GARDEN. NOTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 44, 15 November 1919, Page 12

GARDEN. NOTES

(By "Kowhai.") MULCHING; The season so l;ir promises to lie a dry oir* :uki fiinlertuis are laced \\Hii uic Iji-iiolcm oi licc-pini? tncir plants and | crops supplied v.iih Lhc li'Mui.-iic amount oi' waior. 'lo do tins, it Ki ncccssarj- to j take mm at uut-c. to conserve, :;a liu aw posstole, the this m lions either by mulcning or oy ciltivauon. ISome ]) I'd If. 1 1 nuuiii; Oilier.-, ,0 noe l'C£Ularlv. For tile lilfcy iramcuer 1 /ilioiilil (suggest mulwins n« i'" a* possible. A muiclt is a layi'i oi' *01:10 material p aced above the soil over tins roots ot plants to protect the soil from the evaporation which lakes plate in tummcr. Or » niai take the iorjn ol' a icw inches ot barfaco soil, v.-hich has been worked to J loose powdery consistency by tlie rc o 'iu. use of the hoe. This is termed a ml i mulch. If homo immure is used at im» lime o£ the year it .lie well loUctl, because MlO idea ot a mulch is to Keep till! roots moist and cool, and .resli niuuure would ferment and malic tnem warm. Uaro should be taken also 111 using freslv cut gr;WH, a-B it bwoinue heiiUtl \\la (iarop. Well-decayed vegetable rubbish that Jias been rotted down wit'i was liilfc water, house slops, _cic., makes 1111 excellent mulch, especially 11 wood ashes a. d occasiointl dressings of lime nave.l ;1* ed during* the process, l'ov ccttam pliinp a summer mulch is absolutely necesoaiy, for many others it ib r.dvisable. . J! ot"> dahlias, chrysanthemums. lUjums, a-aleab, rhododendrons, newly planted--shrubs. and . fruit trees (those that were n .lilted this ■winter) will all be benefited by a. light mulch. It only Hardeners v.ouut pay more attention to the roots of their plants. All their thoughts and attention seem to be centred on the visible part, and it is realiy the roots.tnat are ciuins; the main part of the work. They (ire such. Eem>ilive, delicate little things these' iec-dine roots. They creep nlongj-hrougli the soil Hoarehinif for food and moisture for the plants, always working bo willuikl.v, but so often receivinu' very little. encoaracemcnt. Ono of the worst thins? that can happen to them is an iiitulliciein waling, when merely the surlace i f the sou i 9 moistened, for then tne. uelicate tijo turn up towards the. moisture, anil :uc exposed to the heat that follows home are burnt; others wither, and as the delicate feeding root-hairs arc very near tin. tips of the roots, one can readily .understand the check the poor plants receive. A mulch properly applied is a, womtcrfiit protection for plants. It keeps the eium il cool and moist., keeps out hot drying winds and burning sunshine, admits moisture, but refuses to allow it to be I'vapoiuted Before .a . uii'.lcn is applied, the ground should thcretore be thorough y saturated. It is womlcrlul how iiuicMj plants respond, oiicc they begin to loci the effects of the mulch. • tansies love a mulch of well-rotted manure, and 111 icturn for it produce qutvitiUes of loutstemmed flowers of good substance and colour. Another great advantage of a mulch is that- we can syringe the leaves of plants on the evening of a hot, <lustj day uoiuiortftblo iu this knowledge tlMt, it 'will not be iicces-saiy to rush out with, tlio hee early the-next morning to loosen the soil lest 'it cakes. Occasional showers, too, cease to become a nuisance; they arc, instead, a blessing, for they wash and refresh the leave* without being able to oike the soil. In a small garden 1 should advise mulching the whole of it. Those gardeners who go, away for a few weeks' summer; holiday, leaving their plants to care for themselves, will iinu the mulch; well applied, a, great boon. 11l districts subject to drought it is a good plan to mulch vegetable marrows, pump-' kins, cucumbers, French beans, peas, and winter greens. • Jtost gardeners can produce a nu'ilch of some sort. . In town it is not possible lo store animal manure until it is lit for use as a.mulch, but there are always grass clippings, weeds, vegetable vjjbbish, etc. Iu gardening, not a tiling need be wasted, for even in the smallest, garden weeds and. vegetable rubli fell can be rotted dov.'ti in a hole in some cornor.- Weeds that, have not gone to seed can lie pulled -up and-iplaccd round plants as a mulch. . Where decayed vegetable rubbish or grasß. clippings aro being used, 11 little superphosphate or guauo may first of all' bo lightly pricked in about the plants. The best mulch for jiliums is decayed cow manure. Dahlias jiko a mulch of half-rotleil cow. or'pig manure, while chrysanthemums like thoroughly decayed vegetable rubbish mixed with wood ashes and a little coarse sand or road grit. A little honediist and superphosphate may first'of all be pricked in round about the plants, lihodoilendrons •and azaleas like a mulch 01' half-rotted stnblc manure, but a little boucdust pricked into the soil and a mulch' of decayed vegetable rubbish and leaves make a good substitute. All dead ■ flower heads should be kept picked oft' rhododendrons and azaleas. Hoses are not very particular about the form their mulch takes, as long as their roots are kept cool and fairly moist. If vegetable rubbish or grass clippings are used, a, little bqiicdust should lirst of ail "bo pricked • iiito the soil. Mulches should be applied to ground that is damp and warm. They should never bo too heavy, from one to two inclics being thick enough. • • 'HOW TO EXHIBIT lIOSES. . 