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^GARDENlM
^WeefcEnd Notes. V
(By 'Elfin.')
?^Visitors to the various flower shows
held within the, metropolitan area during
the. spring noticed the description 'seed-
lin-»V attached to. many exhibits. - esnec
lally carnations* ana tney may. nave won
dered; where these seedlings -came from,
and how they were -obtained. , As a rule
seedlings are generally the result, of the
exhibitors' efforts 'at -cross ^fertilisation,
which is one i of the most interesting
bra'nehes of ' floriculturei especially' if the
grower's , own hand *has ^performed the
operation: .; With ; many ; garden -flowers
all that is ..necessary- in order ' to? obtain
seed , of ' quality^ is- to vweed out inferior;
types and^retain' the best, from Vwhich
the seed is gathered. ? This operations may
be* terriied seed .saving 'by. selectioriv'; 'The
bees and other insects are, the if ertilising
agents or the plants that; are bi-sexular
fertilise 'themselves. \ /Excellent: results
may be obtained 'by this means, providing
sufficient 4 space ?, exists-' between' 'the. vari
ous colours or varieties; for , a certain pro
portion to come. true to ?jtype. / Where/
however,, an. improvement isl sought -in' a
particular flower it -.is. necessary: to intro
duce pollen (the.- fertilising vagerit) 'from
one flower to another, bjr' bind, and with
carnations, .sweet peas ;and- gladioli .this
is the only,' sure .way-,:tb' 8uccess^!''v W'ith
the sweet' pea ^theVmale i organs ^^ ''(anthers)
are ^removed frbm-thevbjias as sbpri' as
they 8how?.the^\sli^ht;' tinge p'f Colour.
When' the^low.er;; ^ minus the male ; organs; ;-'
has( ^developed;.:; pollen^ iromi '?;: some 'other
variety is 1 DrushediuponAthe^stigmai' after
wKich'/:;seyd;?8Vttini5-:,:c6mmen^es;-J''.:'.-^W.itb''-
flowers - suchias^the ^sweet^peai^nb ;iirisect
can icome '; jni contact i; with- the'- organs of
.reprbductipri.v owing, to ^^- 'thai structure^ of
.theHfjpwers^andvheesibr; insects vplay'Vnd'
'part: :whsteyer^in?f^
Hest carnations-:' the ;chance ro£ selffertili
sation .is ^rembte; ; nor ; ;do ;: ^he ? bees of ten
effect ? the ^ppeiatibfii '; All . : that* becomes'
necessary :? f 6r 'thefsuccessf ul ' raising of the ^
ieedlincc is' if pr^, the ;-' grower ;to- seek/ out
the? pollen i^frbm:*one,v,bloomv\and^-trahsfer;
.it- to the-stignia^pf anbther-vthatiHas been
ch'bsen vas)a.parent ipjanti;.^.'-; :®;; ^ rc;~
Many'sumnier-^
jy/;mulch;^especially;;where'-;th'ei sbil^-is'
light in^ texture. . C vBeans , : and ? marrows;
melons ? arid ^'carrots/: ;'as .: ;.; well ?'aa -: Viearly
planted cabbage -and^cauHflow'et:'ali derive
benefit: from ;it-^;Apply-: the Vmulch when
the' soil, is moist,'. so- as.: torretainVrthe
moisture. ? ; Various ^things ,, can 'be? used;
such\ as lorig^ and '8hprt stable -inVariure,
cpw-:'.ma.nure\.tiut',;ha.sv:been'-';weli-.p:ulyei-
ised,, seeweed, ?sloA; clippings' from : the
lawns. The .value of mulching: cannot be'
over-estituated.-. It saves time arid water
and ' certainly 1-eeps. the', plants; in- good
heart, through; the- hot spells. ; In,i the
[dahlia .beds; mujching is iiipst'desiriible.
