SOMETHING FOR CARDENERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 22, 21 October 1907, Page 2

SOMETHING FOR CARDENERS.

.THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. : ; ) CULTURE NOTES BY A CHAMPION. Aucklandors call their town "tho garden city," and in view of - the study they.hav< made of flower culture and the brilliance.oi their , gardens and their 'shows, it must be admitted that they deserve the title. ; .Th< city is full of flower enthusiasts;. and among those whoso names have been promineni thore none are better known than Mr. Alfrec Taylor, of the'Northcote School. Mr. Taylor for quite a number of won the chry santhemum championship at tho Aucklam shows, and i now' that he has retired un beaten many of the young enthusiasts; win are competing for the championship are prout to acknowledge ■ him as their coach. Wi havo, secured from Mr. Taylor an outline o his methods, which we are -sure, our reader: in AVellington and the other Southern town: will be glad to possoss. Mr. Taylor write: as follows: — . • • . ' . WHY MYBLOOMS WON THE CHAMPION SHIP FOE SEVERAL-YEARS ? I have been asked to answer the abov< query for tho •'information of the readers o TnE Dominion. The intelligent recognitioi of a few leading principles, and fidelity toth smallest details, are the secrets of:success 'Somo of these—substantially those given ii a lecture to tho Auckland Chrysanthomum So ciety—aro appended. ■ ' ... •■ Planting. ■• f Thoroughly incorporate fresh stable manur (or rat-tail grass) with tho soil'to .keep, i open, together with a dressing of bone-dus "and a sprinkling of'kainit.. Choose a. da; when tho soil.has .become comparatively dry and tread or roll till quite firm. ■ If this- b done when the soil is rather damp great ham roffults —the r'soil loses the flocculent con dttion and becomos a solid paste. Have th> beds running north and .south, four foot wide awl-, plant tho-rows one foot from, tho edg and two feet betweon the plants. s Uso a bum weapon, and ram tho soil (a little at a timeround tho roots, exactly.in tho samo way a putting in a gate post. It is almost mi pbssibTo to overdo it. if tho soil bo in i suitable condition. ' Tho reason. is obvious Large flat blooms, and those that - show th "eyo" result from sappy, unripeiicd wood Dwarf plants, with hard, short-jointed wood producing deep, noble blooms, aro obtained b; threo things, which should always bo. kep in view—firm planting,, plenty of, sunshine and tho judicious use of kainit. Manurin-3. , ' Mulch early in Decembor with grass, 01 bettor still, stablo litter. With the ,Noi Year has arrived the time to givo liqui; manure. J'rocuro two sugar : bags,'and G ono with cow manuro and tho other wit soot. Tio securely, and drop both togothc into a barrel or tank of water; When using dilute to the colour of weak tea, and use, a first onco a week,'then ; twico a week till th blooms are three-parts out. This is th staple, but there are important additions Dating from January 20, give the first weeli ■ (before a shower) a slight top-dressing c sulphate-of .iron; the next week kainit shoul bo used; and the noxt, super-phosphate, lln however, is not the most important. lh most important of all is sulphate of an nionia, which must not be used as a.-toj dressing, but in tho following way:—Froi January 20, the soot-water, which has boo given twico a week from Now. Year, will noi receive a tablespoonful of sulphiito of an: monia to every four gallons of the liquid* ( kerosono tin full). Stop when tho bloom aro three-parts out. Pests. - These aro of two kinds, insect and fun gous. For the former tho plants should b sprayed onco a week, from the forming of. th buds" till they show colour, with a decoctio of tobacco and soft soap. This will nrovcu

the ruination of many a fine bud by caterpillars. Thore arc several fungous diseases, ot which only one need bo mentioned—chrysanthemum rust. The preventive measures against the major will, include the minor, 'flic plants from the earliest stages must bo sprayed witli the following form of th° Bordeaux mixture: —Tic in u coarse material Clbs. of sulphate of copper, and suspend this by a stick, or otherwise, just underneath the surface:of the water in a barrel holding forty gallons. This will soon dissolve, and is the stock liquor. Suppose, now, some evening'you want to spray your plants. Go to your barrel and take out about three parts of a bucketful (two-and-a-half gallons), and add half a pound - (dissolved) of common washing soda, and stir. It is now ready for use, and will keep away, rust and other diseases. / ', Timing and "Takine" Budsi '.',-' The buds should be "taken" from February 12 to .February 20. This really means preserving the chief bud and removing all the others on a branch. The subject really requires an article to itself, which; with the consent of the editor, I hope to give before, next February; ■ For tho initiated and old growers the following hints may be useful* Some good"varieties show the bud too early, and some, on the contrary ,too' late. Take a late variety: if it.does not show the first break at the same time as the general: mass of plants, stop tho plant by. pinching jjufr. the top. It will then .be compelled tb break and* will throw .the bud in time. Now take auothor example, one that generally blooms too early for show. ,It-shows the-first break rather early. Top it, that is, cut off about six .inches after the first break, thus: com-' 'polling'it to break again. This will throw the bud later, and it can then easily be timed for the show. Thus, for abnormally early and late varieties, we have the.; remedies, topping and. stopping. ..,-. ■•'■■■ : '. ,:'.-■■ Conclusion. ■ ' :.] ;,'' A- perusal of the above will show that to grow the Autumn Queen in her trad-mag-nificence is not an easy task: it is the work iof'a lover —an enthusiast. The^cost'is!trifling, for, although a great many things have been .'mentioned as necessary, only a few pounds of each are required for a whole season, and thoy only'range in price'from , a halfpenny to about fourpence a pound.! Dean Hole says that the first.requisito in growing good,roses is, .that-you must have roses in your.; heart. That is the secret ■of success with any flower. ' <' : : ■• ■. ;■ "