111 view of forthcoming rose shows tlio following hints for w<mld-he exhibitors are taken from a copy of "Amateur Hardening":— •The main sccret of successfully exhibiting roscß lies in: (a) Selecting the finest and most perfect (lowered varieties that are known to occupy premier positions in winning collections. (b) .Securing good trees, more especially those known as "maidens" (one-year-olds). (c) Planting, tlicm in properly prepared soil, and iu the most favourable positions. (d) Pruning each variety more or less hard according to its constitution, aiming at few flowers rather than quantity, and these of the finest quality... (e) Carefully disbudding the weak shoots in an early stage of (heir development, alflo the buds in their incipient stages of growl h. (fl Careful and judicious feeding of the plants to assist in attaining substance of l/etal, size of flower, and richness of colour. (g) Shading the developing blooms from scorching sunshine or excessive rainfall. (11l Carefully placing., a ligatuee of worsted around the bloom two days or so before it is required to lie staged,"'and doing this very early in the morning or late in (lie evening. (i) Bending? the slionfc carrying (he bloom down slightly, and nceuring it to a stake so that it points downwards, iyid i s ji o t consequently liable 10 injury by moisturo settling within the petals. (j) Cutting the bloom lute flic eveiiin" before,-or very early in she morning of the day of the show. (k) Storing the blooms" in a cool dark place till you are ready to start 10 the show. (I) Packing the blooms serurely in the exhibition box, and seeing that the latter is kept level during its journey (111) Exercising great care that vim have the bloiims named correctly-a most important - point. .> * . (n) Seeing (hat the blooms are so arranged as to harmonise or form a pleasing contrast with each other 011 '■ tlio stand. (0) Also, that each bloom is a. perfect example of its kind,: and free from-blem-ished petals. . ; (p) Being careful to see that when'finally arranged and. "within a, few minutes of the judging, riie wool ligatucea' are removed, and a fine spray of water applied over the blooms. (q) That you have not only entered, but also placed, your exhibit in the right class. (r) That you have conformed entirely to the conditions of the schedule iu every respect. ' , (s) That, you have particularly left no peint undone that you ought lo have done. (t) That the name raids have bren placed in their proper positions. (II) That the lid- of the box has been removed at the last moment. (vl That you imcicdhilciy leave the ball when requested to do so by the cllicials (w) That you do not atlcmpt lo reenter. tile hall until the judging is finished. (x) i\'or boast to your rivals outside that you are. bound lo get a "lirst," or indeed, any prize. ' ' (y) Nor abuse the judges because with their impartial eye, judgment.' aiid experience, they have failed lo appraise the value of your exhibit at the' sumo standard as yourself. (z) ?\oi', above ;.ii ihings. lose your temper. but take your beating in' a calm, generous, a:id dignified spirit. VEGETABLES $ % In the vegetable garden the hoe must, be kept, at work loosening the toil about all growing crops. Potatoes should be earthed up as it becomes necessary. Push the earth towards cabbage and ciuliliower plants as you hoe, but keep it away from onions. Thin out seedlings as soon as they can bo handled. Slake peas and broad beans from the slart. Train runner beans up their supports. Shallots are coming on very fast now. Pick oil' Ihe' llowcr stems as soon n.s they, appear, agl keep llie bed quite free of weeds. As soon as the peed lings of marrows, pumpkins, etc.. appear through (he ground give them a gooil watering, and then spread 11 mulch■ 111 gras-s- clippings or thoroughly decayed rubbish rnund them. This keeps liie little roola moist, and gives (he plants a chance lo establish theinselvi's. Ilig leaves soon appear, and the vines begin to creep over- the mulch. Once (his stage is reached the plantß are 110 further trouble, except, llmt llicy nerd a good watering now and again in dry weather. (lardeii Motes next week will contain seasonable notes about: Wallllowers, routine work, and vegetables. For Children's Hacking Cough, Woods' Great Peppermint Cure.—Adtt.