GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2866, 2 September 1916, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowliai.") ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Red Gum,"' Trcutlutui, writes:— "Would you kindly tell me tho name of a creeper to Krow up a lattice work, luider a jiorch; «>inething not too heavy, anil, that will stand the frost? I have a wistaria (blue) on one side of the Porch. It seems very slow growing* so, ss I want to Ret the porch covered as tfuiokly as possible, I had, perhaps, bet-, ter replace it with something else. Frost is tho trouble here, aud it is quite .a , business every night covering thiugs up. Do jou think it possible to harden do-| lichos? I had a nice little plant growing up a trellis, and the first frost cut it_ right down." . 'Any one of tha following climbersshould suit your purpose:—Solanum. Tasminoides, (irandiflora (a hardy and qwk climber, with evergreen foliage atod white star-shaped flowers), Ampelopi'.i3 (Virginian creeper), Veitchii. Eobus--ta Purpurea, climbing roses. I should leave the wistaria where it is, and plant beside it a climbing rose. Ards Rover is a quick climber, and the flowera are rich dark red in colour. I know o? no way of hardening the Dolichos. N.OU may bo successful with it if you 1 gi#w it where it is sheltered by trees. , "Peach Tree," Wallaceville, writes-.— ["Would you kindly tell me, through ths medium of your Gardening Motes, whether it is correct to prune peach, plum, apricot, and nectarine trees when they oopje from the nursery. 1 recently got very well-grown trees about three .to-four feet high. I am quite an ama. teur, and the first person to see them I said: 'Leave them as they are.' Someone else came along and advised me to cut a few inches oft' the top of each shoot. ■ This I did; and now some ono else tells me they want pruning very severely; in fact, cutting lard back for about two-thirds of their growth. As 1 am anxious to have the best possible-re-sults with my few trees, I thought it best to write and ask your advice in tlie matter." ! Thn shoots of the trees should be cut | back to one-half their length. When fruit twes come from the nursery their roots necessarily undergo pruning in the lifting. If all tho top growth is left on, the newly-pruned roots cannot provide it with sufficient sap. By cutting back the shoots to half their length now, ' roil will help to lay tho, foundation of sturdy fruit-bearing trees for the future. "Inquirer," Dannevirke, writes:—"Tl)e leaves of my cyclamen hive been attacked by what seems to mo to be a blight. The leaves are hejlthy enough, but either shrivel from the edge, or, as in tha specimen enclosed, patches of rust appear. Will you please name the disease, and tell me its cure! The plant is in a pot, and is kept in i sunny and sheltered position." The injury to the leaves is probably caused by dryness at tie roots. Plants in pots often suffer so. As your plant is in a sunny, sheltered position; the pot no doubt becomes very dry and hot. • Cyclanien_ like a cool, moist- rooting place. When grown in pots in a 6unny position, it is advisable to plutge the pots up to their rime in cocoa-fibre, or some material that will provide s. cool, tnoist condition for the roots. ROUTINE WORK. Work is at last possible in tha garden, and no doubt every amateur gar dener has taken advantage of the mors favourable conditions to be bucy among bis plants. Daffodils and narcissi struggled bravely with the continued wet trfotlier, and consequent cold ground, bit 10 me they looked chilled and unhappy, Since the return of sunshine, however, they have come out very rapidly, and tho borders are now gay with flowertt. The violet borders, too, are a sheet o(' purple, and grape hyacinths are send' ing up their buds and opening out their pretty blue flowers with amazing ra< pidity. The primrose and • polyanthus primrose borders are every day becoming more and more delightful .as the dainty and delicately perfumed flowers peep out from amongst their fresh green leaves. Wallflowers, especially the early "Red Velvet," give a touch of rich colour among the prevailing white, cream, and yellow shades of the narcissi, snowflakes, and primroses. Beauty .or Nice slock, too, with its long spikes of beautiful pink flowers, adds very much to the charm of the early, spring garden. Anemones are beginning to op on up theii gay-coloured flowers, their long stalks rising from a bed of fresh green, beautiful foliage. Hyacinths are pushing up great heads that promise to be spikes of beautiful bloom in the near future. These must be protected