Barden

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 602, 2 March 1929, Page 28

Barden

By LI

EONARD A. GRIFFITHS

F.R.H.S.,

“.1 garden i.i the purest of human pleasures. It is the greatest refreshment to the spirit of man:’ —BAG OX.

SOMETHING FOR NOTHING HOW TO USE WINDFALLS "When the trees are covered with handsome fruit it is not easy to make oneself pick up the windfalls halfhidden in the long grass beneath. Yet jams, jellies and pudding can be made quite as well from these as from sound fruit from the tree. And just think of the economy, that “something for nothing” that every housewife is so keen on. Kveryone of the following recipes can be made just as well from windfalls as from sound fruit. Apple Jam. —Cut up the apples unpeeled, and put in a pan with equal quantities of cold water. Bring to the boil slowly. Then boil fast for 20 minutes and leave to drain through thick muslin overnight. Measure the juice next day, allow one pound of crushed loaf sugar to each pound of juice, also the strained juice of half a lemon. Hammer a piece of root ginger and tie in a muslin bag. To each pound of the juice allow 11b of ripe apples pared, cored and cut small. Boil all together quickly until it sets and clears. Take out the ginger before putting it into the jars. Cover jathen cold.

Apple Ginger.—Take 21b of apples hut roughly after paring and coring. Boil with 21b of loaf sugar, a pint of water and loz of whole ginger, bruised, in a bag. Skim all scum as it rises, but stir very little so that the fruit is not pulped. Boil until transparent. Cover when cold.

Baked Apple Batter.—Pour a cup of boiling water over a pint of line oatmeal by degrees, cool a little and stir in enough milk to make a thin batter. Add 2oz demerara sugar, a good pinch of salt, a pint of chopped apples. Stir them all together, pcur into a wellbuttered casserole, dust with cinnamon and sugar, add a little butter, and bake in a slow oven for two hours like a good rice pudding. A score of ptoned raisins can be lidded if liked. Apple Shape.—Stjw a pound of peeled apples, cut small with i pint water and the thin rind and strained juice of lemon. Take out the peel, and rub through a sieve when soft. Dissolve loz of gelatine in half a gill of water, add cochineal and stir into the apple pulp. Set in a mould. Serve with whipped, cream poured over, dusted with hundreds and thousands.

Apple Jelly.—Boil chopped, but not peeled windfalls, flavoured with thin orange or lemon peels, until soft, just covering them with water. Drain through folded muslin all night. The ■next day bring to the boil slowly, allowing a pound of the juice to a pound of loaf sugar. Boil fast for 15 minutes, skimming well until a little • jells” on a plate. Pour into clean jars and cover next day.

AUTUMN SOWING OF GEUMS Geums are a small genus of plants belonging to the Rosacae or rose order. Most of them are chiefly of botanical interest only, but the species known as Geum cossineum has been grown in gardens for many years. It has now given place to the greatly improved variety known as Mrs. J. Bradshaw, which bears much larger flowers, and these are of a brighter colour than the original species. Last year another new variety was introduced to our gardens. This variety originated in England, and is known as Lady Stratheden. It bears double yellow flowers over a period of four to five months, and comes quite true from seed. This variety will probably become even more popular as a garden flower than Mrs. Bradshaw. Geums like a rich soil and an abundance of moisture, and they will repay a little extra attention in this way. In other respects their culture is quite simple. They may be propagated by division of the roots, or from seed sown in the autumn in boxes of light, rich soil. These plants will bloom the following spring, but much better blooms will be produced after the plants have become well established In the ground.

USE MORE LIME Many people have the notion that lime is a fertiliser like sulphate of potash, super-phosphate, etc., and do not realise its real function in the soil. Its chief use in the soil is by its entering into various chemical combinations. It releases plant foods from , the other constituents of the soil, and thus makes them gradually available for the plants’ use, whereas without the lime this source of plant nourishment would remain unavailable.

The effect of lime is most noticeable on old garden soils which have been regularly manured for some years, but which contain no, or very little lime, and the vigorous growth that results is in many cases remarkable; and for this reason it must be at once apparent that to apply lime fresh manure will have a far from beneficial result as it will release the plant food before it can be used and should be applied before any manure is used. It is also a ruinous practice to give your soil a dressing of lime year after year, as by this means all the good will be lost from the soil.

