IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16856, 9 June 1920, Page 8

IN THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. (SPECHLLT WRITTEN FOR "THS TWOS. ) (Bt J. T. SINCLAIS.) ANSWERS. TO COKKESPONDENTS. Tomatoes.—Unless you ccniFleUly stcri.i-o tho soil ir. which diseased toaiatoeihavs lveon grown, it wk® c J u ' f c ; , question attempting lo fjro'.v ,on,-iO » fc it again. You will *f v f * deal of work and v."orr> it > <=*-» • - fresh soil ■wheu planting tunc- ceJieo round. VEGETABLES. Forcing Vegetables. With the approach oi" the shortest dav the forcing of \egetables will be easier than ** a mouth ago. lllnibarb roo s , forced should be lifted out ot the ground and exposed to the weather for a time. One night's sharp frost is quite sull.cient clieek to make the roots respond to heat. A week s exposure without vrost- also answers the purpose kalo roots for forcing should bo liftcd and trimmed, and allowed to rest some time before being placed in heat. 1 small roots can be cut- up into four inch lon<'ths. tied into bundles, and buried about an inch deep in somo cool corner. Thev will bo useful for planting in spring. In preparing the cuttings, o '•thongs," cut tho top off straight aerof""' and the bottom slantwise, so that when planting comes the proper end will be placed uppermost. _ Place the rhubarb or seakale roots m and build up around and over the boxes hotbeds composed of stable litter and partially dccaved leaves. Well m>'x the litter and leaves, and when making up the hotbed make, it fairly firm The temperature should not rise above SO degrees.. or the produce will be thin, seakale crowns often rot when subjected to a fierce heat. Those who have the convenience of glasshouses artifically heated can force rhubarb, seakale, chicory, and asparagus under tho benches. In all cases the crowns may be placed closely together in order to get a good return from a restricted area. Light must be excluded, especially in the case of seakale or chicorv, or the growths will be ereen in colour and bitter in flavour. Hliubarb grown in darkness lias a better colour than when grown in light, while asparagus, although being white in colour when grown under dark conditions, has a first-class flavour. Arrangements may now be made also for forcing rhubarb and seakale in the open garden without the trouble of lifting them; tho process will be ft little less quick than it is -when lifted, but often the produce is more satisfactory. Select "good strong roots, and cover tlism with boxes. Then build up around and over the boxes with litter and leaves mentioned above. The heat thus provided will cause the plants to start- into growth, and the total absence of light will ensure perfect blanching. FRUIT. Pruning.—As soon as all the leaves have fallen from the fruit trees one may be sure that the sap has gone down from the branches to a great extent, and no better .time for pruning can be chosen. The neglect to prune is far too common among amateurs. Thcro can be no hope of satisfactory crops where this is the case. Trees will become thickets, useless wood will ho produced at tRe expense of fruit. It should bo remembered that the process of building up and maturing fruit buds does not cease entirely with tho fall of the leaves, but is continued into tho winter. The chief difficulty of the beginner is to tell the difference between a fruit bud and a wood or leaf bud. A good general ruio is to make up ono's mind tliat the fruit buds are larger, rounder, and plumper than the wood buds. One or two points in regard to priming need to be emphasised. The first is that branches should bo sufficiently wide apart to admit air and light. The second is the urgent necessity lor the complete removal of all dead wood, i If this be neglected tho dead wood will provide a breeding ground for canker and other fungoid diseases, and for numerous insect pests. It is exceedingly important to be sure that fruit trees of different types are being treated in such a manner as to ensure the largest possible return for tho outlay and spaco involved, and there is no doubt that a greater familiarity with tho main principles of pruning is most desirable in order to attain this result. ' llic shoots of apple trees can be shortened to an inch or so. It is the usual and probably the wisest plan to leave two eyes in preference to one on every 6hoot. Pears may bo pruned back in the same fashion, removing in addition all the weak and "spiny" wood which may have formed, as well as any that crosses. The important point to remember _ is that any wood which in any way hinders the full access of light or air among the branches is really an evil to get rid of. Great care should always ba taken to cut above a node in the leafwood formed during the past season above the spurs, and to let the cut bo short and clean, at an angle of about 45 degrees. Plum trees require much less pruning than do apples and j>e ar s> when onco their hend.s are well furnished with branches. All dead spurs should bo cut •away, as- the spurs on plum trees are prone to die out now and again. Still, few trees arc more fruitful in cropping than a well-grown plum. A tree pruner can be used for the toomost branches of all tnl.l trees it' nmateiT-s' gardens, and at the time of doing the work a watch should be kept for any sneeimoTis which seem to have made wood at the expense n f fruit during recent seasons. If this has happened. ifc is well to mark the trees at the time of branch pruning, prcparatorv to root-nrunino; them, as soon as fi'me can be *hnd for drvnrr the. work. At soreo future date we shall deal with the subject rent pruning.