1096 



Gardening for Amateurs 



with paraffin, and dust with red-lead before 

 sowing, as this protects them to a great 

 extent from mice and other vermin. A little 

 thicker sowing than usual is advisable now, 

 to allow for losses that may occur. 



Parsnips. This crop requires deeply- 

 worked soil to do well, and as a long season 

 of growth is also of importance, seed may 

 be sown at the first opportunity now. Sow 

 several seeds in groups 4 inches apart, the 

 drills being drawn 18 inches asunder. This 

 is really thick sowing, as the plants are sub- 

 sequently thinned until they stand 1 foot 

 apart in the rows ; but in early sowings 

 such as this a margin must be allowed for 

 failures. 



Cucumbers. Sow Improved Telegraph 

 or Everyday Cucumbers now, placing two 

 seeds in each small pot. Place in a brisk 

 bottom heat until germination occurs ; 

 subsequently the temperature must never 

 fall below 60 for this crop. As soon as 



it can be seen which of the two seedlings 

 (provided both germinate) is likely to make 

 the stronger plant, cut the other off close 

 to the surface of the soil. 



Spinach. Round or Summer Spinach 

 may be sown now where it is much in de- 

 mand. Drills are often drawn between rows 

 of Peas for this crop ; but if sown in the 

 open make the drills 18 inches apart. It is 

 not advisable to make a large sowing now, 

 unless a favourable position and soil are 

 available. Hoe through the bed of Winter 

 Spinach to encourage growth. 



Seakale. If forcing under glass is in- 

 convenient, even better results may be ob- 

 tained from a permanent bed, and this may 

 now be planted. Trench and liberally manure 

 the site, and plant the roots 2 feet apart in 

 the rows, while the latter should be rather 

 wider. Strong crowns planted now will, if 

 well grown, be ready for forcing next winter 

 by means of fresh manure. 



Rose Leaf Blotch or Black Spot. 



This destructive fungoid disease (Actinonema 

 rosae) is one of the worst pests that present- 

 day Rose growers have to contend with, and 

 owing to the enormous trade in young bushes 

 it is spreading throughout the country very 

 rapidly. The disease is characterised by the 

 presence of large purple or dark-brown 

 blotches on the leaves, appearing first on the 

 upper surface of them. The sap-absorbing 

 threads of the fungus penetrate to the inner 

 tissues of the leaves, and these, while robbing 

 the rose-bush of its vitality, render the work 

 of eradication an extremely difficult one. The 

 injury done by this parasitic fungus is not 

 merely confined to a continual drain of sap 

 that might otherwise pass to the twigs, but 

 to the premature defoliation it causes which, 

 in a sense, removes wholesale the digestive 

 system of the bush ; the leaves are really 

 the stomach of a plant, hence if the fungus 

 causes the leaves to drop, no further food 

 supplies are available for the development 

 of branches and buds. Sometimes, indeed, 

 the soft green twigs are attacked also, so that 

 in this there is a further menace to the vigour 

 of the Rose. 



No real cure has yet been found for this 



destructive fungus, but certain practices un- 

 doubtedly lead to a diminution of the evil. 

 Formalin, the commercial stuff sold at a 

 strength of 40 per cent., has given best 

 results ; the plants are sprayed twice or 

 three times at ten-day intervals with a 

 solution containing 1 tablespoonful of that 

 liquid in 1 gallon of soft water, the ground 

 being soaked at the same time. Now, this 

 fungicide is one that must be employed with 

 care ; only after the sun goes down should 

 it be used, spraying ought to be from a 

 syringe with the finest nozzle, and if the 

 following day threatens to be one of bright 

 sunshine it is just as well to syringe the 

 plants with clean cold water in the morning. 

 Mo Effic is a proprietary article which has 

 proved quite satisfactory in some of our tests, 

 and the familiar Bordeaux Mixture, or a 

 solution of liver of sulphur in soapy water 

 (1 ounce of chemical and 2 ounces of soap 

 in 1 gallon of water) may be relied on to 

 check its ravages for a time. In all cases, 

 however, pick off those leaves which are 

 badly attacked, and cut back all twigs which 

 have died to sound wood ; burn these or 

 bury them deeply. A top dressing of guano 

 the following spring is beneficial. 



