WORK IN THE GARDEN

Evening Star, Issue 24280, 22 August 1942, Page 3

WORK IN THE GARDEN

PRUNING AND PLANTING OF FRUIT TREES. Complete the planting of all varieties of fruit, trees and bushes. Finish the pruning of fruit trees and after' spraying them, clean up all pruning® and burn them as soon as possible. A great many of the various pests will be destroyed by this means. After this work has been carried out" it is essential to fork up the surface around the trees and bushes and apply a good dressing of iirae, working it in around the roots. Where required, a good dressing of eithet well-rotted garden refuse or animal manure should be placed around the trees or bushes. STRAWBERRIES. The strawberry beds will receive great benefit if a dressing of wood ashes _is applied to the plants at this stage. Strawberries must have potash in some form or other (c be a success. After applying the wood ashes, a good mulch of half-rot led material should be placed between the rows. This will not only keep the roots racist, but also keep the fruit clean when ripening. It is advisable at this stage before placing on'the mulch to make sure that the soil is firm around the roots. Loose soil has a tendency to make the plants form too much foliage. The surface can be made firm by walking np and down between the rows. Grass mowings make an excellent mulch, also slugs do not like travelling over grass mowings. LAWNS AND SHRUBBERIES. Complete the planting of all flowering and, ornamental trees, also flowering shrubs and hedge plants. Dig in all leaves, etc., between the shrubs after the necessary pruning has been carried out. LAWNS. New lawns should how be sown downand old and weedy lawns should be renovated. First, all weeds should be removed "before sowing new seed or even a top dressing is given. A weedy lawn is an eyesore. All weeds can be removed very easily by applying the new weed killer pentoxide, which is applied by using the watering can or it can be sprayed on to the weeds, which die out in a few days. After the weeds have been destroyed the patches should be moved up and a little new soil worked in before the sowing is done. If the seed is mixed with a little dry red lead the birds will not destroy it. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. A question that is being asked to-day by all who hare a plot of ground at their disposal is what varieties of vegetables will give the best returns. This question is a very important one, because we must, if possible, produce double the crops that wc have done in the past, when there has been plenty of food available for everyone The following list may be helpful to many to make a w:ise selection to grow for the coming season Roots and tubers should be the first consideration, as these will store and carry over long periods. Potatoes, where possible, must be grown. Artichokes also are easy to cultivate, #and make a good substitute for potatoes. They also make an excellent change for the table throughout the winter months. Carrots, parsnips, beetroot, salsify, kohl rabi, turnips (swedes), and onions and leeks may be cultivated in every garden. In these districts one must be careful in making the selection of the kinds that are most suitable for our climatic conditions and for our soil. For instance, when growing onions anyone with practical experience would not attempt to grow varieties such as Aisla Craig or even Giant Rocca, especially the first named, as to grow it sucbessfully a warmer climate is necessary. The varieties which are a great success here are the Pukekohe long keeper and Brown Spanish, or for early use light-skinned straw Spanish. The latter will take the place of White Lisbon, which is unobtainable. Carrots are the most popular of our vegetables, and splendid samples are grown in these districts every season. In late years these have been improved, especially in shape and colour. The two best the writer has seen and grown are Earlykrop (coreless) and St. Valery for main crop. These two varieties will carry one right throughout the season. In beetroot for early work Derwent Globe (turnip-rooted),, and Crimson Globe are the two best turnip-rooted varieties. I am afraid there will not be any long-rooted seed available this season. Plenty-, of beans should be sown next month. Use such varieties as the Prince and Sydney Wonder. These are two outstanding dwarf beans. When dried they are very valuable, for winter dishes. Peas also should be grown extensively this coming summer, not only for summer use, but they can be dried for winter purposes as well. . Such varieties as Commodore, Greenfeast, Glory of Devon, and Banqueter are great croppers, and all are of a dwarf habit. Beds should be provided to plant plenty of marrows and pumpkins on, as these will store for a considerable time. The bush marrow has become very popular and for summer use these varieties are the best for table use. The plants are great croppers, and can be planted out as one would plant cabbages, cauliflowers, etc. The plants are self-supporting, and need no stakes of any kind. THE VINERY. Commence to water the vine border where the rods are planted inside. The water should be- taken from a barrel which has been standing inside the house. On no account should the water be used from the tap direct. Give plenty of ventilation on sunny days, but avoid all draughts. PRUNING DEMONSTRATION. The last' pruning demonstration of the season was held last Saturday in the garden of Mr Adam, Calder street, South Dunedin. A good number were present. A very interesting afternoon was spent, and many questions were asked. This gardcli contains a wide selection of apples (cordon trained), gooseberries, currants, worcesterberries, and boysonberries, all of which were in an excellent condition. Votes of thanks were moved by Mr T. Saunders to the owner and to the demonstrator for providing such an interesting afternoon. 1 beg to thank all those who kindly offered their gardens for the past season’s demonstrations, which have been well attended end have become so popular to the fruitgrowers of Dunedin and district. F.S.P. BEET SUGAR. The following letter, which comes from Notts (England), may be interesting to many of ns who are on rations for sugar in this country. “It is suggested that the keeping quality of jam has last season been impaired by the use of beet sugar, inferring that if the sugar used had been made from cane the results would have been more satisfactory. To anyone who has travelled widely on the Continent, such a suggestion is not a little amusing, if it was not .so mischievous and misleading at a time when all housewives have mainly to depend on their own grown beet sugar for domestic uses. For well-nigh a century—l am not sure that it is not longer—sugar made from beet was the only kind available in most European countries, yet where could we find more delicious preserves or confections? I have over half an acre of garden and orchard, and in 1940, when the soft fruit crop was abundant, 1 made as much jam as a carefully-hoarded sugar ration would permit. All the sugar used was made at our local beet sugar factory, and we are still using the 1940 jam, which is in perfect condition. This season we have made at our local institute several hundredweight of jam which has been highly commended by the Government inspector. T understand aU the sugar used was the product of English farms. I think the true reason for sonic jam not keeping this year is the anxiety of the housewife to cut down to the minimum the amount of sugar used. I should not blame the kind of sugar but suspect that the quantity was not sufficient properly to preserve the fruit. It would be better to make less jam than to sacrifice quality for bulk. I discussed this point with a friend of mine who is a sugar chemist, and he pointed out that properly-refined beet sugar is pure sucrose and is chemically unidentifiable from the purest cane sugar. At a lime when our farmers and their workers are making heroic efforts to produce ail the domestic sugar we need, surely it cannot be too widely known that our English beet sugar is in every w-ay as good as that which we import from abroad.” The above letter makes interesting reading to us in this country, where we arc also sugar-rationed. Though we have the climate and soil conditions, we are not producing one pound of one of the most important commodities required for the use