Garden Notes

Levin Daily Chronicle, 1 March 1928, Page 7

Garden Notes

Seasonable Routine Work. Frequent showers have loosened the surface soil considerably enabling the gardener to take in hand some of the work that has gradually but surely accumulated in the garden. The i thirsty soil can do with very much moisture and though the plants have freshened up ( many of our favhave all too prematurely finflowering; f These had far better be removed from the borders, and if the ground , j s well worked and a little manure pipfifug in, clumps of anemones, ranunculus, or any favoured spring flowering plants may be used to till up. the ♦ljape. Seeds of all hardy annuals such as nemesias, godetias, silene for edgings, forget-me-nots, primula, malavoides, cinerarias, oscholszias, and 'many others of a like nature may bo sown. Among perennials and biennials such things as wallflowers, delphiniums, antirrhinums, Iceland poppies y foxgloves, geunis*. and in fact .almost .anything’that will stand the frost may be sown. . 4 Prune rambler roses well back to a V strong bud , Ramblers produce their best flowers on one-year-old shoots. Bankaia roses should also be pruned /during the summer. Cut back the flowering stems to a strong shoot and vthey will then throw out plenty of Jong shoots. Cut the tips off these .to induce them to make plenty of ’ short side-growths. These bear the .flowers. Sow sweet peas and cut back the growths of all border roses to one half ** .their length where a crop of autumn blooms arc wanted. Plant bulbs and corrns of all spring

.flowering subjects. The Vegetable Garden. All members of the cabbage family will suffer badly from the attacks of :the cabbage fly during hot weather unless precautions are taken to keep ■.this pest in check. Sprayings of black leaf .40 is one of the simplest .methods; this is a strong nicotine solution, directions for its use being supplied‘with each tin. Tobacco dust may be sometimes sprinkled on the .foliar-while- the plants are wet with -dew,'Wood ashes and soot being used in thV same . way., A , spraying of water every morning early will often keep the plants from getting too badly damaged. Give the runner arid French beans weekly dose of liquid manure; theses vegetables may be had in abundance .through the hottest weather if a little attention is given them, and the plants arc not allowed to seed. The Culture of Preesias. Freesias are prized for their delightfully' fragrant graceful flowers which'' last longer than ' any other flowers. They thrive well in a ■compost, of good mellow, loamy soil, wel decant'd farmyard manure and a little-horiemeal. If the soil is very heavy-add some leaf mouM as well as tittle sand. Plant in a well-drained bed as.this makes for early blooms, and; bury ihe small bulbs two inches belbw- the surface soil. The coloured ; freesias now offered are wonderfully ;attraot,ive; the aevi'eat hybrids ranging in co^r. ItiilKpugh .various shades of rose, salmon, bronze, iapricot, red, yellow, primrose and lavender. Among the cream shades'-the variety Burtoniii

is "eyijy ./(he ! best. The blooms' a-re extx-a large and of a lovely pure texture, and are as deliciously scented as the old -.well-known favourite. Preeaias may bo had in bloom -earlier if they are grown in pots, using the same compost 'as mentioned -above. Care must be taken, however, that there is good drainage. Stand the-pots outside and keep them slightly shaded until growth• is showing; then -.expose;them.'to the full sun and keep the .plants in continuous ;growth giviiig water when necessary. Before frosts come remove the pots "to the sunny part of a greenhouse -or an airy sunny window-. When flow--er spikes are showing, stand the pots in saucers of water, and as the bxids -open give the plants a little weak liquid manure. They like plenty of air, . but-not a direct draught. •; > Soot as Manure. In answer to an inquiry from ‘AI.G as to the use of spot for. manurial pur-, poses, the following notes may prove ■of benefit. ■ By all keen horticulturists soot is looked upon as, one of *.he very -he' B * of fertilisers,. 'especially to the grower of choice blooms destined for the exhibition table: •’ The most -economical way to - Use it is in a liquid form, three gallon's of soot being 1 of water. Bet this -stand for^forty-eight hours before using a quart of the" diquid being used twice weekly. Before using any form ■of liquid manure when the soil is in •a’very dry state, first soak the ground well with water, and the plant will then reap the full benefit of the manure allowance.' There is nothing quite so good as soot manure for giving flowers an added depth of colouring and it is largely used (when obtainable) for sweet peas chrysanthemums, and even for the narcissi family the cups of the blooms gaining in colour. Sickly pot-plants •which have a starved appearance, ■quickly recover, when,'soot is used, the

