8 March, 1907.] Garden Xotes. 173 



all be saved and rowed out separately in season when the largest will pro- 

 bably bloom the same year, and the remainder the following season. Thev 

 will be identical with the parent varieties. New varieties are raised from 

 seeds. Seeds should be saved from the finest varieties, cross fertilized 

 with the pollen of other fine distinctive kinds. Seeds shouhl be sown in 

 spring in beds or boxes of light soil, where they may be grown for the first 

 season, afterwards being lifted and treated as the bulblets. .\Ian\ wiU 

 bloom during the second season after sowing the seeds. 



A number of hybrid varieties is annually raised from seeds, and dis- 

 tributed when proved to be meritorious. There is, however, no check on 

 the nomenclature of the gladiolus, as in the case of the rose, chrvsan- 

 themum, &c. A fair collection should include the Lemoinei, Childsii, 

 Nancieanus. Kelwayi. and Gandavensis types. 



Flower Garden. 



Roses, dahlias, and chrysanthemums, grown for specially fine flowers, 

 will require to be watered and fed with< liquid manure, and the flower buds 

 or shoots thinned. Frequent reference is made in these "notes" to the 

 above plants, chiefly because they are the most popular among florists' 

 flowers, thrive in most parts of the State, and are general Iv catered for at 

 Horticultural Shows. The results of the treatment accorded them should 

 also be an object lesson in special culture in any branch of agriculture or 

 horticulture. One of the most important matters is the feeding of such 

 plants with manure in a liquid form. Such an application is without doubt 

 the most prompt and economical method possible. The plant food is 

 applied to the roots of the plants in the only form that they can absorb 

 it quickly, it spreads evenly to all parts of the root system, and in the 

 preparation the various ferments that are needed to make it available at 

 once occur. In some cases highly concentrated preparations are dissolved 

 and applied at once to the plants. In others animal manures are em- 

 ployed, and although less pleasant in the preparation and application, are 

 much cheaper and generally more effective than the chemical manures. 

 Fresh manure should be used, dry old horse or cow manure being value- 

 less. Cow manure is generally advised, chiefly because it is the leasf 

 Iiarmful, but it is not nearly as valuable for the purpose as fresh horse 

 manure Drainage from stables and cow sheds is more valuable tl an 

 either, but must be allowed to stand for a fortnight at least, and be highly 

 diluted before being used. Liquid manures should be used very carefully, 

 beginning with weak solutions and gradually increasing their strength. 

 Occa.sionally an application of clear water is necessary. Soot, fowl 

 manure, blood manure, and guano, are all valuable for making liquid 

 manure, but, excepting soot, are liable to "burn" the roots unless used 

 very carefully. All animal manures used in liquid form should be allowed 

 to stand several days after " mixing " before being used. The usual plan 

 is to place the manure in a sack and susj^end it in a tub or other vessel, 

 diluting the resulting liquid before application. About 30 lbs. of horse 

 manure soaked in 30 gallons of water will, after standing for a week, 

 produce liquid ready to dilute at rate of t part to 20 clean water. 



Chrvsanthemums and dahlias should be fairly forward and should be 

 securely tied as need arises. Dahlias will need to be thinned in their 

 growths and flower buds. Anv lateral shoots that occur on the selected 

 shoots should be removed to within a foot of the surface. The lower 

 shoots mav l:>e allowed to grow and will nrnduce fair blooms later on. 



