IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16423, 17 January 1919, Page 8

IN THE GARDEN.

(apeai.Lt* warn** 'a"".") (Bf J. T. Sinclajb.) WORK FOR THE WEEKANSWER TO CORRESPONDED!, Kftffissi.-Tbo beflt tiroo to lift daffodil bulbs is during tic month of December. \ou Can lift your'a "off, and no hann will Inko plnoo providing root ac'.ica :s r.o. nctivct Bomo of the poeticiM varutiw iiavo root action nearly «U tho year round. If roots huvo been emt.tcd replant at once, if not clear, or.d grade ttWl store th« buitj » dry p.acv; until tho end of February or topr.nins o: Much, v.'hen replanUEg can tcKe placc. "WORK FOR THE WEEK. Sow—Radish, mustard and cross, lettuce, onions for salad, dwaif beans, spinach, turnips, and silver beet.' Plant—Cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, savcys, kale, celery, and brccccli. vegetables. French Beans. —The last sowing of the season should be put m now, as it is of little use sowing after this clau unless in an exceptionally sheltered position. Even with this sonmiz thero is some danger of it being sooilpd by early frosis, still, a late crop of podf. are very useful and are worth the nsis. Peas.—A sowing of English Condor can be made now, and another at the end of the month. If sit all dij, ilicground should be given a good soaking for a few hours previous to sowing the seed. If the seeds of these the French beans aro soaked m water. lor a few hours, germination wil§ be quicker, as growth is slow in dry weather. Cucumbers.—Plants growing under glass should have any growths which show Bigns of exhaustion cut out, ami some of the younger shoots laid in thenplace. If tlie plants aro given a top dressing of fine soil, . and a good watering with weak liquid manure a better crop will be the result. Ridgo varieties growing outdoors must be kept well supplied with moisture, or they will not make grod' growth, and will probablv be attacked by red spider. Cauliflower.—lf late kinds were sown towards the end of November to provide a crop that would come into use in autumn, they should be planted out now, if not already done. Veitch's Autumn Giant is perhaps the best sort we have for yielding a heavy crop at the time indicated, an 3, being very' hardy, it may be planted to tho end of tho month, and furnish fine heads well into ■winter. It must, however, have more room than other varieties of cauliflower. Leeks. —If this crop lias not been planted yet, it should be done without delajr, or. the blanched part will be very short. Plenty of man tiro water can bo I given when the plants become established.

Spinach.—A good breadth of the prickly-soeded sort should now be made, to provide useful leaves in earlv nutiimn. The ground should be well preDfired ' and he kept moist. Celery.—lt is time the lato lot of this was planted in the trenches, and, as it has to grow for a long time before it is fit for use, every attention must be piven it until it is finally moulded up. Bo careful to remove any side growths that may have formed, as this will 6ave a lot of bother Inter on. . Asparagus.—lf the growths are getting top-heavy, they must bo piven some support, such as wire from end to end of the bed. If this is nob done, much damage will perhaps be done to the crowns, and this will affect the crop next season. FRUIT. ' Young trees.—These not yet fully formed require careful attention at summer pruning; they are in the making stage, when it has to be lcept constantly iu_ view to develop the main branches in a regular direction from, the centre of tree outward. Excessive luxuriance shown in any branch over others should be repressed by pinching back more or less severely the growths that are being made, whil? weaker branches may be allowed to extend their full length even to the end of the season. In whatever part of the tree over-luxuriance manifests itself, that part should bo first dealt with in starting to prune. By reducing the number of leaves, shortening the shoots, and removing bodily those that are not wanted ,in such parts, the flow of sap towards them is checked and diverted to weaker parts, where it is more wanted. All over-luxuriant branches should therefore be first dealt with, leaving those that arc* weak to benefit by the stronger flow of sap towards them, which will result from this treatmentj the latter leave unprur.ed througnout the growing season, encouraging every leaf to grow. Equal vigour "to that of the luxuriant parts may not be attained in one s.eason, but some advance towards lit will be made. It may be necessary where the disparity in" vigour is great to pinch off the points of second growths on the more luxurious branches when they are about throe or four inches long. In rearing young trees there is a very common error made by _ amateurs in leaving shoots to grow in# any direction tlioy may take, and it_ is rare that they take the straight line from the centre outwards, which is the perfect line for all branches of fruit trees to take. Aid should be given to erratic shoots by tying them while young to stakes or to neighbouring branches to grow straight from to the outward limit of its circumference. Avoid tho confusion caused by shoots crossing each other; if a shoot is well placed at its base, but is inclined athwart another neighbour, stop it by pinching it back tc a bud, or leaf, on the opposite to that in which it is inclined to grow. The leading shoot at the point of each branch should be allowed to grow its full length without any etopping.

FLOWERS. j Montbrictias. —These aro among the most useful and showiest of our late summer and autumn iloworing plants, and, like most other subjects, they give tho best results when liberally treated; liquid manure may bo given them at least- once a woek. Bedding Plants. —i'eg down tho trailing shoots of Phlox Drummondi ivy-leaved geraniums, petunias, and verbenas. Try and manago it so that the growths are well balanced round tho plants Propagating Pinks. —Pinks, choice Sweot "Williams, and many similar plants, may be propagated by cuttings from now to the end of tEe n'onth. Non-flowering shoots o-6in long, shortjomted, and well furnished with leaves are best for the purpose. .Remove the leaves from the lowest two or three joints of the stem, and cut the latter over close to the under-side of a joint with a sharp knife, and tho cutting is ready to be planted. A shallow packing bos, covered with squares of glass laid closely side by sido as a roof, will do very well as a frame. To those who have not the convenience of a frame in which to plant them, thoy may be planted outdoor in a shady position in sandy soil, but a frame fs the most perfect protection /or thvin for the first fortnight or three weeks after they are planted. If tho soil is heavy, mix it freely with equal parts of leaf mould and sand. Plant the cuttings 3-1 inches apart oach way. Keep thom shaded from direct sunshine, if they are iu an open place, till they show feigns of making growth, when shading may bo gradually dispensed ■with, using it later in the morning and removing it earlier iu the after-

noon till it may be done without. The cuttings will then require to be graduexposed to air and moderately supplied with water, but avoid heavy waterings till they are rooted. They may be planted where they are to bloom in March, so that tliey will be well established in their new quarters before hard weather sots in. Hydrangeas.—These plants are fast developing their trusses of bloom, and will be assisted by liberal doses of liqyid man lire. When there is a tendency for the to become blue, and this particular colour is desired, it can be intensified by giving a watering now and again with a weak solution of suiphate of iron. Lime in all forms should be kept from tho plants, though, it will increase the depth of the pink shades.