Lady of the House: “Did you notice that pile of wood In the yard?” Tramp; “Yes’m, I seen it.” Lady of the House: “You should mind your grammar. You mean you saw it.”

Tramp: “No’m. You saw me see it, but you ain’t see me saw it.”

GARDENING TERMS EXPLAINED!

Mulch.—A mulch is a layer of manure, leaves, lawn mowings or other material spread over the soil to keep the roots of plants cool and moist dur-. ing hot weather.

Pinching.—This term describes the removal of the extreme growing tip of a shoot, to induce branching, it is synonymous with “stopping. ’* Piping.—A form of cutting often used in propagating pinks. It is the top of the shoot pulled out, instead of being cut through.

Plunge.—A pot plant is said to he plunged when it is let into the soil or other material, so that the rim of the pot is nearly at. the ground level. In a propagating case pots of cuttings are often plunged in fibre. Plunging prevents the soil in the pots drying so rapidly as it otherwise would. Pot-bound.—When a pla,nt has completely filled the pot it occupies, with roots, it has become “pot-bound.” Long before it reaches this stage a plant which is to go into a large pot should be

Pottlng-on, which simply means moving it into a larger pot.

Potting-off.—Refers to the first potting into separate pots of seedlings or cuttings which have hitherto been growing together in pans or boxes. Pricking-out—This is the gardener's term for transplanting seedlings. Prick-over.—A plot which is “pricked over” is lightly forked — merely to the depth of an Inch or two.

Propagator.—A contrivance for propagating—usually a propagating case. Puddle-in.—This is a method of planting—especiaaly followed with winter greens—in dry weather. The hole made to receive the roots is filled with water before the soil is replaced. Ridging.—Heavy soil is often thrown up for the winter in the form of ridges, so that a greater surface may be exposed to the weather; this work is described as ridging. Sappy.—Sappy growth is that which is soft owing to much wet weather, or being under glass in too high a temperature. Set.—This word has several meanings. A good set of fruit means that plenty of blossoms have developed into small fruits. A potato set is so-called “seed” tuber (one intended for planting), while an onion set is a small onion bulb suitable for planting in spring. A crop is set when it is sown or planted. Again, a lawnmower is set when the cutting blades are adjusted. Slip.—Another term for cutting. Spit.—The depth of soil which can be moved by a spade, when it is thrust fully down, is said to be a “spit” and, similarly a “spit wide” is a spade width. Spraying.—This term means the distribution of liquid in the form of a mist or spray. Start. —Plants, bulbs, tubers, etc., are “started” by being placed in soil in a warm and moist temperature to induce the development of fresh growth. Stock.—A plant or tree upon which a shoot (known as a “scion”) is grafted, the latter subsequently forming the plant or tree. Tilth.—-A fine “tilth” such as is necessary for seed sowing, is a “fine” state of the surface soil brought about by digging, forking and finally raking. Top-dress.—The addition of fresh soil for manure to plants in pots or out-of-doors.

ANSWERS TO PUZZLED GARDNERS

J.C.K., Western Springs.—Your treo is probably the male variety of this species. In any case it will pay to plant another as one will help to fertilise the other. Working round the tree a few feet from the trunk with a sharp spade will probably stop the buds front falling off. F.E.G., Epsom.—(l) Re Carnations: I suggest after cutting back the plants as suggested you let them break away again and take the strongest shoots and strike

as cuttings. By doing this you are growing on tho new shoots only which should newer well. (2) Market Favourite and Smooth Red are two of the soundest and most reliable varieties grown. If they succeed well in your soil, it never pays to start experimenting with some of the English fancy varieties that are not suited to our district. To help ripen fully, cut away a few of the leaves around the fruit spurs to allow the maximum amount of light and sun to penetrate into the bunches. Fortnightly applications of sulphate of iron will produce the colour required. (3) Air-slaked Roche Lime is by far the best to use. One sack is worth four of the variety you have just purchased.