GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 74, 20 December 1919, Page 14

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowhai.") ANSWEB TO COBRE3PONBENT. "Garden Lover," Motueka.—Tho vlolot leaves should havo beon cut down during October,; Jiowovor, ycu may Btill cut them off, provided you keep tho roots well supplied with water. Tho following is the treatment for violets:—Three-year-old borders should bo lifted, and tho plants done aivay with. If runners and cuttings have not already boon taken and rooted, procure from the old plant,; all the strong young growth possible. Ilho old woody pieces are of 110 use. As soon as tho old plantß aro lifted, trench tho ground to a depth of two feet. Ono can easily manage thin without disturbing the rest of tho garden bed. ifark off a piece of the ground to bo tronohed.. about two feet long and ono foot wido. Lift tlio top soil and wheel it away to the ether rati of tho border. Now break up.lho Bubsoil and mix with it plonty of wellrotted manure, or decayed vegetable rubbish and a dressing of bonedust. Now mark off file next atrip, one foot wide and) two feet long. Lift tho top Boil and placo it on tho strip you havo just been manuring. Then proceed to treat and manure the subsoil in the second strip. The top soil from the third strip will go on to tho subsoil in tho second strip, and so on. The subsoil in the last strip will bo covered with tho top Boil from the first strip. Trample th 3 soil well down, rako it tidy, and hoe it. II soot can bo obtained, blacken tho surface soil with it, and! hoe it in beforo planting tihe new border. Plants that are not to bo dug out this year also need caroful attention. *s soon as tho flowers become small and weedy, out off all suckors, and shear tho leaves Tight off. Carefully piok out from aiftone tho roots any doad leaves. Get a small tin of contentrated lime sulphur from a seed merchant, and thoroughly syringo the roots, using a very weak solution. The directions on the tin recommend 1 gal'ou of lim'o sulphur in 115 to 130 gallons of water. For a small supply measure some of tho limo sulphur into a small vessel (si jelly jar cr email tin), and pour this into a bucket. Then add from 140 to 150 times the amount of water. Churn up tho mixturo with tho syringo beforo nsinfr it. As soon as 1 possible after syringing the plants thoroughly stir the soil about them with tho hand fork. Work in a dressing of bonedust. and if soot oan bo obtained, sprinkle this round tho nlanta and afterwards work it in. . Keep tile plants well ■watered and clean during the summer months, for it is a most important time in tho lives of violet plant 6, and one, unfortunately, whon they aro often very much neglected,

ROSES. Tho first flowering of rosea is almost over, but tho bushes are busy pushing forth shoots that aro to bear the next crop of flowers. All faded blooms and seed pods should be remoyed, and in doing no, a small portion of tho old flowering stem should be out away. A littlo examination will show tho point from which the next flowering shoot is about to spring. Cut back to Just about that point. Tako this ohauce to thin out weak growths where tho bushes aro inclined to bo ovorcrowded. for it is most important that air should clroulate freely among tho growths, and that sunlight should penetrate to every part of too plant. Overcrowded bushes cannot ripen their growths, and therefore cannot bear lino healthy blooms.

Do not allow maiden bushes to bear too freely during their flrßt season. All well-grown hushes need to bo secure ly tied to stakes jn most parts of Kcw Zealand, as otherwiso they nre blown this way and that by our high winds, and the soil about their* roots becomes looeoned. Tho feeding roots, which are exceedingly active Jill through -the growing season, aro thon unablo to perform satisfactory work, or aro even entirely crippled. This means a sad check for tho row bush.

Where flower buda come in dusters n, littlo disbudding must bo practised. As the now buds form and swell feed tho bushes regularly with weak liquid manure. Those who are Tin able to nb tain animal manure may use guano (loz. in 1 gallon of water), obtainable from a teed shop. Or t.hey might prick in a slight dressing of superphosphate, afterwards watering tho ground thoroughly.

