IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20170, 24 February 1931, Page 6

IN THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. («r»CULL* WJUTTIM TO* TH* PMSS.) [By J. T. Sinclair.] ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Grapes.—lt is not usual to give grapes ■ much- manure after the .tarries have be-, gunto colour. Nitrate of soda, at the rate .of loz per square yard, is the best; manire, but this ia best applied as the, secoiid-swelling begins, E.H.B.—You can plant perennial phloxes any 1 time during 1 winters but early win ter is best. Oriental poppies are best, planted in May or August. North Canterbury.—Watsonia bulbs need r.ot be lifted every year, bay should not be allowed to become crowded otherwise they deteriorate. When lifted treat Jike-'.gladioli. Lilium uThomsoniarium, usually called, roseum, most other .' liliums, thrives best when its roots are not exposed to too much sun. This variety must not be confounded witb . h. ppeciosum roseum. H.T.W, —To make quassia extract boil for twenty minutes a pound of quassia chips. -• !' in a gallon of water and dissolve in a; gallon of hot ■ watejr Jib of soft soap. . Mix this with the quassia extract and strain. For use add enough water to make up to four gallons. Soapy water to which some soot has laeen added will do. Paper collars should be put on early celery from now onwards when tho plants are large enough. Marrows for • winter use are ready to store when the rind cannot.be pierced with the thumb nail. - ■ Gardener.—Fireblight is a bacterial disease. It is sometimes called "twig blight" in America. It causes the foliage to turn a uniform brown, . the change talcing placs sometimes in two or three days; sometimes it takes as many weeks. The leaves do not fall from the .. trees but remain upon the branches, giving parts the appearance of being scorched by fire. The bark of affected stems become brown and sunken. It affects tho pear and quince most. The bacteria enter the tree through the biossome and also through tho growing tips. There is no known remedy. The blight i makes its appearance soon after New i Year. i VEGETABLES. ! Leeks —The main batch is now in-1 condition to be earthed up, but a good soaking of liquid manure should be Earthing up should be done gradually so as not to interfere with the plants' growth. Carrots —The early carrots sown' in August or early September will now have reached maturity, and should be lifted and stored at once. If left in s the ground much longer they will be of little use in the kitchen. The same applies to early-sown turnip-rooted beet. It is a mistake to leave them in the ground after February. Radishes —Any sowings made after this date should be of .the variety Black Spanish. Compared with most of the other sorts, it'grown to a huge Bize and also, keeps in good condition for a . much longer .time. It,is much the hardiest sort grown. The soil must be ' in good condition, and the bed kept freo from weeds., This variety does better sown ,ixi drills than broadcast. Onions—l 'like this period of the year in the vegetable garden, for we have .time fto breathe, as it were. The bulk of our labour is done, nad we can gather the crops .somewhat at our ' leisure, and turn onr thoughts to next year. We cannot .afford, however, to put csreb4pd attention pn one sided The crops need, just as careful attention in har-' j 'Vesting ' as' .in- 1 - growing, ' and, 4 oujr »supply of winter products will depend largely upon the way harvesting is .prosecuted, " f The; onion < crop will. soon. be -fully, matured in many gardens, although one can never fix a date for the gathering of this, or any other rrop. So much depends upon locality, season, time of sowing, and so on. I£ your tmions still appear to be growing freely, you will well to bend the tops down to the 'ground. This haß the effect of stopping top growth, and throwing the nutriment/into the bulbs, thus tending to give, larger .onions, arid jfc the same time mature the crops.' If, however, the plants Tiave, ceased to ' grow, .pull inp the bulbs and leave them on the ,grcfu*td surface, .turning them over occasionally so that they may become , .thoroughly,dfy. They' should then . be [fljE&mined,. and „ all deformed bulbs.taken out; alto the rough skins should be- removed from the perfect bulbs to thenl - holding water, when the outer skin will xipen to a nice brown colour, which is so important to 1 the of tW ,bylb. After this, carry fchem to-an {airy shed,'when they cati ,-Jm tie# in bunches or roped. They will keep through the winter if spread .thin,ly on . boards;. just' as - well as if tiedinfbunches. The thick-necked bulbs" should ba used forthwith, as they will ,»pt keep as well aB a rule. It is the smaller, bulb,, generally, which keeps tftf ■'..•■■■■ ■ "■ . I ' . 'I , FRUIT. •" Planting Strawberries—Where new plantations of strawberries are content plated,' now is the) time to plant theiru As" ai, rule, the work should be done' "annually, a strawberry plant exhausting'itself alter the becond or third season. A gogd plan, therefore, is to plan]: annually a row ■or & bed —according to the size of the .garden—and 'to destroy a like quantity. Of course' tho new-bed should not be on the old ground. Anew site formed on Sound well, trenched and > manured it winter js best, ja/id if it can be arranged that the young strawberries the. potato crop, now lifted, so much the better. In this case, if the trenching and manuring were done last -winter; no further trenching will, bo needed,,-but-*th«-.soil should be well forked dividing the lumps finely, and .then making level and firm by trading. The young plants, either bought in or layered a month or six weoKs ?go from oriuVown bed, are planted " with a trowel, two feet asunder in the rows. If so desired the plants can be set a foot ppart in the row, £ cropl of fruit taken ofiF the first year, and then evety alternate plant taken out., bo that those left will have room to develop. The garden lino should be ' used to secure straight rows, and a cut . stick will ensure even planting. Make the soil firm about the roots. Trailing runners, specially layered, those which have rooted naturally in,the soil, may.be dug up with a small forlt and transferred to the jiew • quarters. After planting, 'should dry weather prevail, five the rows' - a good watering. The new plants should not be allowed to mtfbe any runners. - j .y ' —' ' • • FLOWERS. , Carnations —The layering should be completed as soon as possible, or the young plants will not be in the best condition when planting time comes round in April, arid there 'will be apossibility' of their not standing the winter well.' ' i Limanthus Douglasn~lf this hardy yellow-flowered annual is sown now ■it will be at its best in spring. It makes a edging, and will grow, ™ ,anv soil, and-almost'in any situation. * Beddipc ■ Geraniums—The * ■ tion di these, plants for next season's display should not be delayed too fong; 'especially if one does not have a Very good convenience' for- winterjjigthem* Late struck .cuttings , do/ "V * j i? } - w* \ a ' ■ . 1f , 3 -

not. come through the winter as well as do struck earlier. Boxes 'are the best things in which to strike them. Any ordinary soij, for, filling the boxes will suit the plants, provided it is sweet and made light and sandy. The gardener must use his discretion when rbmoving the .cuttings Frorh. the plants or unsightly gaps will be rande. If the. cuttings are very sappy, allow them to get dry before inserting them in the sail; flagging will not harm them. -The ' cuttings shpuld be planted' firmly in the boxes, and a moderate - watering' will" settle the, soil around thenl, after whieb they should be kept moderately dry. Tf. the weather' is hot and dry, the cuttijngs may " safely be' left out of doors, and' in the sun, instead of boxes, a border out of doors'is used in which to strike" them, -provision - 'should- be mq.de to protect them from, heavy rain, or<; probably. a j large' j>er-* Rentage will fail to root properly. If the latter method is adopted,-the . young plants must be boxed up be-' fbjco ihay gat-chilleckby frosfc*.■ » . » * A I * \ *