IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16411, 3 January 1919, Page 9

IN THE GARDEN.

(spkciallt warms *ob "thu nutss.") (Br J. T. Sinclaib.) WORK FOR THE WEEK. Sow —Radish, mustard and cress,, peas, lcttuce, onions for salad, dv.-arr beans, spinach and turnips. Plant —Cabbage, cauliflowers, leeks, savoys, kale, celery, and broccoli. VEGETABLES.

"Winter Greens—ln tho affairs of the garden a reasonable amount of foresight is the surest way to economy, a fino crop of vegetables, arid a high degree of enjoyment, as opposed to a continuous anxiety. Once you allow your seasonable' garden work to get seriously behindhand you aro bound to suffer in temper, in pleasure and profit; and what should be a quiet and refreshing pastime may become 1 , sftoer weariness of spirit.

The principal work for the moment is the planting out of the various winter vegetable crops, suck as cabbage, savoys, cauliflowers, broccoli, and so on. In aIL wcl 1-m an a ged garden s there will b e vacant ground specially reserved for these plants—ground which was well dug and manured during tho winter, and which will now ue mellow. In some gardens, however, the space available is not sufficient to allow of ground being left vacant until January, and tho winter crop has sometimes to so planted between other crops such as potatoes, and whon the latter are lifted th© recently set out plants have all the spaco to themselves. This method has its merits, but care must be taken that tho plants aro nob weakened by being partly smothered with the potato naulms.

To get a continuous supply of vege- f 1 tables several different lcinds must >c planted. For instance, autumn giant cauliflower and .autumn broccoli should bo sot out, next will come a batch of sprouts, followed by a row of winter broccoli and a row of curled greens. Then should come a row of late winter broccoli and savoys, then another row of later planted savoys and a row of spring broccoli. In an ordinary winter, the plants should bo maturing at intervals from the end of summer right on to next October, when the autumn planted cabbages will be coming in. It will thus bo seen that, instead of planting out two or three sorts, one ought really to plant out eight or nine kinds. If you are not particularly fond of kaLe Plant out moro savoys. There is not much to say on planting, as it is an easv matter. You would do woll, however, to thoroughly prepare the | ground, planting on a firm soil rather 1 than on one which is freshly dug. (The I latter should b© well trodden previous to planting.) Then it is bettor to draw out drills somo three inches deep and plant in these rather than on tho Later on, as the plants grow the ground is-Jiard, tho soil will fall about the stems, and give support to the plants. A s to the distance apart to plant, it is safe to plant two feet between the plants and the fame distance between the rows. Nothing is gained by planting closer together thoso which are to stand the winter. Should the ground and the atmosphere be dry at planting time, the roots should be dipped in a mud puddle. It is important to water tho plants immediately they are set out, giving sufficient to go right down to the roots. Always discard any plant that is showing the least 6ign of club-root, for it this once gets into a pl°t . spreads rapidlv, and the plants aro ruineu. Salads.—Tho chief salad . plants in summer aro radishes, spring onions, mustard and cress,' and lettuce. Later the first three drop out, and their place is taken bv tomatoes and cucumbers. Owing "to tho greater ho&fc, radisli and mustard and cress develop so rapidly as to quickly pass out of the usable state, while the onions grow too large. Tho failure with radishes can be overcome by choosing a shady spot, yet one open to the light, for their culture. Under a wall or fence is a suitable place. Mustard and cress can bo secured by similar measures. Onions can be had in a young state all summer and autumn by making a small sowing every three weeks. Crisp lettuce can be secured if the ground is well tilled', and the seed sown where the plants are to "tow. Lettuce do not transplant well when the soil is hot. Of course, the plants must bo kept moving, and this can only be done when sufficient moisturo is afforded and llio surface kept wd!l stirred with tho hoe. _ Thinning, too, must be seen to in time, if the crop is to be a success.

FLOWERS. Cyclamen.—The corms which flowered last season, and which have been resting for some time, should bo giyen some •\vator occasionally to indue© them to start- into growth. As th&y should bo potted up nest month, it is well to get top and root action going well before potting takes place. Chrysanthemums.—Plants grown as specimens should bo stopped or pinched for the last time, unless it is desired to flower them after the middle of May. in which case they can be stopped about the tenfch of the month. Tho shoots must be carefully tied down now until the buds'appear, as the loss of a single J shoot means tho loss of several blooms. Cinerarias. —WEhen the seedlings are large enough, pot them into small pots. A suitable compost is made of two parts loam, ono of leaf eoil, and some sharp sand, all passed through a fine sievo. Stand the plants in a cold frame and keep close for a week or so. Some shado must be afforded- Keep the plants cool by syringing them overhead at least twice a day. Dianthus. —A fine display of this will be had next season if some seed is sown in an onen situation now. Sow thinly, and lightly with some fine, sandy soil; give some shade until tho seedlings —When these are two .irc-hes high thov should be transplanted three inches apart in rows sis inches asunder. Tho tap-root should bo pinched off to induce a busby habit. Water well in, or the plants will wufc badly. If some lime is added to tho soil it- will do a power of good. , , , Brompton Stocks. —These stocks always produce flowers of a single character, but are well worth .growing lor all that. They require a deep loamy well-tilled and well-manured soil, as they do not do well on a poor diet. Seed can be sown now on a cool, moist, shatly border, and when the seedling can be conveniently handled, thin them out to at least six inches apart. . Tuberous Begonias.—Plants wluch. are well rooted and are showing tho flower spike, will be bonefited .if they are given a watering "with liquid manuro now and again. Care must be taken that they do not suffer from lack of moisture, or the flowering season will be shortened considerably. Geraniums. —Plants intended to flower during winter should bo placed m pots 5J inches or 6 inches in diameter, "he I compost can be made of loam, sand, and a little dried cow manure. get shortjointed, sturd? plants, pot firmly, and place them on some sifted ashes in a frame, without tho sash until the roots take to tho now soil; afterwards i stand them in some position where they • will get a full sharo of sunlight, and to keep the roots cool, and save watering, plunge ino pots three-parts their depth in sifted ashes. From the time they are potted until they aro housed in the autumn, every flower stalk should be removed as soon as it forms, and to 'l make the plants stocky pinch out the I points of the shoots occasionally.