carrying fruit nor healthy young growths at their extremities. Root waterings may be gradually lessened, and sprinkling abandoned ou dull afternoons, or course, the strongest young shoots must be stopped for the formation of fnn't-bearing laterals, but do not be in a hurry to do so, provided you can furnish the necessary supplies of fruit without so doing. Melons will require lift clif any root water after the fruits become full size, though a slight damping overhead may be continued on sunny afternoons at shultlng-up lime, both to invigorate tin- plants and as an antidote to red spider. When the fruits show signs of ripening, keep up, if practicable, oy sun heat-.-, a warmth'of -70 to 83. but - always - - when the heal exceeds SO.in coujuuetiou with a little fresh air, else at this crucial time there is dauger of leaf scorching.