GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3000, 10 February 1917, Page 17

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Jtowhai.") CARNATIONS. .As tho flowering season of carnations nears it end our thoughts turn natural to our supply of plants for next year. Some gardeners, perhaps, intend to buy a few new plants of named varieties. If so, tlioy should have visited the nursery, of a carnation grower during December and January, 60 that they could choose. their varieties. from plants they had actually seen growing and in flower. Ordering. new varieties with only the catalogue description to go by is not always satisfactory. • There ■ are thoso again who cannot afford to buy plants, but.ovon these.need not he without new varieties. By sowing a packet of good seed secured from a carnation specialist, one will often got quite a collection of new sorts. As a rule, quite 50" per cent: the seedlings will havo double flowers. • Carnation seed, may be sown now in' the open border. ■ Prejiaro the seed bed, if possible, where semi-sliade is provided. If no. such:y,place is possible four strong , stakes should [be drivon in, and' 'scrimy or: sacking stretched across to provide; shade till the seedlings are well through. Work the soil in the seed bed till it is very ; fine, adding a good Bupply of river or sjlvor sand and somo leaf mould. Have the soil quite , firm and thoroughly moist before sow'.iug the seed. It is bettor to sow tho seed in drills made by running the finger along. Place the'seeds.in tho drills one at-a> tinie, and Jiave them, about an inch apart. Leave room between the drills for tho hoe to bo use<l later, on. Cover the seeds with lino' soil:and sand mixed, and keep the bod moist and shaded "from the sun till the' seedlings 'are"well through. -Aftoc treatment consists in hoeing between the rows, .and. weeding till tho seedlings aro big enough to plant .out. The plants do not flower as-a rule until their , second year. ..V. Wo'next turn, our attention to .the. plants that are-already, growing, in our own gardens, arid from which wo mayget several new. plants of-each variety by .the process of layering. to be layered aro the tufts of "graeji", to bo found all round tho baso of the flowering stem..'- Tho first thing to be dono\is to cut' out the flowering • stem. Wo then spread out tlio tufts of "grass, and decide ljpon tlio' ones most suitablefor our purpose. The next 6top is to prepare, in tlio barrow,, the soil to be used for 'layering. This, should bo a mixture of. loam, leaf-soil, and coarse sand. Carnations liko gritty material to root into, and should always have a supply of it added to their rooting .ground. The shoots to bo layered now need a little attention. Tho leaves on the lower part of the shoot should bo pulled off. Nex't-mako a ciit "about, halfway 'through the joint that will be resting on the ground, beginning just-bo-low the joint, and. tlien-continuing np tliostem for about half an inch. To keep tho cut open push a 6mall stone into it; and then ram in.a little ball of damp sand. Malto a litfclo, hole in tho ground whore each shoot is to ba pegged down, and fill it in with tlio mixture in the .barrow. Malce this firm and moist, and then.peg the shoot down, into it, taking caro that tho cut in tho 6tem remains, open. Cover firmly with some more of tho mixture in tho barrow. J)o. this to each shoot in turn. If tho ..6pil is kept just nicely moist, tho layered pieces will take" root in a "few weeks, ;when they may be lifted, separated from tlio parent plants,'' aiid placed iii t their flowering quarters. Haying sent in our I orders for new plants, sown seed for new varieties, and layered shoots from tlio "plants already in our gardens, wo next turn our attention to tho plants growing in the gardens of our relations and friends. From'these we can obtain cuttings or- pipings that, with a. littlo care, will soon form new plants for our own garden. On nearly every plant thcro aro shoots which are not long enough to peg down, and these tho owner of tho plants is only too happy, as a rule, to give away to fellow-en-thusiasts. , . . Sever the shoot with "a clean cut just "below a joint. Eemovo the lower leaves, and insert tlio cutting fii-mly, in sandy, gritty soil. ICeep the soil fairly moist, lint not wet, til! new growth commences. This is a fair indicaton that roots aro being formed below gronnd.- •

