June i, 1907. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
369 
The Flower Garden. 
Readers who can find time to glance at 
the head of this page will observe that 
June 1 st is here. 
1 am sure they will appreciate my fore¬ 
thought in pointing it out to them, and if 
they feel inclined to present me with an illu¬ 
minated testimonial I am quite agreeable. 
“Well, how’s the garden?” This is the 
perpetual query. The butcher, the baker,' 
the coal heaver, and even the vendor of cat’s 
meat vie with one another in their interest 
in gardening matters just now. I suppose 
it is because they know that things are 
really growing at this time of the year. 
Everything seems to have switched on to the 
high gear, so to speak. 
Hoeing-. 
I wish, however, the weeds would put 
the brake on. Still weeds compel cul¬ 
tivation. In our own language, cultiva-' 
tion generally means to look after or tend 
things. In America the term usually ap¬ 
plies to stirring ox hoeing the soil. This 
is what weeds compel. Were it not for 
weeds we would become lazy and allow the 
soil to set hard. 
We, however, hoe out the weeds, and thus 
break up the soil, letting in air and keeping 
in the moisture. 
Endeavour to keep an inch or two of fine 
dusty soil on the surface, and the labour of 
watering is very much reduced. 
I have just got up the last of my bulbs, 
which were in the way of bedding arrange¬ 
ments. Many things are now fit and safe to 
plant. 
Begonias, 
Brought along in cold frames during the 
past month or so, have grown remarkably 
well, and if plenty of air has been given 
the plants should be set out. It is essen¬ 
tial that they should be thoroughly har¬ 
dened, however. Begonias that are brought 
along under glass and not inured to hot 
sunshine and wind, quickly suffer, .and for 
a time become perfect wrecks. For this rea¬ 
son I never urge my corms to grow very fast. 
No heat whatever is given after mid-April. 
The most forward plants are set out first, 
the backward ones being kept in the frames 
ifor awhile to help them along. Begonias 
are queer customers, and some are very 
loth to start, whilst others grow like Rhu¬ 
barb. 
Pansies and Violas 
Are blooming splendidly now, but I must 
1 again say that for vigour and plenty of 
bloom the named sorts cannot equal the 
seedlings; that is to say, autumn struck cut¬ 
tings never make such fine .plants as seed¬ 
lings sown in July or August. 
Rooted cuttings taken out of frames in 
April arc no great size, and quite a time 
j elapses before they make really fine plants. 
The advantage, however, is that one knows 
(exactly what is coming, whereas the best 
strain of seed always gives a percentage of 
| common things, beautiful enough to the lay 
mind, but not good enough for the class of 
people that peruse The Gardening World. 
Nevertheless, I always make a couple of 
sowings, one in March in the frame, and 
another in August, the latter being the 
special spring batch. 
It is with profound relief that I am able 
to say that 
Sweet Peas 
Are forging ahead. Somehow or other I 
always fret about their slow early move¬ 
ments. It takes them three months to make 
four or five inches; after that they simply 
swarm up the sticks. This again prompts me 
to remind readers that the sooner the sticks 
are in position the better. 
A slight dressing of nitrate of soda in 
showery weather will help these plants, or 
sulphate or phosphate of ammonia may be 
given in liquid form. All such chemicals 
must be used with caution. 
Roses. 
Roses must be continuously attended to. 
Maggots must be hunted out. Be they green 
or brown, treat them all alike, with a ten 
horse-power pinch. 
Aphis, too, need checking, and where spot 
or rust is apt to show weak sprayings with 
Bordeaux mixture will be of service. 
Dahlias. 
