NOTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 209, 29 May 1920, Page 12

NOTES

(By "Kowhai.") CINERARIAS. - As a rule, amateur gardeners,leave these beautiful.flowers-for,those who possess a cool'greenhouse. But. provided there is a sheltered spot in tho garden, well protected from heavy, frost, there is 110 reason why 'evory : garden should - not grow ft few of these glorious spring flowera. , At least they are worth a trial, even if scrim protection, has to be given at night. Nurserymen 1 ' are now displaying boxes full lof strong looking fiecdlings. Tho ground--for thorn should be very thoroughly prepared, especially the subsoil, for cold,' 1 stagnant water lying about their roots during winter would be fatal.to thoir success., If possible work into the top soil some sand,, woll-rotted manure, and well-decayed vegetable ruo* bish. ; After,the. plants, are in pliice a littlo/bon'edust may be'pricked into tho soil"' about them. ' : ' i MILIUMS. :

Madonna lilies aro now well advanced, while many others, Buch as epeciosa lilies, liliura tigrinum, etc., are pushing up sturdy-looking shoots that/ give proimso of good heads of flowers during tho ering season. It is-a help to the plants if tho top few inches of soil aro removed and replaced by a mixture -of good loam and , wqll-rotted manure. A little boncdust may be '•pricked -in about the stems. Before planting liliuius the ground should be well prepared. The top soil should be removed, and the subsoil broken up and enriched-with' wellrotted , cow manure, leaf-mould, and a little bonedust- The top coil may then be replaced. . Once in tho ground liliums should not be dip.turbed again for several years. Hence the importanco of preparing the-ground thoroughly and of giving 'the bulbs the surroundings they liko m the.'first instance. When, 'planting; tho . bulbs fork a ..little boncdust?' into the -' soil ut the oottom of the'hole, place a good layer of , sand for the bulbs to rest on, and Oovei' the -bulbs with 6and beforo covering with earth. This is, a precaution against insects, especially '.wood lice, which may 'get among 1 the' scaly ■ partß of the bulbs. Liliuma are quite-hardy, nnd will make a brilliant .show -in our gardens from November until' the end 'of .April.' I,ilium Candidum, commonly-called-the Madonna lily, is the first to bloom, and 1 the season ploßeß with tho beautiful Belladonna and /Guernsey, lilies: .' - > 7 ' ' , Liliums. have two ways of rooting. Some 'make their roots at .the base of the bulb:, 'others, make iootß hot only ai the base,, but also' on 'the stem at the ton of tho bulb. > The bulbs of the. latter should be planted, with'the apex about, six inches below • the surface of the soil to allow room for the stem roots. ■ • , The following liliums have this eystem Of double rqoting:—Auratura, Bateman'i, Brownii, Oroceum, Elegans, Hannoni, Honryi.t Krameri, Longiflorum, Speciosum, and Tigrinum. Liliums- may be planted during '■ this ' month and the next, and in spring, should established clumps need breaking up, the work should be done now, and' the bulbs planted ( back , into the ground again as quickly'as A po3sible. 'During thei winter, liliums should have i good mulch of' : cow- manure, ,for they aro greedy feeders. .' DuriUg the summer they should be given'plenty of water, and weak, liquid manure, ar.d the surface rootß should 'be protected from tho hot sun. by a of lawn eolippir.gs or some other suHiiblo materials. The Auratum iB pethapß tho most handsome of * the liliums, and when in flower fills the garden with perfume. . It flowers about December and Januri'v. \Tho speciosum group. IB a most useful as well as a very beautiful, one, and the plants flower, dur- , ing February and March at a.,time; when cut flowers are rather scarce. Speciosum /Album is pure white,and Speciosum Rnbrum is white with Dink-sjots, ,Theße two are , the most common' of tho spccioBum group,'but there are others that aro well' worth growing. ' Nurserymen give lists' of . liliums with full descriptions of each kind in their bulb, 'catalogues. No' garden is perfect without one or two varieties of liliums. and fortunate indeed are those garderiers who are - able to have a. full collection to enhauco tho beauty of their gardens.

