6 
Economy in Watering, 
=eees= 
The first step in the direction of true 
economy is to provide a mimic soil for the 
plants. This is more easily and inexpen- 
sively done than it at first appears. One 
has only to be thrifty with garden litter 
and household litter and household refuse, 
instead of giving it away with reckless ex- 
travagance to enrich some corporation tip, 
as is too often the case. It should instead 
be thrown into deep pits dug for the pur- 
pose, two or more if possible, so that the 
second may be filling when the first 1s al- 
ready for use, and so on, and is becoming 
decomposed ready for use; thus no time or 
litter is wasted. The pits can be rendered 
quite inoffensive and sanitary if they are 
regularly sprinkled with lime and layers of 
soil. Everything of a speedily decompos- 
able nature can be thrown in. They will 
soon fill up, and the result will be a con- 
stant supply of rich, composite humic soil 
with which to enrich the garden beds. This 
rich store of moisture having. been trans- 
ferred. to the garden, should be further pro- 
tected from waste and the robbing influ- 
ences of summer by a mulch’'spread early or 
late, according to the nature of the seasons, 
whether wet or dry. ; 
Efficient drainage is another important — 
provision, because it equalises conditions 
by rendering the soil drier in winter and 
more moist in summer. Plants in a badly 
drained soil are put to severe extremes, 
and having suffered from excessive mois-— 
ture and coldness in the winter, are all the 
more sensitive to the summer heat and 
drought. It must be remembered that 
superfluous water only escapes through the 
drains in summer and winter. 
To group plants according to their indi- 
vidual tastes and native capacities is an- 
other essential to economy, and to do this 
it is necessary to know the place of origin 
of each subject—information that can. be 
obtained from any standard botanical dic- 
tionary. Plants that like swamping and 
others that require little water, and in some 
cases are positively injured- by 
should not be grouped indiscriminately. 
There should also be an intelligent disposal 
of plants and selection of sites. The area 
must be taken as a whole—its aspects, 
situation, exposure to sun and wind, dry 
and damp positions taken fully into consi- 
deration, and the plants alloted places ac- 
cording to the suitability of the site. Sum- 
mer annuals and herbaceous plants calling 
for liberal supplies of water should be 
planted within easy reach of the hose or 
watering can, and irises and other semi- 
aquatics in the immediate vicinity of a 
water tap, where they will benefit not only 
from the drip, but a larger share of mois- 
ture. Summer flowering annuals, peren- 
nials, herbaceous and tuberous sorted 
plants, such as zinnias, phloxes, asters, pan- 
sies, delphiniums, cannas, dahlias, and a 
host of others, repay copious waterings. 
excess, 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
Perhaps the next satisfactory and economi- 
cal way is to give the borders containing 
these things good soakings of water at inter- 
vals, and then refresh the plants and cool 
and moisten the atmosphere with a sight 
sprinkle every evening. 
In the case of permanent trees and 
shrubs, strong growing creepers and clim- 
bers, whose habit it is to make a strong set 
of roots and a tap root with power to 
penetrate the soil in search of food and 
moisture, it is positively wrong to in- 
dulge and pamper them by continual 
watering. It weakens them constitution- 
ally, and robs them of their natural robust- 
ness and the power of withstanding 
drought should that evil overtake them. 
If the water does not come to them they 
will go to the water. They will not starve ; 
their instinct saves them; their intellig- 
ence, thrift, and resourcefulness prompt 
them to send their strong roots deeper and 
deeper towards the moisture that almost 
invariably ‘exists in or below the subsoil. 
These are the roots that make the vigorous, 
enduring drought-resisting tree, not the 
roots that invade the surface soil and 
greedily contend with the tenderer ‘plants 
for food and moisture. 
ee 
Sydney Notes. 
(From our own correspondent.) 
Sydney, December, 1902. 