foliage once “a£ain pleasing the eye with healthy green tints. lu the vegetable garden it is equally valuable, all crops benefiting from its use, particularly onions. These will grow to an enormous size when top dressed lightly every few weeks and the manure hoed in. When making a new flower border oi; vegetable garden trench the ground wcdT,a digging in manure as you-go. Then give a top dressing of basic slag and a light dusting of soot and 1100° in lightly. A bod prepared thus will grow anything and grow it well. , Soot should not be used in a fresh state, but should bo kept for about six weeks (in a dry place). Chimneys which have not been in use since winter if cleaned now, will furnish soot ready for use. Soot is often advocated as useful for the slug pest, but it io such a valuable commodity that personally I prefer to use something more readily obtainable, for as slugs are so hard to keep in chock, quite a large amount of soot would need to be used before the plants would be able to get well above ground. Like all other manures, when used merely as a top dressing soot should be applied either late in the autumn or early spring, but where there is only a little of it. it is best reserved for a few choice plants. It has been known to check the attacks of the cabbage fly and the fungus disease, which often attacks the foliage of the onions, causing them to bulb prematurely. When used for these purposes it must be applied after a light shower, or early in the morning aftep a heavy dew. Disease in Gooseberry Bushes. In reference to the inquiry re diseased gooseberries, it is ter be regretted that there is not much hope of saving the plants. Gooseberries, unleas planted in favoured localities, are short-lived trees, and: many instances have been recorded where, after a span of five years and over, the trees have gradually died out. The specimens sent in for inspection are not badly damaged by the borer, not enough to alone .account for their dying out so completely.. Gooseberries aro very touchy over having their roots disturbed, and the hoc should be used very carefully when working amongst them, as a severed root will Often start the tree on a down-hill run.. Gooseberries love a shingly soil and when' grown in heavy, wet localities 'disease quickly makes its. appearance. The remaining’trees in question might take a fresh lease of life, if they were cut right back and allowed to make a fresh start; A yearly spraying in. the winter' months of bordeaux mixture will help keep them hchlthy, but gooseberries bear so ear-, ly that I certainly would not waste too much time and room over them. Commence again with a few fresh trees. Good drainage is a necessity and probably, if the land hod been well drained before planting the trees, they would have remained in health for a much longer period. Work in a good dressing of lime if replanting is contemplated. Bordeaux Mixture,

Copper sulphate or blucstone. 41bs.. best burnt, lime. 4lbs„ and water. 40 gallons. Dissolve the copper, sulphate in a little boiling water in order to mix it with other ingredients. Use for fruit spraying. The Summer Garden, If one studies the four seasons of the gardening year,. one cannot fail to notice that the summer garden is by far the most beautiful as far as colouring goes, but this season the summer garden has not been the success which -was naturally looked forward to. Although there have been many pleasurable spots where a few favourites have hold their own andblossomed freely, the majority of our loved plants have seemed with their drooped,-.appearance, to mutely reproach us for witholding the moisture so! necessary for their wellbeing. Autumn showers will freshen the garden and we may hope for a better display of dahlias, chrysanthemums, asters, zinnias,, and the many gorgeous colourings among autumn foliage trees and shrubs. Autumn has its lovely colours, its aftermaths, its perfection and yet pathos, for it speaks of the lloworloss .winter to come. Winter certainly has a barren beauty of its own. Spring has the glorious beauty 1 of a now awakening when everything j*is fresh in its first unmarred purity 1 and loveliness. All the seasons have i a beauty of their own. but that of the ! summer garden is wont to excel them j alj. and it is with a sense of something lost that ono views this year’s summer garden.