GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 68, 14 December 1918, Page 12

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowhni.")

KOSES. i Koseß have been glorious during Hie past three or four weeks, but already tho first fiowerine is almost over, and buohps are busy pushing forth nhoots that are to bear the next crop of llowern. All faded blooms and eced-pods should bo removed, and. in doinir bo. a ninali Tjortion of the olrt-flowerini; 'stem should bo cut away. A little examination willshow the point from whinh tho next lloweriiiß elioot is about to spring. Out hack to just above that point. Take thie chance to thin out weak v growths where tliD'buehcs are inclined to be overcrowded. It is most important that air should circulate freely among the growths, and that Bunlight should penetrate to every part of the nlant. Overcrowded bushes cannot rinen their growths. . Do not allow maiden bushes to bear too freoly duriiiß their firet scaeon. ' ' All well-grown bushes need to be securely .tied to stakeujii most parte of New Zea■land, aB othdrwiee they are blown this T.-ay and that hy our Jilprh -\vinds.and the soil about their roots becomes loosened. Tho feedinß roots, which arc cxcdedinKly active all tlirough tho erowlnic seaEon t Qre thon unable.to perform Batiefactory work, ■>r are even entirely crippled. This menus a sad check for thn rosq bush. Where' flower-bods'come in clusters o, little disbudding must be practised. Aβ the new bude form and owoll, feed the bushes regularly with weak liquid manure. Those who are unable to obtain animal manure may une miano Hoz. iu 1 gallon of water), obtainable from a feed shop. Or they mipiht ririck in a slight dressiiiK of auperphosphate. afterwards wateriiiß the around thprouehly; EOSE PESTS: GREENFLY OE APHIS .Hostcardniifirs are familiar with theso tiny Breeit' insects, which crowd on the youiiK shoota and suck away important juices from the tender younE Rtome. They . may bo kept in check by syrinKinir thoroughly -with, quassia extract, or ivith. soapand paraffin emulsion. To make the latter, boil one pound of eoft-sonv in onequart of water, and -when well boiling, stir in one pint of paraffin. Whe;i it is cool it may be bottled, and diluted, when needed/ with,warm water at the rate of half a pint to 12 uallons. Where only a small quantity in needed cut up one cake of sunlight eoap, and dissolve it in two gallons of boiling water. Stir in one good, tableßpooiifut of kerosene, and churn the mixture thoroughly with the syringe. Tlio emulsion may be used irnile it is quite hot. Several application! may be needed before the buflies are quite slear. Remember that each aphie produces an incredible number of younjr in- a very sliort time, and in doing so never panees in her constant sucking of the juices to look at her offspring. Therefore, do not lcava one living aphis on your rose j bushes. ' ! ■ BED ' SPIDEE, \-Eed spider is gone-rally supposed to coiuo with hot, dry weather, but I have seen traces of it already this season, Regular eyringiiiK of the.leaven with clear water, ! and dusting with flowers of sulphur while the foliase is damp will, keep red spider in check. Buiihcc that arc making strong • healthy growth.: ere better ablo to resist all posts tlan those that are making poor growth. Three great aids to good growth are:— "'..■•. ; !. Plenty of room for free circulation of air and admiltnn'ce of Eunliglit. 2. Good feeding. , : 5. HoEuisiv attention to the soil about the -roots—hoeing. MILDEW. , The sudden cliangea of temperature that we are-experiencing this Bcason ar« reepoiißiblo for a good deal of mildew. Somo roaes are much more subject to this poet than others, and I sjbnerally got rid of ouch varieties. ■ ' Mildew may be recognised by the crippled and whitish aonearance of the leaves. Dusting with (lowere of sulpliur early in the aiorning while .tiio foliage in still wet with dew is ircnerally effective during still westlicr. Spraying with a weak solution of lime sulphur is also good. Small tins of concentrated lime sulphur may ba obtained from any eee'd shop. , ■ lloso busies that arc well exposed to sun and wind are never so liable to nn attack of mildew ae those growinc in overcrowded- or. sheltered positions. i SOAUO. , Scale is generally to be found on the old wood, and one of tho best methods of preventing an attack is to keep rone bashes to ae much young wood aa possible. Where it exists the tiny brown luuips should be rubbed off .with a pointed atiak, ■ and the branches scrubbed with a strong solution of soap and paraffin. ; The tiny brown luraps are- tho female insects; the young scale