ROSE PESTS. GREENFLY OR APHIS. Most gardeners aro familiar with these tiny green insects, which crowd on tho young shoots and suck away Important juices from the tender young stoma. They may be kept in .check by syringing thoroughly with quassia. 'extract, or with soap and narafin oimitßton. To make the latter, boil one pound of soft soap in 0110 quart of water, and when boiling stir in one pint of parafin. When It is cool it may be bottled, and diluted, when needed, with warm water, at the rate of half a pint to 12 gallons. Where only a small quantity is needed cnt un one cake of sunlight soap, and (iisanlve it in two gallons of boiling water. Stir in one good tab'oßnoonful of kerosene and churn the mixture thoroughly, with the syringe. The emulsion may be used while it is quite hot. Several applications may lie needed befnro tho busheß are quito clear. Remember that each aphis produces an incredible number of young in a very short time, and In doing co never pauses in her constant ducking of tho juices to look after her offspring. Therefore, do not leave ono living aphis on your rose bushes.

BED SPIDER. Red spider is generally supposed to coino with hot, dry weather, but I liavo corn traces of it tn several gardens, Doguiar syringing of the leaves with clear water, and dusting with flowers of sulphur while the foliage is damp, will keep red spider in check. Busho that are making strong, healthy growth are better ablo to resist, all rests than those that are malting poor growth. Three great aids to good growth are:—(l) Plenty of room for free circulation of air and admittance of sunlight. <2) Good feeding. (3) Regular attention to the soil about tho roots; hoeing.

MILDEW. Tho sudden changes of temperature that we are experiencing tfiis season are responsible for a good deal of mildew, Homo roses are much more subject to tills pest than others, and I generally get rid of such varieties.

Mildew may be recognised by the sihlliali and crippled appearance of the leaves. Dusting with flowers of sulphur early in the morning while the foliage is still wet with dew. is generally effectivo during still weather. Spraying with a weak solution of lime sulphur is also good. Small tins of concentrated lisie sulphur may bo obtained from utjjv seed shop. ltosc bushes that aro well exposed to eun and wind aro never no liable to an attack of > mildew as those growing in overcrowded or sheltered positions.

SCALE. Seals is generally to be found on the old wood, and ono of the beat methods of preventing an attaok is to keep rose bushes to as much young wood as possible.

Whore it exists, the tiny brown lumps should be rubbed off with a pointod stick, and tht branches scrubbed with' a strong solution of soap and parafin. The tiny brown lumps are the dead female insects; the young scalo hatth out beneath them. *

LEAP SPOT. There aro two varieties of leaf spotleaf (Jpot and black spot. Loaf spot forms large black blotches oil the leaves, bordered with red; black Boot has no border of red, and has Irregular edges.

For black spot spray the foliage thoroughly with Oondy'e fluid solution, using 0110 teaspoonful of (toady's in ouo quart of water. Or use a solution of carbonato of copper and ammonia in tlio following proportions :-3oz. of carbonato of copper, one quart of ammonia, and 50 gallons of water. Jfake the copper carbonate into a thin paste with sufficient water, add the ammonia, and then tho l'eEt of tlio water. Keeping the bushcß well thinned to admit sun and air, and promptly burning any diseased-looking leaveo aro the best preventatives for leaf spot. HOSE UAGGOTO. Roso maggots are whitish in colour, and about J-inoh long. They fold a leaf over, fastening it with a web, and from this co6y hiding 'place proceed to feed. They spoil many a promising young bud, by eating a piece out of tho aide. Look over tlio bushes carefully for any trace of the maggots' work, and a little Biiueezo of the lingers will put an end to their mis: chief.

VEGETABLES. Seeds that may be town this week are:— Oeleriac.-Sow in rows two feet apart, in well-worked, well-enriched ground. Suarlct Runner Beans.—Sow in . ground that h«B been trenched and manured. Sow tho Beed from six to eiffht inches apart, mid about two inches deep. French Beans—Sow iu drills two feet apart, and have the seeds six inches apart in tlio rowß, -Dust bonedust in the drills nt tlio time of sowing the seed, and givo a slight dressing of superphosphate a« booh aB the see'dlings are a couple of inches high. _ Radish— Sow broadoast m rich, iirm ground, and iu u semi-Blinded position. Supply the seedlings with plenty of water. Carrots.—Sow thinly in drills 12 inchcß apart. Dust matured Boot along the seedlings as Boon as they appear, and begin thinning out aB soon as they are bit: enough to handle. Veas.-Sow in drills from two to three feet apart. Dust bonedust In tho drills at the time of sowing. Garden Notes next week will contain seasonable r.otes about.—Chrysauthomuins. routluo work, and vegetables.