IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19140, 25 October 1927, Page 16

IN THE GARDEN.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS j Opawa Road —If the ground was well pro- ; pared before the plant* were set out. I your newly-made asparagus tied will i r-ot require much manure this season. A | little of the manures recommended for ; beds being rut can he scattered on at . intervals of three weeks. If the weather is dry the manures should be watered in. Amateur—The reason that your rhubarb . stalks are becoming thin is probably because your soil lacks potash. Dust the \ ground,liberally with wood ashes several times during the growing season: also a good dressing of fowl manure can be given when growth starts, and again | about Xew Year. Water copiously dur- i ing dry weather. Puzzled —There is no way you can prevent Vees from working among the flowers o. •.-our hroad beans. If your tulips arc of the Darwin type they will have made a "break"; that accounts for them becoming striped. They are then called .Rembrandts. The two types are closely allied, and "breaks" or "reversions ' are common in the Darwins. WORK FOR THE WEEK. (SPECIALLY WRITTEN FOR THE PRESS.) (.By J. T. Sinclair.) VEGETABLES. licet root..—This crop has its peculiar value, and should never be left out of the garden curriculum. Very leupeople use the. roots as a vegetable (they are very good when used this wav*' however), hut .as a salad with col'd meat. During the next two weeks | is the time for sowing the seed ol the , main crop. Do not trouble if you : have no manure. You will iiua the | plants do better on land which has not, j beeu freshly manured, ju>t a-o carrots do. It is essential, however, that the land be in good heart, and it it was manured well last year and has since been deenly stirred with the spade of fork, it will be in admirable condition for the beetroot crop. Superphosphates and common stilt are two of the best artificials for the 100U The best roots are those with a single taproot, whether they are of the long variety or the stump-rooted kind, and these 'can onlv be had on deeply-work-ed soil, which is in good condition. On inferior soils it is better to sow seeds of the stump-rooted variety, Egyptian turnip-rooted, for the long tapering roots of the other varieties cannot penetrate shallow soils, and so become "forked!" Sow thinly in shallow drills twelve inches apart. It is important to get a fine tilth on the surfaco previous to sowing the seed. Cheltenham Green-top, Sutton's Pineapple, Dell's dark red, and Nutting's red are all gorcl kinds of the long-rooted type. Parsnips.—As soon as the seedlings are well above, ground the first thinning should take place'. ' This will consist of removing all the weakest. As growth proceeds this operation will be continued, until at length the plants are standing a foot apart, or at least nine inches. The larger distance is certainly recommended for exhibition purposes. Constant hoeing between the plants is advised in order to k*ep Ihe crop free from weeds and in a berdthy state generally. New ZeaJaud Spinach.—Some people do not like ordinary spinach because the flavouf.'.is too strong —too "sooty" or '.'irony." They should grow the New Zealand spinach, which can bo sown now; the tender tops of the growing plants are pinched out and boiled, and make a most delicate dish. As growth is vigorous, a distance of at least two feet should be allowed from plant to plant Celery,—As soon as the seedlings are large enough to be handled, they should' be pricked off into boxes or frames. Some well-rotted dung can be put. in the bottom •of the boxes, and then a. few inches of soil put over the dung. Water well wheu the plants are in place, and shade from, bright sunshine for a few days until the roots hate taken to the new soil, then give all light and air possible, as lanky plants never do weir.• Frame. Cucumbers.—Nowadays there are many amateur gardeners who possess- a cold frame or some description.. It may not be a finished article, as turned out by a first-class builder, but if it serves its purpose, what matter if it be crude and rough. It Is always used, and can be made of service ill the year round. During spring it is usually full of bedding plants, but when these are turned out it can be used for cucumbers. If the frame.in resting on,the ground a.goodsized hole can be dug out, and a barrowful of good manure placed therein and tramped firm. A layer of soil can next be spread in the hole,-and several seeds; a few inches apart, and an inch deep can be planted. If it is possible to purchase "plants, a lot of time is saved. Keep the frame close and moist for a few days until the plants appear. As they grow, 95 degrees during sunshine will not be too much, provided the plants have air, and arc not allowed to get dry at the roots. Two or three times a day the' plants and sides of the frame should be syringed, but the mistake of allowing the bed to become dry below, While kept moist above by the use of the syringe, must be avoided. Abundant moisture above and below is necessary, though. over-watering which produces anything like stagnation is deadly. Nip the points out of the seedling plants when they have made four rough leaves, and again when the side shoots have made four rough leaves. Peg the growths out to cover the ground regularly, and remove superfluous shoots when fruit is forming.

FRUIT. Raspberries.—ln some gardens, owing to the ravages, of the raspberry grub, there is going to be anything but a good crop. 'When the canes are showing very little lateral growth it is well to cut them down to the ground, as the crop will hardly be worth picking. Between the stools and between the rows many suckers will be showing, and the most of these should be removed, leaving, of course, sufficient for next year's crop. The strongest and best placed should be retained. FLOWERS. Bedding Out. —This term, so frequently employed by gardeners, is used to describe the temporary planting of greenhouse and other tender plants in open borders and beds for the summer months. With the closing days of October the time las arrived when most gardeners becrme preoccupied with "the problem of summer bedding. In thfi days of our grandfathers the term "summer bedding" had a very definite meaning. It suggested formal flowerbeds in which only a few subjects wsre employed, and in which the changes were rung with monotonous iteration. This was the time when the red and pink and white geraniums, thj glaring yellow calceolaria, and the blue lobelia held undisputed sway. This style of planting was formerly iu far greater favour than it is now; it has gone out of favour, perhaps partly because it often means a fresh expense each year, and partly because, although it is possible to make a bed a mass of colour for a considerable time, the beauty of each individual plant cannot be shown to such' great advantage as with hardy perennial plants. Still, most gardens contain at least one suitable spot where bedding plants have their place, and especially if one has a greenhouse, and is able to propagate one's own plants it need not be very expensive. 'Whatever plants are set out they-should bo

planted firmly, and be well watered immediately afterwards if the soil is at all dry. A slight hollow can be left round ea'h plant, and oan be tilled up with water, and when this has subsided the hollow o.in be tilled up with soil. As this prevents rapid evaporation, it is a much better plan than filling in all the soil, and watering afterwards. Antirrhinums, geraniums, and petunias grow well in dry situations when they 'have a good hold. Most other subjects require good soil to get them to flower their best. Fuchsias aud violas flower well during summer in a little shade. Water all plants in pots and boxes on the evening before they are planted, so as to facilitate their easy removal from their present receptacles.