IN THE GARDEN.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20496, 15 March 1932, Page 5

IN THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. (specially written *or the press.) LBy J. T. Sinclair.] ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. B.P.—Gladioli can easily be grown from seed. The pods that come in place of the flowers contain the seeds; the latter will tome apart when ripe. Plant primroses l>ai;k into the borders again in April, itamimculus seed sometimes takes a lone; time to germinate. Well-rotted manure is best for ranunculus. Place it so deep that it will not touch the bulbs. The tubers of the ones you planted last season will bo all right if jour ground is free from wirevorms. M.J.C.—The brown spots under the skins of your apples is a disease called bitter-pit. , No sure* remedy can be given for its conIrol. Improvements, in some trees which have been subject to it, have been noticed by the application of lime to the roots arid spraying with lime when the truit was half grown. Young trees are more subject to it than old ones. Illdeed, sometimes trees grow out of it. •Still some varieties, such as Clnygnte IVarmain, Lord Wolseley, and Peasgood's Nonsuch, which are subject to it, sometimes do not show the disease until some lime after they ara gathered. Try the lime. VEGETABLES. "Wintor Greens —Unless the ground becomes very dry, vegetables to stand the winter should not get any artificial waterings, the object being to get sturdy plants, instead of a too luxuriant growth. Most of the plants should be well enough established to get their linal earthing up.

Tomatoes—Tomatoes in houses. and frames bearing fruit yet green or perhaps only recently set, should be ventilated sparingly, with the view of keeping the temperature as high as possible.. Give a little air soon after the sun strikes on the glass, and shut it off early in the afternoon, while its rays yet have power to raise the temperature within the frame. Towards the beginning of next month, when the nigflits are becoming cold, it will be an advantage to cover the lights with old sacks or other dry material,'to keep the temperature oi' the frames as high as possible. Attention to these tew details will help to bring forward late fruit more rapidly. Watering the plants, when they require it, with warm water, say, about 00 degrees, will also help to accelerate progress in the swelling of the fruit, but plants that are bearing fruit that is approaching the ripening stage should be watered sparingly During April, the fruit may bo gathere4 when full grown, even if unripe, or with just a tint ol colour, and plneed one layer thick in a tray or shallow box, placed where it will have full exposure to, light and air. They will soon assume ripeness treated in this way. and their removal from the plants will facilitate the growth ol those left on the plants. flowers. Lachenalias—Bulbs in baskets or pots should now be shaken out and repotted before they begin to grow.' A <rood compost is two parts fibrous loam, half-part decayed cow manure, haiipart leaf soil, and sand enough to Keep the whole open. Seven or eight bulbs are enough for a six-inch ppt, a "d .' corresponding increase should be made according to the size of the pans 01 baskets. Give plenty of damage After potting stand them on si He ashes in a cold frame, and give them a watering through a rose to settle the soil, and keep the so. 1 spnnWed "i t signs of growth are seen, alter wnic" give cool treatment and plenty ot P Jiyacfnths in Glasses—l supposethnt evervone knows that hyacinths o large spring blooming types co hette indoors under what may be cal ed foicing treatment, if they are ot the sing e varieties, than if thc.v are double. lhe\ reason does not seem to be very apnnrpnt but the fact is certain. Tt is a pity that the custom of growing these hyaemths n glasses on window sills and J" ® somewhat gone out I do not defend the ancient hyacinth glasses, for anytninj, more ugly it would be hard to »nagine. The .Srn glasses, however, are not merely passable; some of them arc e; n design. The glass should be dark. o r the root action of the plant w,H M 'n r is very interesting to watch the growth of a hyacinth in a glass t root hardly less than the stem, <inu the flower.' Although it is not necessary it is advisable, after one has pit a bit of charcoal into tbe glass filled it with water, so that of the bulb hardly reaches the moisture to place the "glassed bulb ini a Uul corner if not in complete darkness. Only thus can we secure the strongest possible roots, and eventually the finest coloured and most bl When we bring the g'ass into full light, we shall hnd that .t is half-filled with white roots ' 'lkintheir way towards or along of the glass. It used to + be sa d that not until these roots met at the bottom of the glass was the bulb ready for full light, but though theie woe some grounds for the saying, 1 do not think it need be too literally «PP! ,ed ; \t this period the shoots ot the hyacinth will be only an inch or two hii'h. but thenceforward it will grow with great rapidity, changing almost dailv in some small respect, and at last unfurling with a solemn grace its standard of bloom. . . . All that it asks in return is that its glass be refilled as often as evaporation calls for its replenishment. It is .a good plan to look at the ' glasses every morning; then, if they need filling up, put a spoonful or two of warm water into a jug ot cold water to raise it to the. tsmperatuie of the room . . , - Bedding Plants—lf not already done as was advised a fortnight afc, 0 , cuttings of heliotrope, marguerites, and other similar bedding P' ants should be put in at once. Until the cuttings are somewhat established, shading from bright sunshine and a rather close, nioiet atmosphere will be required. Chrysanthemums —By the end ot the month the whole of the plants which have been grown with the object, ol producing large blooms should be salely placed under cover, as irost may set in any time after that. Ind'eed, it there is Hie least likelihood of the thermometer reaching the freezing point soon, the plants would be much better housed soon after the middle or the month, as highly-fed plants are very susceptible" to injury from frost. Far too often, owing fo lack or accommodation under glass, plants which have showii every promise ol giving blooms of exceptional cjuality are spoiled b.v placing them too thickly together. Man'- growers are under •the impression that by this time the plant has done its most important work. and. providing it can be placed under glass, even though half its foliage turns vellow. little harm will be -done. This* to my mind, is a most serious error, as every inducement should be given them to retain their leaves as much as possible, so that perfect blooms may be produced, The better the plants have been grown the more will thev suffer when packed too closely together. It must be remembered that the conditions that they have been growing under are very different from those which obtain under glass. The plants will not get so dry as when in the open, and the greatest care should be observed as to thi=. l'.xnminc each daily and_ thoroughly, and make absolutely certain that the plant is quite ready to receive water before

any is given, and when doing so fill I the pot up to the rim, so that the hottorn roots will get their share of mois- [ tare. Ihe plants will need assistance' in the way of stimulants at this stage, but any given diould not be of a saline nature; soot-water, superphosphates in liquid form, and liquid man- t 11 . r .e | lnac ' t i from horse droppings are all that is_ necessary. Guano is also splendid. Keep the foliage well dusted with su.phtir to prevent mildew Place tlie Japanese varieties in the earliest part ol the structure, as well-formed flowers seldom come from them when, the plants are kept too warm.