Gardening for Amateurs 



129 



sugar of lead, and 4 ounces white resin, and 

 heat the ingredients in a tin over the fire 

 until they are all reduced to a nice liquid ; 

 paint it on the cloth when still hot, and 

 give a second coating the following day. 

 Dwarf plants in bloom during a wet season 

 of the year have their petals splashed \vith 

 mud, and their fine appearance spoiled ; to 

 prevent this, mulch them when the buds 

 appear, with short littery manure or straw, 

 and dig the matter into the soil after the 

 flowers have faded. 



Plants during Winter. Some of the 

 semi-tropical plants, including Bamboos, 

 various Reeds, and the fine varieties of 

 Pampas grass, do not winter well in cold 

 parts of the country. The usual method of 

 protecting them is to tie up the foliage into 

 a compact but not compressed mass, then to 

 stake closely round them a thick hedge of 

 fir branches, gorse, or any similar protective 

 material that can be obtained. Choice 

 varieties of the Rose are sheltered during 

 severe winters by tying up the twigs mixed 



with bracken, old discoloured straw, or 

 twigs of some sort to keep out the cold 

 winds. Alpines, naturally a hardy race of 

 plants, are greatly injured by the wet soil 

 around their leaves ; a good plan is to 

 scatter gravelly matter over the ground 

 beneath the foliage in order to keep the 

 Iravi-s off the wet earth ; heavy rains are 

 prevented from doing damage by the use 

 of pieces of glass held in position by wire 

 clips. 



Altogether the work of protecting plants 

 and shrubs is one which demands study, 

 and in some cases special attention. No 

 matter what plan is adopted, try to avoid 

 obtrusive methods, which are objectionable 

 in every way, since they are entirely out 

 of harmony with their environment. The 

 amateur with the local show in view may be 

 excused for a few weeks, but by all means 

 let him clear the rubbish away as soon as 

 the fateful day is over and leave the garden 

 in all the aesthetic grandeur of its unsullied 

 beauty. 



Mildew on Roses. Everyone is familiar 

 with the unsightly, mealy-looking powder 

 which appears on the leaves of Roses during 

 late summer and early autumn, and frequent 

 inquiries are made as to a good way of 

 checking the disease. Commonly spoken 

 of as mildew, it is a rather serious fungus 

 pest, for a bad attack often leaves the plants 

 in an enfeebled state. Unfortunately, people 

 do not realise the existence of the fungus 

 until the white or mildew stage is reached, 

 whereas it has really been present ever since 

 early spring, and might have been prevented 

 to a certain extent had action been taken 

 earlier. Towards the end of autumn the 

 fungus forms resting spores, which remain 

 dormant all winter, and only begin to vege- 

 tate about the time when the young leaves 

 commence to unfold. This is the time when 

 the spores are most easily destroyed, and by 

 spraying the plants once or twice with a 

 fungicide about the time when the leaves are 

 developing, an epidemic may be checked, 

 and the plants remain clean throughout the 

 year. Bordeaux mixture is a good fungicide 

 to use for the purpose. It may be prepared 

 9 



by mixing 12 Ib. of copper sulphate and 

 8 Ib. of quicklime with 100 gallons of water. 

 The copper sulphate should be dissolved in 

 a small quantity of boiling water. The lime 

 must then be slaked, and the two mixed 

 together in the full amount of water. Apply 

 as a light spray. 



The Severe Pruning of Evergreens. 

 It sometimes happens that certain ever- 

 greens such as Laurels, Rhododendrons and 

 Hollies have outgrown their ]x>sitinns, and 

 it is necessary to prune them hard back 

 into the old wood. Naturally this is a 

 rather serious undertaking, for not only has 

 the work to be done so that it will cause the 

 least permanent injury to the plants, but it 

 must be done in such a manner and at such 

 a time that the least possible disfiguration 

 will result. The most satisfactory time for 

 tin- work is April, for at that period the 

 plants are full of life and vigour, and form 

 new shoots quickly, which soon hide the 

 old cuts. Were the work done in autumn 

 the bare branches would look ugly all winter. 

 Coal tar applied to the wounds protects them 

 from fungus snores. 