from attacks of slugs and 6parrows. Tho former come out at night and feast on the newly-formed buds, and the latter lovo bo peck at them at all seasons. Soot should be spread round the plants in tho evening to ward off slugs, or an evening visit should bo paid to the plants by the gardener. A lantern and a pair of soissori »re useful things to take with one- on such a visit. For sparroiyg a few sticks and some threads of black cotton will bs found effective. Peed the > plants 'with weak liquid manure once a week. The buds of the Muo pea nro already showing colour in my garden. In more sheltered placcs the flowers are already out. The blue everlasting pea is one of the glories of the spriug garden, and the plants are 60 hardy ana so' little trouble that it should be more generally grown. Now that the flowering season & begin, ning, feed tho plants with weak liquid manure, beginning with a very wcak solution, and gradually increasing tho strength as time goes on. A most useful liquid manure is made from cow.manure And soot. Put some cow manure in an 011 drum or barrel, and lili up with water. The soot is put into a piece of iscrini or sugar bagging, aud then thrown Into the barrel. Stand the barrel well In the sun, stir the manure occasionally, und it is ready for use in n day or two. Tho liquid should-, bo diluted with Tain water till it is the colour of weak tea,. Always first water the plants wpll with pure water, and then apply the liquid m«.nure. Those who cannot get cow manure should buy some guano at a eoed merchant's, and use it at the rate of } to loz. in a gallon of water. Soot water could be used alternately with this. Birds have already begun to break off the new shoots of- carnations. A few sticks should be placed round the. plants, and threads of black cotton should ba •jtretched across. Sec that the. plants are properly staked. Soak the ground about them with soot water occasionally, and keep the soil well stirred._ See that wall-, flowers, stocks, ' and antirrhinums are well staked. Keep the soil constantly stirred and open, and let in as much warm air as possible. Plant out seedlings as soon a.s .they are ready. Continue sowing seeds of perennials and hardv annuals in seed pans. . Pick off all dead leaves, especially from violet aud primrose plants.. Cut back geraniums and pelargoniums that have been blackened by frost. Plant out lobelia lxirdorx when all danger of frrat is over. Hoe between the plants at every opportunity, keeping the soil loose and constantly stirred. Now that the soil is in suitable condition again continue planting out roses and. flowering shrubs, and push on with jjiy trenching or digging that was delayed by bad weather.

VEGETABLES. The main work in tho vegetable gar. den at present is completing all digging and trenching, planting early potatoes, sowing seeds, and* Jiocing without ceasing. Seeds that may be sown this week ivhere nccessni-y are:— Radish.—French breakfast is the best. Sow broadcast in rich, lirm ground,, and lu a warm, sunny position. Short Horn or Nantes Horn Carrot,— Sow thinly in drills twclro inches apart. Turnip.—Early Suowball or Karly While Stone. Sow in ground that was richly manured Cor a provious : crop of greens, or. in ground that was' manured early in the autumn. Make the ground very firm. Sow thinly in drills twelve inches apart. Peas.—Sow in drills from two to three feet apart. Ground should ho trenchcd and manured, and should have wood ashes mixed with it. Dust bonedust in tho drills at the timo of sowing:. Soak peas in warm water for a few hours be. fori) 60\ynj. Parsnips—Sow in ground I hat was well manured for a, previous crop. Work the soil to a. fine tilth' for a depth of at least IS inches. Any lumps may cause

deformed and worthless roots. Work into the soil ashes from a, rubbish tire, and bonedust (doz. to squure yard). ' . Onions.—Make the soil very firm l>y treading on it before soaring. Do this only when the soil is dry. Instructions for preparing the ground for onions wero given in Garden Notes of June 10. Sow the seed in drills 12 inches apart. Brown Spanish and James' Keeping are the best for keeping. Sow in seed pan?.—Celery, leek?, lettuce, cabbage, caulillower, and tomato. Garden Notes next wcelc will contain seasonable notes about:—Poppies, paneies, slocks, and vegetables. Though if has been n wet, cold Spring, a surprising variety, consisting of thousands of Spring Flowering Plants, suitable for bedding and decotation, and well hardened off, are on view at H. C. Gibbous .and Co., Ltd., 180 Lambton Quay, including some strong roots of Gypsophila Paniculata.