GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2902, 14 October 1916, Page 17

GARDEN NOTES

(By '"ICowhai.") ANNUALS FOR PRESENT SOWING. It is now possible to gow seeds of hardy annuals in the open ground with every ox pec feat ion of their germinating and coming on quickly. Aim always at making as thin a sowing' aa possible. Overcrowded seedlings aro never healthy. It is better, to,, waste, half a packet of .seed'than to sow tho whole packet, and have the seedlings too close together. Whero narcissi, snowflakes, etc., have finished flowering, tho : leaves may be tied into a bundle, and seeds of hardy annuals may be sown ronnd the clumps. By the time the foliage; of the bulbs bas died down, tho seedlings will be up ami ready to cover up' the- bare-looking spaces. , Lime is always appreciated by annuals. Work it well into .the 6oil before sowing tho seed, using, ground lime. If a little bonedust, also is piut into tho holes with tho seedlings, or, in tho caso of plants tlirtt .a\p> sown whero they are to be grown, sprinkled in With the seed, the seedlings should be given a good start.. The following popular annuals may be sown now.—Mignonette, phlox drummondi, French and African marigolds, asters, candytuft, calliopsis, cosmos, clarkia, dahlias (single and collarette), Star of tho Veldt, godetia, gypsophila, larkspur, linaria, nasturtiums, nemesia, love-in-a-mist, poppies, salpiglossis, stocks (ten weckp). Sweet Sultans, Sweet Williams, zinnias, schizanthus, rudbeokia, portulaca, and brachycome (Swan River Daisy).

MIGNONETTE. The seeds of mignonette should be sown where the plants are to erow. Mix % little leaf-mould with the soil, and fork in bonedust, about ioz. to square yard, and a good supply of road grit or coarse • sand. Just cover the seed with ftno earth, and protect from tho sun's' hot rays with brush or some light litter till the seedlings are up. Heep tho soil moist, but do not allow the surface to cake. Should it do so, loosen it with a skewer or sharp-pointed stick. As soon as the plants, are well up thin them out to from 4 to 6 inches apart each way. Pincli off tho tops - to induce bushy growth. 1 • i Mignonette i6-indispensable in all wellordeired gardens— 60w plenty.

' 'COSMOS. Cosmos are generally sown in fine, firm, soil, and the Beedlings; transplanted afterwards to other parts of the garden. Thebushes grow to such a size that only one plant can with safety bo left in the seed: bed.. When the seedlings are ready for transplanting mix up. some good soil,' leaf-soil, finely-sifted manuro, and sand. Have the mixture moist (not wet) and sun-warmed, and put a' little of it in each hole when planting, out the cosmos seedlings. A dusting of bonedust in the holes as well will also help the plants. Never plant out seedlings into cold wet soil. Always have it fairly moist, and warm. 'Shade the seedlings from the sun till they Tecover from the move. As soon as tne seedlings are a few inches high pinch the tops off to make the plants bushy. , ASTERS. As soon as aster - seedlings are ready for transplanting, they should be put out into ground that was _ thoroughly trenched and mannred early in the year. If no part of the flower garden was so prepared, a strip of the vegetable garden that was trenched and manured early iij the winter might well be spared for these beautiful flowers. Without asters in the garden, it is difficult to have a good display of flowers during the end of February and the beginning of March. Work into tho soil, at tho time of .planting out, a littlo bonedust. 'As soon as tho hot weather sots in, thoroughly, soak the ground with water, and then apply a light mulch of well-decayed manure.-' VEGETABLES. Seed-sowing, thinning-out, carthing-up, and hoeing constitute the main work In tho vegotable garden .at i present. The amateur with a well-cared-for garden can't complain of having too much spare, time. There is work for every minuto of; daylight, and the early part of the evening might most profitably bo spent in hunting slugs and snails. Bnt hard work in a vegotable garden seldom goes unrewarded. Vegetables are wonderfully responsive, and quickly show their appreciation of good treatment. - Seedlings that are well through tho ground-may have a little superphosphate sprinkled about them.. This will, be hoed in. and- the first shower will carry it to the roots. - It is a quick-acting manure, and gives tho plants a good start. Boncdiißt should bo sprinkled in the drills at the time of sowing. It is slower in aotion. and is thereforeva more lasting food. Thinning out should bo at-, tended to as soon as the seedlings are big enough to handle. Givo the rows a good watoring as soon as tho thinning-out process-is completed. Soot need nevor bo wasted. Sprinkled along the tows'of. seedlings and' hoed in, it is a most valuable fertilizer. Seeds that may be sown, in tho open where necessary are:— Badish.—Sow broadcast in rich,- firm ground. Carrot.—Short Horn or Intermediate. Sow thinly in drills twelve inches apart. Turnip.—-Sow in ground that was richly manured for a previous crop, or in ground that was manured early in the autumn. Make the ground very firm. Sow thinly in drills 12 inches apart. Keep the ground as moist as possible, and dust soot over tho seedlings frequently. , Garden Swede.—Same treatment as for ■turnips. Sow thinly in drills 18 inches apart,, and thin out to 6 or 8 inches in the rows. .