,as ? it saves if reqijent ; wateririgs;;; and pre
vents; forcing the growth. j;-JFpr^tthe 'time
being .all:;that:;is: necessaryiis^tdrkeep
.the-.plantesg'rpiyuig steadily drid;'a7gbod
thick?nuilch^er- Jhe J beds^and -around
^^Pian^/iwill^brk^w^dei^^; ^ft- :i
:-?^;?:^/rhfc,Mowte^o?:p^ife^^
'?S& :f?waupn tbV'ago V the -writer ^liao^Cth^
pppprtunity r,pf.Jns^ecUng; i^fine; 'plan t-of
;tlie iinohsterp:-delicbfi'ay grbwinir;-: iu'?^ the
garden; pf;;Mr^^yall . Ha^ at =Subiaco^kt
the .tiine of . the- visit the{-plarit-was-'in
f till c bloom; biit : since then the : fruit -/-has
8?^ and,:;ripened. It is interestihg to
note that it: has taken fromYlast March
unti lately for the. fruit. to ripen. .-?- Re-
cently Mr. Hall brought; intb^- this -office
a- fine, specimen^ of: the fruit, about, ten
inches long, which was delicious. Froin
tbe delicate and peculiar flavour.it is
easily understood why it is named 'deli-
c°sa;, and the flavour resembling that
of the pineapple.- banana and passion
fruit combined, gives one a . complete'
fc1*^ iaone-, F this sweet -smelling
and delicious tropical; plant could only be
g^own-exteusjvely - as. a commercial pro
demand S^&^^M \ ':& %
? ?;? % Clneririasvind Primulas. ' V ^
iB^Zr? ^;°f cinerarias or;prjmulas'
is wanted r the seed .should be^sown aa
early as-possbile,: as the plants take: a- Ibug
time to develop and February is about the
?limit- for planting. Different ftypes SI
cinerarias can be secured, and one of .the
most . satisfactory , ? strains is : graridi
flora compacta. ;?: This variety gives
nice compact,, plants ? with large
even heads of flowers. The star
cinerarias make splendid garden plants,
and grow, in to tall specimens, providing a
large quantit^.of flpwers, with :the differ
ence .that the .heads are: more. .branching
:3* '» '? csoycpmpac:t- aa «he-.grandj.florft
strain, . Seeds, of primula malacbides must
also be spwmthifj month,?and: where: early
results \are looked^ for1 with 'the ilcelancl
poppies.a start must soon be made. Pansies.
violas, stocks, nemesia, and wallflowers for
fr, winter, show : should be sown early in
!*ebruary. .^Should a- good show of- gaillar^'
:diai:be^.wante^fpt_;,next;seasbii:-early;8owi,
ing,,pf .seed invFebruary 'should be' urider
itaken.;;-. ;s-~y-~-'-'::~\' '?? ?-.:,-? ?; a t--*-- ??'??.- ?'?-. ^^''iv::-;- ?-?;-;
'?^bses^on ^theiirjown i roots^are 'a?go'od
proposition ln'^our' sandy spilsi and -there
are^any^thati give^better' bldoms^when
,grp^an^thisiAray^That fine bld;variety'
La^ance-pften?fai's tpioperi'properlyibn
iheayy/soils.^ut when grownl:-oh-rits^bwn;
rpotf Yin j sandy : soil ' nearly :Seyery^bud^ be-'
epmfis^ as perfect^blborti.^ iLayeririg^ens
:uPi,the^war;tx);x)btaining,bwn^bo;te^ Groses
iro - ,d5^bHsh;e8 ?'' where;a'Vbrarichycan:
be. pulled dp-yp to , the'grpund, Ieyel.? 'Now
}s av g^pd; tirne;: to ^perfp-rm the operation ^bf
WWii-M^^teiof-'fciaimhi
year_s.-grptFth,Vmake ?'?-a-.-npteb7 iij .it'at.the
Point;of ^coDtaci?with; tihe ^ soil^arid ipeg it
down; firmly, into the '^rou\5d' TheV-nbtchea
pprtibn -shbuld , be surrounded -with sandy
soil- which,;must always, be 'kept:, moist?