PLANTING CURRANTS AND GOOSE- • ' '• . - .BERRIES. • ■ , ' Before planting currant and gooseberry bushes the soil should be very deeply dug, and should have a Eood supply of farmyard manure mixed with it. If farmyard manure is not obtainable, uee welldecayed'uarden mbbish. , ' Black currantß 'are more .moisturo loving that other bush fruits, .and' appreciate the presence of well-decayed voce* tiition..wheri < th(!ir ro.ots..can reach it. Currant and 1 gooseberry bushes should be planted about'six feet apart each way. Where the . soil is a heavy one, a ; littlo basic olac may, be . prickctMn round established bushes during July; where,the 801 lis light,-superphosphate. may bo ,used,/a;nd should be applied towards, the end of'.Aiigußt.'. During dry. weather bushes -should be . given the' help of a •6uitabl() imulch. .1, : I'"-' .-PRUNING. ' ' Gooseberries may be pruned as .'soon as the leaves begin to-fall. Attention should be paid to keeping the bush open ■in the. centre.. .'Badly-placed shoots, and .those that, are too' near ,the ground should be-; cut'right out. Shoots growing towards'-;.the'-.centre should be shortened to about, thVee ; buds. The strongest and beat placed igrowtirts of the precedinir season should be left untouched, for these bear the-finest fruit. ,

Red /currants should have all lateral growths cut back to two buds, aifd the leaders to Eix or eiglit buds. Young shoots near the base;of the tree should be cut. out.

Dlack currantß merely have the old wood, cut otit to the nearest healthy shoot, ; and the new shoots thinned. where they are too thick. Unlike r'pd currants, black currants should be encouraged to produce new 6hoots from the ; ba6e of the 'bashed, With black- currants Ehe fruit is borne on the young wood; with red ; and -whito-currants it is borne on the old spurs,and on the base of the shoots of the previous' year's growth, :■ KHUBA.BB, • New roots of rhubarb may.'be planted during ;this -month ,and' the next. . The ground should first be well dug and richly manured. The best rhubarb for small gardens is. "Topp's. Winter." 'Ibis bears during the whole Winter at'a time when fruit for siesj. etc., is scarce. .It is quite, hardy, and the flavour is. good. ~ Plants that are coming .-on now' will be benefited by an application of the following liauid manure:—Three ounces of soot and six ounces _cf guano placed in a piece .of coarse bagging, and then, allowed. to stand in ten gallons of water. Give each*plant a good soaking. . Guano is obtained from seed merchants. decayed-leaves from ,old plants, fork'round them,.and cover them jvith a mixture of decayed leaves and manure. If stable manure cannot be procured work into the soil round the plants some bpnedust, and then cover with decayed leaves. Old stools of rhubarb may be I'ifted, divided ,and'' replanted in new ground. See that each piece has a good strong crown., Should the ground by any chance bo fairly dry at the . tlmo of .'planting, iun-warined water should be supplied "to ,the roots. i VECETABLES, Turnips ''that were sown 1 towards the end of the autumn are coming on well. Keep . the soil-. between the 'rows well ho'ed. ' Dust- soot' and wood. ashes along whenever ; they are obtainable, afterwards ..hoeing , them in. Peas that wero sown early in tbo month are already a couple/of inches high. See that 'they , are.'kept growing steadily, and that they are protected from such onemies as. Blugs, sparrows, • etc. Where ertcens-are likely to be scarce early in the spring,- a' eowintr of turnips may be made now.- : Well-(?rown turnip-tops make-a .delicious vegetable. Cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce plants may 6till be plantgd. The seedling should be protected from sparrows lay gleans of black' cotton throads Bend'a leaf over broccoli'or cauliflowers that are maturing. It will protect the flowers from heavy, frost. Avoid, if possible, walking between the tows of vegetables when the ground in very damp. If you must do so, lay:'planks to tread upon. a • Dig. trench, and manure during suitable weather all ground that is n.ot in übc. Bury plenty cf vegetable matter, and leave the .surface soil rough for the wind, rain, and froFt to work upon. > Gardens Notes 'next neck will contain seasonable notes about:—Planting roses, routine work, and vegetables.