Peas.—Sow in drills from two to three feot apart. Ground should bo tronched and manured, and should have "wood-" ashes-mixed with it. ; Dust bonodust in, t'life; dic'ills at . the time'of sowing. Soak the peas in. warm water for a.few', hours before sowing. Provide strands of black; thread at tho timo of sowing, 'otherwise sparrows will dig Tip' and eiut the seed. ' Parsnips —Sow .in ground that was well manured for'a previous crop. Work the soil to a fine tilth for a depth of 18 inches. Any lumps may cause deformed and worthless roots.' . Work into the soil ashes from a rubbish fire, and bonedust (foz. to square yard).: ; Onions.—Make, tlio soil very firm by treading on it before sowing. Do this only when the soil is dry. Sow the seed [in drills 12 inches apart. . French Beans.—Sow in drills, 2 fcßt I apart, and have the- seeds 6 inches apart in the rows. Dust bonedust in the drills at the time of sowing, and givo a slight dressing of superphosphate as eoon as the plants are a couple of inches high. Beet—A light, sandy soil is the best for beet. Sow tho seed in drills 18 inches apart.'in ground .that was mannred for a previous crop. Frosh manuro would be most harmful to the roots. The ground should bo deeply dug and mado firm again beforo sowing the 6eed. Dust bonedust in the drills at the time of sowing. As soon as the seedlings are big enough to handle, thin them out. Lettuce.—Sow thinly in drills 15 inches apart, and. then out, to 9 inches in the rows. Tho ground should be deeply dug and ouriched with well-decayed manure. Dust bonedust in tho drills at tho timo of sowing the seed. ■ Vegetables, to bo enjoyable, • must bo grown quickly. Tho greatest aids to quick growth are sufficient water, and constant hooing. Whenever soot can bo obtained sprinklo it along the rows and hoo it in. It is ono of tho finest of fertilisers'.' Seeds' of ;cabbagc, Brussels sprouts, savoys,broccoli, and caiuinowerj should 1)0 sown this month. Great care must bo taken to prevont tho socdiuigfl suffering from drought at any .time. 1 ■prefer to ; sow theso seeds in seed-pans I at all times of the-year,, as. tliey are then more. directly under control ana constant supervision. seeds of pumpkins, marrows, piemelons, and cucuinhers may bo sown 1 in pans Teady for planting out later. If there is no fear of frost affectinir the plants, tho seeds .may bo put straight into tho places prejiaTod Cot* tho pumpkins, etc. TCoep Utc lioo nt work. "Gmxlon Notes" noxt week will contain seasonable notes about :-Aquilegia. phlox drummondi, salpiglossis, and v ego tables. .

Lionfc. Stanley Woobton. the cxiocke.v, had the _ Military Cross conferred upon him at Buckingbaip Palace. For Children's Hacking Conch, Woods' Great Peppermint .Cnro.*