,This.»ma3r be- assisted ? by : placing ..a': fairly
thick mulch of old manure prlitterarbund
t^.? 'ayer. ^ The -layered branch^will, be-
come :-. rooted . xn'va few.j months^: when r . it;
may; be ifleparated; from. the. parent .plant
and eyentually^placed o^iit.: s-;0;;-; ;; ^i ..?
4j/i '^:!^-:~ C ?--.?. -^WAfl?^/^^^: ^j'-^-'
^Purchase i;sbme delphinium'^e^d'andige^
itplanted-early, but fbrSgbpd germin'atibri
theo seed must be. fresh., {.Sow; the:seed 'in'
a shallow' box of ,f light 'soil? arid 'get^ihe
^Iants/put^earlyi-t K: ^:'-'^ ;'^J ^h..'%^::
^KLate planted ^pkdibK- bulbs; Bhbuld-^be
lifted now.. ; Once^the -stems r have' dried
nghtvout there'is- no danger; in' ta'kiri'g;
the,; bulbs:. up. 'i* -'^;-r.--ry.-:',--.rjfr *.?:-.??' -/.'--i|.--. ,
v- Sow.v pansy ;seed;;;early.:; '.Purchased? the.
best strams: yojir poeket-can fstarid,-:as^the
best quality vis- no 'more1, difficult to handle
thari^ehiaper lines: t? -,.'''. v ?*': ' -;'; ;7 v -- ,:i
-Sow. 'seed.- of .ranunculi .-.and vanVmones^
as '; both .these line's are rather ? slow - in''
?germinatibg.-A SeedlinRs,tpriee ithey are an
inch highj are-,nbt hard to1 handle. ' : . r.
- jLiet the .dahlia plantevhaye^plenty. of sup-:
port,, otherwise^wheri ' high, ^iiids . blow
there.fi? a cKaucev'pf ^Jbsing '.some of 'the
bestv-Stemss -.:;If4 ,there' are' several 8161118
use . twdrt or three Btakes... c;.. V ' '-?'? '
Small- gloxinia _'plants .th'atf'fh^iye two
sets -of ?;%yesvcanVb¥-potted.,up^ui allgfit,
rich compost;! ' fU.se fpur-inch';pb'ts to start
jvith, and . place; the roots just blelo^y. the.
soil. ?'-?, Tuberb^s^begpnias ? can ^be , treated
similarly. '?;':',^--' -7-' :--' ?.:-!?.'' ?'''..: '?'--.??'.
; Daffodil bulbs/ should -'all bbe lifted ''by
now. . ;If. ypu^do.^riot lift the 'bulbs soon
they -will .bfiVriiakmg -new 'roots. ?'' If vit is
not intended tb?givefihe bulbs' a new place
the.v can; lie left, alone. '?- ?????'. '?^??- -?; \^
, Allow the hydrangeas to ripen' properly
their , stalks ;-:bef ore you start to trim the
glhnts into shape: r/;' ' : V .
-A few fine specirnens,.bf Bouvardias ? have '
been, seen 'this ^season. -Keep the spent
flower trusses 'cut off and -let the plants
have' plenty bf\water. V'- ^- ;l ^t-
.Carnation cuttings that, have rooted can
be potted^up in readiness for putting out
about' the end-of January; f 'Let the young
plants have plenty' of light, and if they are
growing; tall and spindly nip them back. '
lv Lift and transplant any of the self-sown
cosmos, as they are easy to handle. Se^ed
sown now will make a good autumn show
. Correspondence.
. 'G.H.K.' (Perth). -You are quite right
about, cutting and planting divided pieces
of potatoes with a good strong eye shPw
ing: This method will often give to the
home gardener better results than small
seed. ? Dusting the cut portions with
ashes and lime is good procedure. Gkid to
know-this column is' helping you. Make
full use of it. ? ? , :/
! 'Sweet Peas' (Ma'ylanda).— (1) January
is a little early to sow seed unless your
position is a particularly favoured one. (2)
In' ^the .next issue will give 'a list of kdod
varieties. , . ?
'J3.' (Claremont). — It will not hurt, tb
give your peach, tree a. light summer prun
ing. In fact; this will be beneficial.
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