Dahlias will soon be jumping ahead, 
when once their roots get a hold. Keep the 
plants to one stem, be they old roots or 
newly-hought stock. When handling novel¬ 
ties make sure of saving stock by retaining 
a few side shoots and rooting them as soon 
There is not, it would seem, re¬ 
marks Miss Cobb (“ Cities of the 
Past”), a conceivable reason to be 
given for the existence of -flowers (at 
least for their beauty and -perfume), 
other than the intention to provide 
for man a pure and most delicate 
pleasure. Geologists tell us that in 
the earlier epochs there are few traces 
of flowers, such as there were being 
s711 all, and probably of the secondary 
colours, mere vessels for the ripening 
of the seeds. Only when the human 
era approached, the order of the 
Rosaceae appeared, the fruit trees 
with their luxurious burdens, and all 
our brightest and sweetest flowers 
till “the wilderness rejoiced and 
blossomed as the Rose ” 
as they are about four inches in length. 
Old roots have a way of not starting some¬ 
times, so increase stock even if the young 
plants have to be grown in small pots all 
the summer. Pot roots always start well in 
the spring. 
Pentstemons. 
Pentstemons are . now moving rapidly, and 
i.f they show no signs of branching the tops 
should be pinched out. Some sorts are very 
chary of making basal growths at the latter 
end of the season, and in such cases no 
flowers should be allowed to open if in¬ 
creased stock is desired for next season. 
Carnations and herbaceous plants should 
be well staked and tied to prevent damage 
b.y-wind. 
The Fruit Garden. 
Fruit Trees. 
From what I have seen there will be 
abundance of fruit this season. Plums, 
Apples and Pears never were more full of 
blossom than they were this spring. Plums 
and Cherries in my garden that have been 
barren for three years past are loaded with 
embryo fruit. 
Fruit Bushes. 
Currants, too, are very full, as are Goose¬ 
berries. These bushes are making rapid 
growth, and it is advisable to pinch back the 
most vigorous shoots, providing, of course, 
that the bushes have filled out their allotted 
space. 
Strawberries and Raspberries. 
Strawberries are bearing heavy crops, 
and if not littered down it should be done 
soon. See that weeds are hoed out before 
laying the straw. Cut away superfluous 
suckers from Raspberries, unless wanted for 
increasing stock. 
Birds and Insect Pests. 
Birds will need watching, as each year 
they become more ravenous, and attack green 
fruit with avidity. Black Fly on wall trees 
should be kept down by quassia spraying. 
Paraffin emulsion is not suitable when trees 
are bearing. 
Lime and Salt Spray. 
The new lime and salt spray for Applp 
Sucker, etc., will prove valuable for keep, 
ing down pests. It cannot be used now, but 
readers should make a note of it, as it pro¬ 
mises to sweep away Apple and Plum 
Sucker, Aphis and Woolly Aphis. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Peas. 
All Peas should be staked by this time, 
and I doubt not that some readers are about 
to pick a few pods of Little Marvel or some 
such precocious variety. 
The tall later sorts should not be too thick 
in the rows. Everyone knows that over¬ 
crowding prevents any kind of plant doing 
its best. 
Runner Beans. 
Runner Beans are moving fast, and the 
poles should be in position. As with Peas, 
give these plenty of room. I allow nine 
inches. 
Other crops should have similar attention, 
as really good Carrots and other roots can¬ 
not be grown if they jostle one another. 
Early Potatos 
Need full earthing by this time. Quite 
near to my place large patches of Duke of 
York were fully earthed by mid-May. AYe 
cannot all get Potatos so early, however. 
Early Sprouts are fit to plant out now, as 
are summer Cabbage, etc. Successional 
Lettuce also need planting out. I usually 
get a batch between the Celery rows. 
Celery trenches should be got out at once. 
If the soil has not been thoroughly worked 
the trenches should be taken out 18 inches 
deep, putting back some of the top soil with 
the manure. Poor subsoil cannot produce 
good Celery. Keep the hoe going every¬ 
where. Asparagus should be allowed to 
have its own way now, or at least cutting 
should cease as soon as possible. 
AA'hen cutting is -stopped mulch the beds 
with good manure. It helps the crowns for 
next year. 
Leeks may be fit for transplanting in some 
places. Never allow the plants to become 
crowded. Seakale thongs recently set out 
are growing fast now. Cut away all 
growths save the strongest one. This vege¬ 
table needs constant attention in this way. 
“ Horti.” 
