IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20490, 8 March 1932, Page 5

IN THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. (SPECIA.LI.T WRITTEN TOR THE PRESS.) LBy J. T. Sinclair.] ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 0.8.U.—1t is too eurly to propagate the bedding calceolarias. .[ cannot' say how long it' will take your rose cutting lo root, if you examine it you will probably find that the stem is callused. Trench the ground intended tor a rose bed two feet deep, and incorporate plenty of manure. Do not use fertilisers until the plants are growing freely. Plant early, allowing two feet from plant to plant. If the ground is wind-swept it; would be advisable to give some shelter on the windy side. Tomato——Allow the chosen fruit to bans until dead ripe; then cut open, empty the pulp into a pail of water, and, with the hand separate the seed from the Hesh. Pour off the latter, and again wash the seeds. When free of pulp, spread on- a sheet of paper in the sun to dry. There are other ways of drying the seed, but this will answer your purpose. VEGETABLES. Asparagus.—As tlie growing sea-Min ol this ends about tho end of next month, a final application of nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia can be sprinkled over the bed and watered in. Nothing will show on the tops as the results of this manuring, but the crowns next season will bo all the better for it. Seakale.—"What is reconimonded for the above can also be given iSeakale, but ordinary coarse bait will answer the purpose equally well. FLOWERS. Bulbs and tubers.—Many of these may be sucesslully planted froin .now until the ; nd of April, but early planting is advisable, as thero is no advantage in keeping the bulbs out of the ground alter tiiey are matured. YV lien the bulbs are going to be planted it will bo ai) advantage if the soil was deeply dyg ami trenched during winter or sprint;, as on no account should fresh manure come in contact with the bulbs, if manure has to bo given now, it shou'd be in tho fonn of bonenmal. Daffodils can bo planted from three to six inches apart, according to size, and the top of the bulbs should be' from three to four inches below the surface. Dog's tooth violets.—Put two inches apart and three inches deep. The new bulbs of crocuses grow about tho old ones, and for that reason should be set about four' inches deep, unless they are lifted annually, in which case half tho depth will do. Scillas can bo set four inches deep, and three or four inches apart. Set chionodoxas (glory of the snow) one inch apart and three inches deep. Isias and sparaxis can' be placed an inch asunder and three or four inches deep. Ornithogalums may be placed an inch or so apart and four inches deep. Bulbs in pots. —To everyone bulbs are familiar in gardens in spring,, but they are available for enlivening the unheated greenhouse or room windows some time before the ones outdoors aro in bloom. Tho kinds usually grown in pots are narcissus, tulips, hyacinths, and crocuses. During the next few weeks is an excellent time to pot them. A good general compost of loam three parts, decayed manure one part, leaf mould and sand, half a part each. Mix" together thoroughly. In potting place a piece of broken pot over the drainage hole, a few more fragments above, then a layer of half-rotted leaves or rough soil. Finally, put in as much 6oil as will allow the apices of the bulbs to Jbe level with the rims of the pots; put the bulbs in position, fill in and over with soil, then press in firmly with the fingers. Do not make the mistake of pressing tho e soil firm before placing the bulbs in position. Such a course, especially with hyacinths, is the cause of the bulb being lifted out of the soil. The roots form eo many legs, propping up the bulb by pushing against the firm soil, instead of being able to penetrate easily the soil and hold tjie bulbs down. In the case of hyacinths, too, all small offsets should be removed—they only grow leaves. After potting, if the soil was picely moist, no watering will be necessary, but if at all dry, a watering will do no harm. Potting finished, place the pots on ashes in a sheltered corner of the garden, in a spare frame or in an outhouse. They; must be in the dark. If Out of doors or in frame, cover completely over with sifted ashes or with dry sand. The covering depth should be several inches. Under this covering the temperature and moisture are equable, and growth can go on steadily, as though the bulbs were planted in tho garden. A cellar or dark shed supply these conditions in themselves. In the- case of hyacinths, the spike often appears with the leaves, the latter barely sheltering it. To avoid damage; therefore, by contact with the plunging material (especially with ashes) it is customary to invert a small pot over the one containing the bulb, and to block its drainage hole with a flat stone or wood before plunging. This allows the embryo spike having free growth without risks. The bulbs should remain thus plunged for eight weeks, when an examination may be made. Any well started can be removed and placed in semi-shade for _ a few days, in the greenhouse or window. Those hot started, recover and leave a fortnight longer. Repent the examination until all are under cover. Increase the plunging material,' or add leaves or straw should hard frost put in an appearance. There is no need to hurry tho bulbs; the longer within reason they are in the plunge bed the better. The slow ' growth there allows of tne roots making good headway, and a poor root system means a poor flora display or its total collapse. When growing in the greenhouse or room, nothing more than ordinary caie ne GroSg Bulbs in Fibre-No method of growing bulbs is so simple as th s, for not only is it a clean Process butit takes vary'little time and attention to obtain excellent results. \»hen used in lieu of soil, all that 'L fo 0 f sary is to place a sufficient quantity ol fibre, which can be. obtained seedsman who socialises me » ntnl suitable bowls, the mo when these are the nicer will th®> nlaced in the living-room. It is always Ssary when bulbs are, gjji m soil to provide ample drainage, that the moisture .passes bowla in which fibre is uied. as ™ drainage in the ordinary sense of word is needed as the requires to be sufflc en , • „ active. In keep the roots ot " s ° r f to f ha J? is wento pIK -r and sweet, it is « Ll ' . ottolll 0 f th° pieces of charcoal a . charcoal bulbs. After cover in shou({l thoroughly witl th > r; sua i] v the be placed m P°®^ lo^; at at the- finish j bulbs are so P lnce „ d n „i le vel witb.tnq their crowns come oirt su .. cee d best top of the bowl, » ■ veco jnmended this way. Tt is alw.i>* ju fibre to to those who gio\ -Lj e together * u place .as many as poss be a S od disthe bowls in order to maje a b ]eft play, so Ion? as niit of a small between each bulb to pe around quantity of fibre be in? ? ,a n c^ dcd . it, them, that is all that tlmt o«lbs may be taken for < )iioVC cnr etuHv planted in fibre mu-t be ing in soi watered than tlios *•_. S j. method which is well drained-' The fibro of watering theboul t j iem ia appears to he w §

a pail of water, and then place tiiem on their sides so as to let the surplus moisture escape In other V? s Hb e treatment that bulbs growing 111 require is almost identical with that given to those cultivated in 8011 • Saving Seed—T-ook <' ,ttei ,■ ; h plants iu the flower garden , "L have been allowed to run to soon as they are ripe, cut off the sp k - on a dry day, and place in a »unnj window until the seed will shak - readilv out of the pods. . Even a te that do not be in a hurry to tie them up in paper bags, but leave foi 'V 10 *'' few days, so thai they may become thoroughly dry.