IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17105, 29 March 1921, Page 9

IN THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. (SPECIALLY WRITTKN FOB "THK rB3SSS."> (By J. T. Sinclair.) ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. G.l!.—Heliotrope i* a tender plant and ca?ily damaged. A eunny window in a cool room is best; dry heat and dust would cause the ciges to turn colour, j Car© is needed u> winter successfully: cold and wet will cause the leaves to fall I and the plant to coHaps?, therefore keep j on the dry side in cold weather, and in a room from which frost "is kept. See Unit j greenfly does not infest tho leaves. VEGETABLES. Winter Spinach.—This crop may now he. thinned, allowing two or three inches between the plants. Overcrowding will bo favourable to the spread of mildew, especially in low-lying districts. The Dutch hoe should be used for stirring tho ground between the plants, and a dusting of soot or lime in the early morning will prevent slugs. As the crop advances "in growth the largest loaves should be gathered, whether required for use or not; if left on the plant, they have an injurious and weakening effect. Turnips.—Late-sown turnips should be thtnnetl to six inches apart in the rows. The crop, if allowed to remain in the ground over the winter, will prove valuable in the spring, for, apart from the roots, tho green tops will furnish useful greens. Afford frequent waterings in dry weather, and dust the plants freely with wood ashes to keep the moth iii check and stimulate the growth of the plants. The frequent use of the hoo between the rows will assist the plants to make a free growth. PRurr. Gathering Apples and Pears.—l know tho'difficulties of those of our Readers whose chief gardening opportunities are in the evenings and thu weekly halfholidav. As a rule, evenings arc not the beht times for gathering fruit, and fruit that is nearly ready on one Saturday niav be over-fipe by the next, and the difficulty then presented is what to do under'tho circumstances. When the variety is a late one, and one which is known to be a good keeper, it is well to make a special effort to gather it exactly when it is ready, and neither before or after. It- does not take long to gather all ; the fruit from $ one tree, and a dry, breezv evening'can be utilised, for the fruit " is then almost as dry as on a sunny day. An ordinary evening is not a good time, however, for a certain dampness clings to tho fruit, especially after a hot day. It is surprising how old methods cling to one, and how difficult it is ( to got people to believe that the methods adopted by their fathers were not exactly right methods. For instance, tho primitive feeling in us with regard to gathering fruit is to tako hold of the tree, shake it soundly, and then to leisurely pick up the fallen fruit. It was a comfortable and an easy way, and some practise it yet, but it certainly is not the best way. The right way to gather the fruit, so far as we know it "to-day, is to pick each fruit separately from the branch, and place it'in the basket by one's side, taking care not to droo it in so as to bruise it. Every apple and pear should be treated as carefully and tenderly as a ripe peach, as that is the only way they will keep through the long winter months. - . Whore to store the fruit is the most difficult question of all, so far as the amateur is concerned. The best place of all is a room specially built. Few of us eet all wo want in the world, and few - of us get such a place in which. to store our frnit. We thus must make the best use of what we have got, and this more often than not, is a cool shed, as far as the amateur is concerned A latticed shelf is a good resti ing-place for the fruit, for there they get a good circulation of air all round them, and it is easy to detect tho first signs of decay. The decayed ones can be removed, and ao others will sutter. Latticed travs can be used instead, and these trays stand one on top of tno other, as hi"h. as tho shed will allow, and as be a few inches of spaces between each one, tho fruit on each tray can bo easily examined from timo to time. Ordinary fruit cases can be used, but each fruit must be well lookerf ovor before being placed in those, ottowiso if one blemished fruit, which, will earlv decay, is placed therein it will soon" contaminate tho sound ones around it. Tho point is to maintain a circujation of air about the vessels containing the fruit, so that they will keep better and sounder. .'.,■,. ~ A Some people are misled by the term ripeness. When a fruit is ripe, find fit to bo gathered from tho tree, does not necessarily mean that it is at its best. It niav'not be mature and fit-to eat until some months after it is gathered. It is best to storo ;iU varieties separately, as by doing so it is easy to tell when each ono is mature. Pears need a slightly higher temperaturo than apples; therefore these should be stored at the warmest end of tho shed. Choice varieties of pears, which it is desired to havo ripe quickly, can be placed in a warm cupboard. They finish quickly there, and maintaiu a good colour. FLOWERS. \ Tulips.—The following is a method of growing a large quantity of tulips' in a small space for decorative purposes tndoors v in spring. Tho plan is to discard pots, which take up a great deal of room, and to use a box instead. Any old well-drained bos will eervo the purpose. It must be well "crocked" for drainage, ovor tho crocks a thin layer of leaves is placed, and on tliis a layer of sandy soil. Tho bulbs are then planted an inch or so apart in stiaight rows, covered with soil, and afterwards watered thoroughly. The box is next placed under ashes for six or eight weeks, until root action and top growth are apparent, and afterwards slowly inured to the light and introduced to tho gentle warmth of a greenhouse. Here, if vigorous forcing is not attempted, tho flower buds will soon make tiheir appearance. Tho young planw will then be ready for transference to jardinieres, bowls, or pots, in which tho buds will speedily open, either in the conservatory or the dwelling-house. If so desired, 'the bttlbs will flower in the box t and the blooms be cut for indoor decoration.

The method, described is that followed bv the grower for market in the Old Land, but it is ao simple that there is no reason why amateur gaidener, with the proper greenhouse- and irame facilities, should not adopt it ft>i himself. 4 DaihHas.—from now cill,,tho end of April dahlias will bo in full flower union? a severe frost occurs. "Where they are massed together, an effort should bo made to shelter them from frost, a3 they will proTO of great value for indoor decoration during the next two or three weeks. The stakes should bo renewed if necessary, at the same uimo supporting some or the growths with' fresh ties w a precaution against autumn gales. Violas.—This is about tlio best time for the propagation of violas which are to be planted out in spring. Tho cuttings "are best made from the young growths Which have riot flowered. They may be dibbled in boxes, and, if these aro placed on the south or shady sid3 "of a wall or hedge, they should root, readily, and they can -bo easily removed Ito shelter when .tho colder weather arrives.