_ The second annual general meeting of 
the Neutral Bay Horticultural Society was 
held on the 12th ultimo at “Watersleigh 
Hall,’ Neutral Bay, the Hon. Malbon- 
Thompson presiding in the presence of a 
large attendance of members. The report 
of the committee showed that although the 
local horticulturists, together with other 
kindred spirits, had to contend with a very 
trying season—both in regard to weather 
and restrictions against the use of the hose 
—they deserved congratulations for the 
-manner in which they overcame all ob- 
stacles and staged exhibits which not only 
exceeded those of the previous years in 
quality and quantity, but compared favor- 
ably with shows of the various societies 
held throughout the year, and the society 
must rank at the present time as one of 
the first flight. among suburban horticul- 
tural societies. In addition to holding 
the usual Spring and Autumn Shows, 
monthly competitions were held through- 
out the year, which proved very successful, 
and the support. accorded thereto warrants 
the institution of these meetings as a per- 
manent fixture. At these meetings dif- 
ferent papers were read and discussed on 
the cultivation of various flowers, &c., thus 
imparting to members a fund of useful and 
instructive information. The Treasurer’s 
report showed that the society’s finances 
were in a healthy condition. Votes of 
_ judges, 
JANUARY 1, 1903. 
thanks were passed to the Chairman, 
and donators of ‘prizes, and the 
meeting closed. The following office- 
bearers were elected for the ensuing year: 
Patron, Dugald Thomson; President, Hon. 
Malbon-Thomson, M.H.R.; Vice-Presi- 
dents, Alderman G. J. Barry, Alderman G. 
J. Barry, J. H. Beatson, Esq., J. B. Peden, 
Esq., Alderman J. T. Ralston, Felix 
Randle, Esq., J. Stavenhagen, Esq., Rev. 
R. H. Waugh, M.A.; Committee, Messrs. 
C. W. Colley-Priest, R. Cran,..W.. Lloyd, A. 
D. Peden, S. H. Robertson, F. Teasdel, and 
T. W. Young; Hon. Treasurer, A. R. Har- 
rison; joint Hon. Secretaries, F. N. Cam- 
roux and R. J. Maclean. 
The usual monthly meeting of the Hor- 
ticultural Society of New South Wales was. 
held at the Queen’s Hall, Pitt-street, on 
the 9th instant. The exhibits staged were 
very good, and the attendance of members 
satisfactory. The Bouvardias were splen- 
did, especially those of Mr. Tymms and 
Mr. Horton. This flower does exceedingly 
well here. The roses were also very good, 
especially so for this time of the year. 
Some remarkably good Cactus Dahlias 
were shown by Mr. Butterworth, gardener 
to Mr. Abbot, Croydon. The exhibit com- 
prised blooms of Mrs. J. H. Maiden, Bri- 
tannia, Uncle Tom, Countess of Lonsdale, 
Mary Service, Mrs. J. J. Crow, and four 
unnamed seedlings. They attracted much 
attention. Mr. Yorke was responsible for 
two fine specimen plants of orchids, that 
of Loelia purpurea being very good. 
PEOSECO SS SES 
A Bamboo Basket for Con- 
servatory or Pergola. 
_A very artistic hanging basket can be 
made as follows: Procure some bamboo 
rods, $.in., 1 in., or 14 in. in diameter, 
according to the size preferred. Cut the 
rods into lengths, for an oblong basket, 
say 10 by 16 in. This is much prettier than 
a square. The bars would be 10 in. long 
and 16 in. Chisel out a groove 2 in. from 
the end of each under rod, and nail the 
overlapping bamboo into it. Then attach 
wires from each corner for hanging. Now 
line the inside of the basket with moss. 
Then arrange Maidenhair Ferns with the 
fronds downwards and outwards to fill the — 
bottom and lower sides. Cover the roots 
with a good compost of equal parts 
of fibrous peat, leaf mould, silver sand, 
and loam. Plant next heliotropes, light 
and dark, and finally crown the top with 
a yellow marguerite (Etoile d’Or). Care- 
fully press the soil well around and be- 
tween all the plants, water and place in a 
sheltered corner until settled, and you will 
soon have a hanging basket fragrant to the 
senses, graceful in form, and of a color 
scheme that is always a pleasure to the 
. eye. . 
* 