hatcli out beneath them. LEAP SPOT. Tliero aco two varieties of leaf spotleaf spot and black spot. i ; Leaf epot fprms.largo black blotcliea on the'leaves bordered with red: blaok spot has no border of red and has irregular edges. "-. i ■ Keeping the bueheß woll thinned to aaV mit sun and air. and nroniDtly burning any dieease'd-looking leaves cro the best preventive!" for leaf spot. For black spot spray the folia.ge thoroughly with Condy's fluid 'solution, ÜBing teaspoon of Condy's in one. nuart of. water. Or use a solution of carbonate of 'copper and ammonia in the following proportions :—3oz. of carbonate of oopper, ono quart of ammonia, fund 50 gallons , of water. Make ths copper carlttmate into a thin paste with sulllcient nyater, add the ammonia, and Uieii the/rest of the water- ■ •' 7 .' -■' ■ ■ HO3B-MAGGOTS; / Rose maggots are Wiitieh iii/colour- and about i incn long. They fold/a leaf over, fastening it with a web,'and from this co3y hiding place proceed to /feed.. They spoil many a .promising jioung hud, by eating a piece out of the sific./When they are feasting u;ion a bud it/iey generally fasten n,. leaf, to it, so that |they can feaut unperceived. Look over tlio bußhes carefully for a,uy trace nf the maggots' worlt, and a little squeeze of the lingers will put an end-to their mischief. ■ OABNATIONK. Perpetual-ftoivcring carnations have alrendy bseti out in flowej for soma time, and border carnations/'fire fasi. swelling an imyosing array of :/tiong-lopkinj;;buds. So ' gcueroue are the .plauta with their flower buila. that disbudding is at present almost a daily occupation.' Stalling should have been completed long ago,> Dm where it has not been attended to no time should be lost. , 'A (ev. , twiggy brandies placed round each -jilqnt win hold the growths and flower layouts in a firm but, not too cloee embrace. A few tiee with ralfia or llax 'will'syrifniEtUen the supporting sticks and heljwto kucp them in place. When Btakihg plania' always aim at keepins; them as nattjrolly graceful as possible. ' Uaruations should i.ot bo fed with animal manure, as it uiakos the growtliß 100 uappy. Seed merchants have specially prepared carnation l'oods that contain all that the plants, need. Superphosphate may also be utfeji, aud soot is ono of the bant of fertilisfip; After jliiokins in any artificial fe'rtilijcr, a thoroujrh soaking with water, is necessary, for the tiny feeding roots can take in food only iu the liquid state. Hany people lose sight of this important) fact whim they are usiug such manures) a.s boncdust, superphospliate, etc. CuttiuEf of pcrpetual-ilowering carnations are Jc.und in the growths at the base of lhe> flowering stein Take them whenever the chance offers, ' and insert them firmly/in damp and very sandy soil. They root /readily at this time of. tho year if tlify/ are kept moist and shaded from the mm, STOCKS. Seedlings from the ilrst Bpring sowing arc already in flower, although the plants have not nearly reached their full height. Lach plijiit should bs securely tied to a, stake. Kei.p the soil well hoed, and work in occasionally dressings of bonedus , ; mid superphosphate. Bonedust is a Blow-ucting manum, and very suitable for stocks, especially if they arc of the "Nice" variety, for th&y will be (lowering from now until this tiiuie next year. As. '1; write this note I keep glnncln? through (lie window at ft promising bod of iitf.cks—Beauty of Nico and Monte Carlo. The plants arc still little more than ;a foot in height, but each lias a lino ne;«l,of bloom. Very soon I will remove tnoHQ first blooms, for already fresh llo.worlni; shoots are being formed below then.), and the plants' must not be allowed u> overtax their strength while still not tlilly developed. ■' Constant hoeing, watering when lieccsEiiry, and regular feeding will hulo them .to develop into .plants tlint will be like lmge bouquets of flowers (luring theMvlnte;- mid snring Plants that were put'but at tins time last year, are still flowering splendidly after having flowered all through tile winter and sprinc The "Nice" family of stocks is well worth cultivating.

apart. Dust matured soot along the seedlinss as soon as they appear, and begin thinning out as soon as ■ they are bis enough to handle.

Pens.—SoW iu drills from two to three feet apart. Dust bonedust in the drills at the time of sowing. Beet.—Sow the seed in drills 13 inches apart in ci'oun'd that was manurod for aprevious crop. The ground should bn deeply dug, and made firm again before sowing the seed.

Gnrdim Notes next vicok will contain seasonable uotes' about.—Sweet William, routine work, and rogctabl id.