IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16144, 23 February 1918, Page 6

IN THE GARDEN.

(specially written roR "the tress.")

j (Br J. T. Sinclair.) j A.V.SWKI'.S TO CORRESPONDENTS. I W.J.l*.—The funsu* <vhich attacks tomatoes ! anri d<?:vad-.» tlic plants of folia;? under I r-lasa c,]i:?cd ! >v ;i hurairi atmosijhere. ! The preventive is !o give abunci- | ni air to U?e,i the ;i ;! , jr>.=p'nere mo":;:: during day. and leave a little veriti! itior. er. a!! tr.s'nt. If your plants 4fn ~to"-in; i;i border yon must, of coicfe. sivo them ;:!l tbc water they require. the path and other parts of th-- h oil so a# dry as possible. I,'iir ns wi-?cr svray 'he walls with o'Tniic cuiphnr and drench the 601 1 . "•ith a sol'it;or pf R'llphsiio of iron. Tr | your :;iv.-.i j« a mai of wxsvl* ynur best plan is to trench it .io-.vn and r«,-FO'r. Be r-uro '"o'.i ijui'y the ton coil weii Horn. Amateur.- —Th" ! ?c«t time to diviae aspr.ii?trar> i? in the spring, -her. on the approach of v; rnt weather, ttiey start ' into active crrov."t!". If yonr plant i* j ■ pot-bound yon can teed it n-'th . ! pno i water now ;>nd acatn: this will ' k"?p it in s°°d condition til! pprinpr. 1 If -o\i hid a greenhouse vo'u micht pot i it now without doin? the plant an. r ' Ijp "M, 'jut von Use it as a room 1 n!nnt it v.-ot:!d be to defer not- [ tins until sprir.ar. j WORK FOR THE WEEK. I Plant Cabbage and endive thini ninss. j Sov.--Cnbba.2r, endivr. lettuce, nmsj tare! and cress, spinach, turnips. ! and radish. I | VEGETABLES. | "Radish- —Sow thinly in a moderately | sunny spot the turnip and long-rooted i sorts ; black Spanish variety mav also j bo sown from now on for winter n.-.c, 1 It should bo sown in a sunny but wellj shc'iti-rcd s])ot. i Turnips. —Ground should this week j he prepared for turnips. especially bringing: into use such plots as f.re just now being cleared of potatoes ."nd peas. Well turn and pulverise the .soil, and if any'-doubt as to its goodness exists, let a layer of manure be placed about a foot below the surface, (•specially so if the manure is not -■ ery well decayed. Leave the surface to settle for a few days, and then proce-'d to rake and cross-rake it carefully. When a satisfactory tilth has been obtained draw the drills for seed fifteen inches apart and distribute the seed thinly and evenly. Good kinds for present sowing are Golden Ball atid Early Snowball. Early White Stone is suitable if a reliable strain can be procured. .Marrows and Pumpkins.—Unless due care is taken the plants of these arc apt to give up towards the end of this month, especially where they have fruited heavily. ' It is a pity to let them do so, for late marrows are very useful and make a nice change of diet, bo til at present and right into the winter. Plants that have borne well will be benefited if given an occasional dose of weak liquid manure. it is also important to keep the growths ot the plants well apart, so that light snd air can get at all parts, and thus set the late flowers. Jf these same growths are thickly plaited there need be ro hesitation to cut some of them right from the base. Then, again, it trill often be found that some growths take the lead of others, and develop very strongly. These strong growers ought to be checked, aud this can be doile by pinching out the growing point, thus making the growth develop sideshoots: which are often more fruitful than a strong main shoot. Green Manuring.—Vacant ground which is lo lie faJlow for a time will be improved by turning in a sowing of common mustard or chcap variety of turnip, for by such a method of "green manuring" the ground will gain r.n appreciable amount of nitrogen and other food stores. The ground neods no special preparation for the seed, but the latter should be sown thickly and broadcast, and then be raked in. If sown now the herbage will be ready to dig in during winter. FRUIT. Current, Work.—As soon as all the fruit is ■'gathered from apricot, plum, and peach trees, the ioiiage can lo given a good spraying with some approved insecticide to clear it of various mscet forms. If any of the trees which were summer pruned have started into fresh growth at the bud where the shoots were cut, the new growth can be pinched back to one leaf. During the next few weeks attention should be paid, to the second early ripening apples' and pears. "When gathered too soon they are deficient in flavour, and if left too late the flesh becomes mealy. - As we stated, last ! week, the present is a good time to make new strawberry plantations. If the plants are set out now a good crop will be secured next summer. FLOWERS. Roses. —The hybrid tea roses, which have given several crops of flowers, and which were relieved of many of the weaker shoots that had borne blooms, and have since put forth fresh growth, are now approaching a stage when they will soon produce what is termed the autumn flowering. These plants will be all the better for having the surface soil loosened bv means of the Dutch hoe. and manure water or moderate top-dressings with a safe chemical manure will strengthen the shoots and improve the -flowers. Mildew is very prevalent this season. and _ the only way to keep the foliage is to spray with Bordeaux mixture or some ; lime sulphur solution. j Autumn Propagation.—-Frequent attention has now to be given to the carrying out of the various propagat- j ing measures necessary for securing a j proper display in the flower garden next season. j Cr.tiings <if bedding geraniums of ;■!! ] kinds should b° taken as early as is j convenient and planted outdoors in a j fairly s'inny position to make roots. The soil, if heavy, must be well mixed I with sand. The best shoots for the j purpose are flowering ones. firm, 1 short-jointed, and -not gross and J sappy! Oh them off with a "hee!" 1 if possible when they are about five or ; six inches (by cutting off with a. j heel is meant to a thin slice of 1 the branch along with the shoot thatJ springs from it), there is less liability to rotting- or damping at the base of the cutting if it has a heel at its base. If it is not possible to get a piece of the old wood attached, cut the selected shoot square off below a joint, then remove some of the lower leaves, and all flower buds, and the cutting is made. Plant them, in rows sufficiently wide apart to prevent the leaves of one cutting overlapping those of another, and be sure to make the soil firm around their base and not merely round the top. The cuttings may be put direct into boxes instead of in the open, but whichever method is done the plants must be put into frames immediately autumn rains and frosts commence. Penistemans, phloxes, and other things of soft growth", which, though perennial, can only be kept in their best condition by being propagated bv cuttings annually, should be attendee! to this month. They require no heat, but must have the accommodation of a frame or glass-covered box to protect them from the vicissitudes of the open air. They must be kept close and shaded from direct sunshine, till they I have formed roots, which wiil be known ' by their leaves assuming an erect < r; ihoße.a,t. the tips.

begin to grow. The best shoots are non-flowering ones. Pots, or. shallow pans, are suitable vessels in which to plant them, and the compost should be made porous by the use of sand and sifted leaf-soil. Geums.—This genus of hardy per enma].s undoubtedly gives us some of tl (> most attractive of summer and nttumn flowering plants for either the border or rockery. They are easily accommodated as regards soil, liiit thrive best in that which is tolerably retentive but well drained. The flowers are borne on wiiy stems in loosely, graceful fashion, whir-h. except in t'ie ease of the teller growers, require very j little in the way of support by stakes. ! Then are propagated by division of j the crowns, which should be done im- j meii'ati lv flowering ceases. i