SCILLAS. Scillas, or wood hyacinths, are lovely little spring flowers. They are among the hardiest of the spring bulbs, and will grow equally well.in.'sun. or in shade. Clumps of them look charming in the front of a mixed border, but they are, .1 think, seen to better advantage when planted in drifts up the slope of a rookery. From a mass of green ootlagej numbers of little straight stems stand up, literally covered with tiny, fragrant and dajnty bells. Wood hyacinflis are among the few plants t'hat Tryill flourish under pinus insignis. I have seen tJkem in spring making a carpet'of blue under a pinus insignis: hedge that had become baro near the ground. I think one reason of their success was that they were allowed to stay there ■ undisturbed, for scillas dislike disturbance. In the mixed border-they are constantly suffering disturbance, but under trees, on a rockery, or in the grass they can grow and flourish secure from unwelcome- attentions from the gardener. If they are given au annual top-dressing of welldecayed manure, or a mixture of leafmould, sand, and bonedust, they will flower well every spring, and need only Ijo lifted for thinning, out very occasionally. Bulbs should be planted now as soon as possible. TOMATOES. Keep all lateral shoots well pinched out from tomato .plants. Feeding should commence as soon as the fruit has set. If commenced then- and continued steadily, one is able, to keep to weak doses of liquid manure, and this is much better for the steady development of the fruit than occasional strong doses. Guano nnd superphosphate are. both good manures for tomatoes, and both may ha obtained from a seed merchant. Half nil ounce of each in one-gallon of water is the strength required. Use the guano and superphosphate on alternate weeks. First water the plants thoroughly. As soon as the surface soil is dry enough hoc it over. The liquid manure may then lie given, and should be poured gradually into a, little gutter made round each plant with a, stick. As soon as the liquid has soaked down to the roots cover, the earth over the little gutters again; As the ground round the plants will he considerably trodden, upon during the process, hoeing should again take place. Hoe the ground round l tomato plants cvory day if possible. It is most important that plants should not be allowed to suffer from dryness at the roots, or they will shed their flowers. Run-wanned water 6hould, if possible, ha used. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "A.C.," Wanganui.^-Isqloma.—Stove herbs, with rose, red, scarlet, and yellow flowers, produced in summer and Soil: Equal parts loam, leaf-soil, and sand. Pan icum—Hardy greenhouse grasses. Soil: Loam, leaf-mould, sand. Calotropis—Stove shrubs, with flowors which are greenish whito inside, and mirplisli outside. Use plenty of sand in the soil. Guianoropis, Bockia, and Iceoma—T do not know. ■ "Beta," Dannovirke.—Strike cuttings of carnations now. See note above. Seeds of all perennials may. bo sown now. C. L. Jones. Kelburn.—Cut off and bum at once all leaves affected. Bo not by any chance allow any. diseased leaves lo fall on the ground, ar to bo addsd to the manuro heap. Keep tlio soil well tilled, and the plants .well syringed and 1

growing freely. If'.the plants aro badly attuoked it is better to <lig them up ana ■burn them. Do not grow silver beetagain in tho same place for two years. If scarlet runners aro allowed to suffer from dryness nt tho roots tho flowftrs invariably dror) off. Spread a mulch along the roots, and give ft good watering whonever it becomes necessary. Ue? sun-warmed water, as vory cold water may produce tho same result as root dryness, "Garden Notes" next week will contain seasonable notes about:—Sowing seeds of perennials, spring-flowering bnlbs, and vegetables. LADIES, BECOME INDEPENDENT! I oan teach you either personally _or by post the fascinating art of making home-made chocolates, candies, etc. No business offers such splendid opportunities as does this line, and nono shows such large profits on such a small outlay. Write or call for free particulars and free illustrated booklot. Miss Eva Gibson* (Dept. 2-i), Post Office Chambers, 114 a Pitt Street, Sydney.--Advt. Major Lampen, D.5.0., will give a lecture at the Eeturncd Soldiers Club on February 22 oil "Tho Humorous Side of War."