HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2808, 8 January 1908, Page 10

HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

' -Br J. Gsbbik.

ORNAMENTAL ASPARAGUS.

A new species of asparagus which eclipses all the others is being introduced into commerce. For graceful foliage and habit of growth Asparagus falcatus, as it is named, is certainly the" "finest, judging from a plate of this plant which appeared in the Gardeners' Chroniole of a recent date. The flowers, pure white with bright red anthers, are disposed in loose racemes, and are" highly scented. The plant is a native of tropical Asia and Africa, is of climbing habit, and will send up 'shoots in early spring that will reach to a length of 50ft or more in a single season. These become hard -and woody as they ripen, and remain for several years, retaining their foliage all £he~-year round.

GARDEN PEAS.

Leguminous esculents are of great antiqxiity as culinary vegetables, and one of the best known is the pea. It is a hardy' annual, native of the North of Europe, and! cultivated from -fciine immemorial. It was not very common, however, in. Elizabeth's time,- as we are informed that they were then brought from Holland, and were considered" fit only, .for the nobility, being brought from so great a distance and at such a great expense. Like most other cultivated vegetables that have been, either long in cultivation or at all numerous in variety, there is great confusion with regard to names, which are constantly varying. The leading varieties of to-day will in a few years' drop out of the seed catalogues their place be taken by newer and improved varieties, or, as ia sometimes the oase, the old may by some grower be- renamed and sent out as a> new variety. Few are aware of the number of varieties of peas cultivated by growers. At a> recent meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society of England, J. Carter and Co., the noted seedsmen, exhibited a collection of 250 different varieties, all named. All were sown on the same date, and they demonstrated the season of each kind. Some were just forming their seeds, and others were yellow- in the pods. Each dish was labelled, giving information as to the season, habit, etc., of the variety displayed ; _amoner them being Duke of Albany, Duchess of York, Alderman, Daisy Gladstone." and Stratagem — tried varieties which would be hard to beat.

NEW ZEALAND SPINACH.

ThLs is a trailing- plant, growing in abundance near the sea. It has numerous branches with round, succulent leaves, and is generally found growing by the sides of the bush in sandy .places. It is seldom! seen in gardens, and. though not used by the Natives, was coueWered by the naturalists who aceomnanicd Captain Cook of the same nature as Ohenopodium. It was served to the sailors, boiled, every day at breakfast and dinner. When introduced into England' by Sir Josen-h Banks in 177 a, it has since been found to grow in the open i grpund as freely as French beans. As a, \

summer spinach this native plant ought to be more generally cultivated. There is a g>ood deal of trouble with the ordinary spinach during the summer months owing to the rapidity with which they run to seed. The New Zealand spinach, if watered, grows- freely, and. produces leaves of the greatest sueculeney in the hottest weather. The seed should be sown in August in a pot, and placed in a hotbed, and the plants kept in a frame until all danger of frost is past, when they may be planted in a richly -manured piece of ground. In five or six wo&ks from planting- the branches will have grown sufficiently to allow the gathering of the leaves for use. In gathering, the leaves must be picked off the branches, taking care to leave the leading shoots uninjured. These will produce a supply of leaves until lat© in the season, for the plants are hardy en&ugh to withstand frosts which kill tomatoes, potatoes, and other vegetables. The botanical name of the ordinary spinach is Spinacia oleraeea, and it is supposed to be a native of Western Asia. The New Zealand spinach is Tetragonia expansa, and has been cultivated in Europe as New Zealand spinach. It is also a native of Tasmania, Auetralia, Japan, and l South America, NORFOLK ISLAND PINES. _ These beautiful pines (Araucaria excelsa) make fine decorative plants for house decoration, and ara as effective as aspidistra or palms. ■ In America they are highly prized) for decorative purposes. The nurserymen there import mostly from Belgium, in lots of 5000 each^and retail them, when established in pots, and about 2ft in height and the same in width, at from 4s 6d to 12s each. Smaller plants without pots, but just aa they' are reoelved from, Europe, are usually sold at about 2s to 3s each. These trees attain a height of 150 ft, the branches are symmetrical and pendulous, the leaves bright green in colour. In their young state they are admirably adapted for indoor decoration, either in the drawing roomor hall, or on the dinner table, whilst in the greenhouse or conservatory it forms a splendid object. *