Merch 1, 1908 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
Insure against Serious Loss 
Through a Breakdown. 
Everybody who uses Tools or Machinery has something broken occasionally. « The 
Farmer in the midst of his harvest loses a part of his crop because he has to wait for 
repairs ; the Manufacturer loses hundleds of pounds whilst his wachinery lies idle, for a 
part that costs only a few shillings to repair. 
USE. EVERY SEI IS COMPLETE. 
BEFORE WEDDING, 
Large Set, 25/-; by post, 26/6. Small Set, 
15/-; by post, 16/6. Full instructions with 
every Set. 
Weldarine 
Weld Cast 
WELDARINE Is QUITE EASY TO 
is 
Guaran- 
teed to 
Iron. 
Weldarine Agency— 
JOHN REID & SONS, LIMITED, 
Gresham Street, Adelaide. 
Notes for the Month. 
March is a good time of the year to 
plant out many kinds of bulbs, and no 
one should be without daffodils, crocuees, 
snowdrps, sparaxis, ixias, hyacinths, etc. 
These may all be planted, and the earlier 
the better—that is, if the soil has been 
prepared for them. They can be planted 
singly, in clumps, or in rows, or in any 
way which you please or circumstances 
may require. Daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, 
crocuses, sncwdrops, and snowflakes will 
come in the greatest perfection in: the 
cooi climates in this State, but they will 
give great satisfaction almost everywhere. 
After planting, spread a mulch of cow or 
horse dung over them. The depths for 
planting should vary with size and variety 
—the largest from3 to 4 inches, and the 
smallest about an inch. It would be ad- 
visable to have the ground properly 
drained, for bulbs will not succeed in 
ground too wet. All the charming little 
flowers—daisies, cowslips, primroses, poly- 
anthuses, auriculas, and so on—may be 
planted during the latter part of the - 
month. Violets, too, should not be for- 
gotten, and they, especially the double 
varieties, come to the greatest perfection 
in our coolest climates, although tbe 
singles succeed fairly well almost any- 
where, if thero is sufficient moisture for 
them. Sow some seeds of ten-week stocks 
in a bed, or in boxes. for transplanting 
when'the seedlings are large enough to 
move. The plants will flower in the 
spring,. All sorts of hardy annuals and 
perennials may be sown, either in the 
garden where they are to flower or in 
boxes or pots. It will probably be thd 
best way to sow in boxes or pots, ane 
afterwards tronsplant, because seedlings 
in the garden whilst very young and 
tender are so liable to injury from insects 
and other pests, 
The seeds should be sown with care on 
a finely-prepared surface of soil which 
has been made fine as well as level. Sow 
very thin and barely cover with soil. 
Keep moist, but not too damp. When 
strong enough plant in the garden. 
Cuttings of roses, fuchsias, geraniums, 
pelargoniums, verbenas, and many other 
plants will strike early this month. Shade 
well after planting, and keep them moist, 
but not too damp. 
How to Photograph Flowers. 
[By A. Ratcnyrre Nuemorz.] 
The subject naturally divides itself into 
two parts, cut flowers, and growing 
flowers. In either case a long-focus 
camera and isochromatic plates are neces- 
sery. Any ordinarily good lense will 
answer, great speed not being possible for 
the reason that considerable depth of focus 
is indispensable, and therefore a small 
diaphragm has to be used. 
TREATMENT OF THE SUBJECTS. 
Cut flowers offer wonderful opportu- 
nities for beautiful pictures, the scope of 
7 
arrangement and lighting being very great. 
It is the lack of rigidity in blossoms after 
they are cut that offers one of the greatest 
difficulties in this work. There seems to 
be an almost continuous movement on the 
part of some flowers; either they expand 
or close, or else they droop or quiver. 
Some varieties must be cut overnight and 
kept in water or a damp box in a cool 
place until two or three hours before 
you wish to make the photographs, when 
they should be put in water and in bright 
light: if possible, arrange just as they are 
to bein the picture, so that further hand- 
ling will be unnecessary. Flowers which 
have a very short blooming period can 
seldom be kept overnight. It is better to 
take a vase to the garden and put the 
flowers in it directly they are cut, but 
do not keep them in the sun longer than 
is necessary. Photograph ina bright light 
and have all windows closed during the 
exposure, and do not walk about the room 
or the flowers will shake. Every precau- 
tion should be taken to keep flies away, 
for they havea knack of settling ona 
flower the moment the lense is uncovered . 
On hot days keep a large, thoroughly wet 
cloth spread near the flowers. A piece of 
lead ribbon S-shaped will be found useful 
in holding stiff-stemmed flowers in posi- 
tion. The lead is pinched against the 
stem of the flower and is placed in a 
shallow tray of water. If a formal ar- 
rangement is desired, pin the stems to a 
board, if they are long enough to reach 
the water, so munch the better, otherwise 
wrap them iu wet absorbent cotton. 
Very delicate flowers should be laid on a 
piece of glass and photographed from 
above, with the camera pointing down-. 
ward, or by means of a prism attached to 
the lens. This latter method allows the 
camera to be used in a horizontal position 
while the prism points towards the 
flowers. 
THE PLATES TO USE. 
As already stated isochromatic plates 
must be used if good results are expected. 
Remember that ordinary plates reproduce 
yellow, orange and red very much too 
dark, green rather too dark, and blue and 
MIMULUS, OR ‘* MONKEY FLOWER.” 
