THE GARDEN.

Shannon News, 6 February 1925, Page 4

THE GARDEN.

Welcome showers have helped the garden considerably making the ground more pliable for hoeing and general routine work. Since the unusually heavy rains recently experienced, the surface soil has been in a hardened baked condition, making 'this week’s showers doubly welcome Those gardeners who have taken advantage of these improved conditions will find the soil in far better workable order, enabling plants to make better growth.

In the vegetable garden final plantings of cauliflower, savoy cabbage and celery should be made, also sowings of French beans should still be continued. Give the tomato plants a timely spraying as mildew blight has already made its appearance in some districts. Green fly has not made its appearance as early as usual, although slight signs of it are to be seen. Give your plants a weekly spraying with some nicotine or kerosene emulsion preparation, do not wait until your plants are mere skeletons before you think of spraying Carefully earth up the early celery plants as ; they require it.

In the- flower garden the dahlias are making rapid growth. The excessive moisture which attended the holidays, had the effect of pushing these plants on too rapidly. Conse- • quently they have been trying to bloom during the very hot weather. Dahlias are great moisture lovers, and are not at their best when blooming during the hottest months. If plants show signs of too much growth, it would be advisable to cut the branches well back, this will have the effect of making the plants throw out fresh shoots, which will bloom at a more favourable period. Procure supplies of sweet pea seed not forgetting some of the early winter blooming varieties, which should be sown now, in some wax’m sheltered nook near a wall, house, or outbuildings, where they will bloom in about fodr months from the time of sowing. These winter flowering sweet peas have been much improved of late years, and a wide, range of colours are procurable from various seed merchants, among the latest novelties in this section worthy of special mention is Grenadier, perhaps the most brilliant sweet pea yet introduced, it is best described as a glowing poppy scarlet, having the further advantage of being a vei’y robust grower, a habit which all winter flowering peas -do not possess. Quaker Maid is also a welcome addition to this class, the colour is a pleasing mauve self, its large sized blooms will make it particularly adapted for exhibition purposes, being also at its best for indoor decoration. Rose Charm is a very bright, rose, with large blooms, and always carried in fours on long stems. This variety keeps its colour remarkably well up to the time the flower drops. Among the earlier listed varieties, blue butterfly, concord ex-' quisite, Marie Cheslyn, dawn flush are all very attractive. Grey flakes is a unique colour, most interesting wim a grey ground flaked with maroon. Yarrawa, the world famed, original ol' tly? early or winter flowering strain of sweet peas, still holds its own, being of the lai’gest size, posessing great substance. Its flowers are delicately tinted, and carried on long' stems. The colouring of the standard being a deep rose pinlc, and the wings soft blush pink. Sow these winter peas where they are to remain and water until they germinate, or they may be sown singly in thumb pots, transferring later to permanent quarters, taking care to transfer without disturbing the roots, planting one foot apart in the rows, either in a well-prepared trench, or in an ordinary one, if the latter, use some good artificial fertiliser. This section is a welcome addition to the gai’den, blooming at a time when flowers are not too plentiful. Chrysanthemums.

Chrysanthemums will now be needing' a little attention if wanted for exhibition purposes. The side shoots which have been retained for blooms, should now be showing a bud at the terminus of each shoot, this is what is called the second break, or first crown bud. This bud, no doubt if left to remain, and all shoots that spring from the base of the bud removed, would develop into a good bloom. Experienced growers, however, find that this bud often matures too early for the autumn shows, and for. that reason should be taken out, and the shoots retained and limited to three, as from the first break. About the second week in February, or towards the end of the month with some varieties, another bud will form. This is what is called the second crown, and should be retained, as the time will then have arrived for taking the bud. Taking the bud means the removal of all the small shoots which form around the centre bud. On most varieties this second crown bud develops the best flower for exhibition. Give this hud every chance, by removing all other buds as soon as the centre one can be distinguished, as a rule no further growth springs from this break. If for .any reason plants are backward and not making the growth necessary for the development of good blooms, apply some Clay’s fertiliser and use as directed on the tin, this will be found very efficient. In using stimulants to the best advantage, do not place any within six inches from the stem, as it is the roots which take up the nourishment. As soon as the second crown bud has set and showing signs of development, a gentle force feeding may be commenced, starting with soot water, using three gallons of soot to about forty of water, place the soot in a bag and soak for twenty-four to forty-eight *hours. Apply to the plants about twice a week, giving a quart to each plant. From then on, change the stimulant occasionally by substituting any animal manure, using in the same way. Chrysanthemums are sometimes subject to dis-

eases, either in a miidew form, which has the .appearance of black spots on the leaves, or red spider, which shows its effects by leaving numerous minute red spots on the back of the leaves, the leaves gradually dropping off. Sometimes the green fly attacks the buds, which, if not checked by some reliable insecticide proves disastrous as the bud does not develop. An occasional spraying will keep diseases from getting a hold.